Licensing
Ithil requires a license key to start. Both tiers are available at ithil.software .
License tiers
Non-commercial
Free. For open-source projects, personal use, academic research, and internal non-commercial tooling.
Register with your email address at ithil.software/register . Your key arrives by email in seconds.
Commercial
Paid. For closed-source products, SaaS platforms, and commercial services. Allows proprietary use without open-sourcing your integration.
Purchase a license at ithil.software . Your key arrives by email after checkout.
Getting a key
| Tier | Where to get it |
|---|---|
| Non-commercial | ithil.software/register — enter your email, key delivered instantly |
| Commercial | ithil.software — complete checkout, key delivered by email |
What a license key is
A license key is a signed JWT (RS256). The private key lives on the Ithil server and never leaves it. The gateway validates the signature against a public key embedded in the binary — no network call is made at startup or at runtime.
The JWT contains:
| Claim | Description |
|---|---|
sub | Email address of the registrant |
tier | License tier: non-commercial or commercial |
iat | Issued-at timestamp |
jti | Unique key ID |
Keys do not expire by design. If you need to revoke a key, contact support.
Where to put the key
appsettings.json:
{
"Ithil": {
"LicenseKey": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9..."
}
}Environment variable:
Ithil__LicenseKey=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...Treat your license key like a password. Do not commit it to source control. Use dotnet user-secrets in development and your platform’s secrets manager in production.
What happens at startup
| Condition | Result |
|---|---|
| Key absent or empty | Gateway refuses to start. Message: No Ithil license key found. Register for free at ithil.software/register. |
| Key present, valid signature | Gateway starts. Logs: Ithil license validated. Tier: {tier} |
| Key present, invalid or tampered signature | Gateway refuses to start. Message: The Ithil license key is invalid or has been tampered with. |
FAQ
Can I use Ithil in a SaaS product? Yes, with a commercial license.
What if I lose my key? Re-register with the same email address at ithil.software/register . Your existing key will be resent.
Can I run multiple gateway instances with one key? Yes. The key is not locked to a single instance.
Is validation online? No. Validation is entirely local — the public key is embedded in the binary. The gateway does not phone home.