# Licensing

> LocalCloud's ongoing free-use policy for open-source projects, limited-time public preview terms, and compliance resources.
>
> Source: https://local.cloud/docs/licensing/

## Limited-time public preview

LocalCloud is free to use during the limited-time public preview under the **LocalCloud Public Preview License Agreement**.

> **Free public preview**
>
> Individuals and organizations, including for-profit companies, may use LocalCloud free of charge for development, testing, ongoing internal CI, and evaluation. No payment method or license key is required.

LocalCloud is designed as a local development and testing environment. Release behavior should be validated against real Google Cloud before deploying an application to production. The preview grant does not cover customer-facing production use, reselling LocalCloud, offering it as a hosted or managed service, redistribution, or sublicensing.

## Free for open-source projects

Under the **Free for open-source projects policy**, open-source contributors and maintainers can use LocalCloud free of charge for development, testing, and their project’s ongoing internal CI.

This policy is ongoing and independent of the limited-time public preview. Free use for open-source projects continues after the public preview ends.

Tests against local endpoints do not need a maintainer’s Google Cloud project, provision Google Cloud resources, or incur Google Cloud service charges. Your repository can include LocalCloud configuration, test launchers, and setup instructions that direct contributors to obtain the runtime themselves.

This policy establishes free use for open-source projects. The license supplied with each runtime release governs use and distribution of that release.

For a practical starting point, see [Bring No-Cost Cloud Integration Testing Into Your Repository: Low Setup, Easy Contributions](https://local.cloud/blog/localcloud-for-open-source/).

## Resources

For engineering, security, and procurement teams reviewing LocalCloud for organizational use:

- **Governing License Agreement**: The complete legal terms are published as the [LocalCloud Public Preview License Agreement](https://local.cloud/license/), with a [plain-text copy](https://local.cloud/license.txt). The full license text controls.
- **Website and Agent Skills repository**: This page summarizes runtime preview releases. The [website repository LICENSE](https://github.com/LocalGCloud/LocalGCloud.github.io/blob/main/LICENSE) currently contains a different, individual-only agreement. Consult the license supplied with the artifact you obtain; this summary does not change that repository’s terms.
- **Privacy and Outbound Data**: Detailed information regarding runtime telemetry, optional controls, and local data boundaries is documented in the [Privacy and Outbound Data Reference](https://local.cloud/docs/privacy/).
- **Runtime Components**: The LocalCloud runtime, including its [built-in MCP integration](https://local.cloud/glossary/mcp-server/) (accessible via the `/mcp` HTTP endpoint or the `localcloud mcp` stdio bridge), is covered under the same governing license.
- **Preview releases keep their terms**: Each version distributed under the Public Preview License remains available to its licensees under those terms. Later versions or services may be offered under different terms, but they do not retroactively alter the grant for preview releases already obtained under the agreement.