Open Source

Open at the core

Metaport is open source, and it's assembled almost entirely from open source itself. We run on an open-core basis: the Metaport application you'd self-host is the same code we ship, and only the plumbing that makes the hosted service tick, chiefly billing and account provisioning, stays behind closed doors.

The application is released under the AGPL-3.0. That puts the source in the open for anyone to read, change, and run on their own kit, but it's worth being clear that the AGPL is a copyleft licence rather than a permissive one; the freedoms it grants come with obligations attached.

What the licence means in practice

In plain terms, the AGPL-3.0 gives you the right to inspect and audit every line, to adapt Metaport for your own needs, and to keep the result yours. The catch, and it's a deliberate one, is reciprocity: if you distribute a modified build, those changes have to go out under the same terms, so Metaport and anything derived from it stays open. We think that's a fair trade. It keeps the project honest and transparent while still giving us room to sustain and grow it.

One thing to keep in mind: the open source release is the core product only. The infrastructure, deployment tooling, billing, and the various SaaS-specific pieces that stand the hosted platform up are not part of it and remain proprietary. That split is what lets us run a viable business without asking you to give up the transparency or the freedom to self-host.

Why teams self-host

Running your own instance means your data stays on your own infrastructure and never has to touch ours. For teams handling sensitive material, working under data-residency rules, or operating in tightly regulated sectors, that alone is often reason enough, and plenty of people self-host simply because they'd rather keep their data close.

You also get to call the shots on the details that matter: where the data physically lives, how long you hold on to it, who inside your organisation can see your maintenance information, and when (or whether) you take an update. Nothing changes underneath you unless you decide it should.

Getting started

If you'd like to stand up your own instance, docs.metaport.sh has the installation walk-throughs and configuration reference, and you're welcome to drop into our Slack if you hit a snag. And if you'd rather skip the operational side entirely, the hosted Metaport SaaS at app.getmetaport.com gives you the same capabilities without the infra, code, deployments, security, and maintenance to babysit.

The hosted option

With room for the whole team, priced sensibly per seat and per application (the pricing page has the numbers), with nothing to patch, nothing to keep running. Start your free trial →