Frequently asked questions

A hosted trial is a live instance of a real open-source self-hosted tool, running on dedicated infrastructure we provision for you. You get tool-specific access details, usually through a private HTTPS URL. It is not a demo or sandbox; it is the actual software running on a real server.

Provisioning typically completes in 3–8 minutes. You'll receive an email with your trial URL once the instance is ready. The 5-day clock starts from provisioning completion, not from payment.

Sometimes. Team access depends on the tool and the provisioned access flow: Paperclip uses an invite, OpenClaw and Hermes expose different access surfaces, and planned tools should be verified before collaboration is promised.

The instance is fully functional and you can use real data. That said, we recommend caution with highly sensitive production data since the instance is deleted at the end of the trial. Export anything you want to keep before expiry.

You're refunded in full, automatically. If a tool fails to provision reliably, it gets pulled from the directory until we resolve the issue.

Only you and anyone you explicitly invite through the tool-specific access flow. Trial subdomains are not publicly listed. We have infrastructure-level access for operations and security, but we do not read your data.

The VPS is permanently deleted. No archival, no backup, no retention. You'll get email reminders at 48h and 24h before expiry so you have time to export. After the instance is wiped, we have no copy of your data.

Yes. Every trial runs on a dedicated VPS. There's no shared infrastructure, no shared databases, and no network-level access between customer instances.

BYOK credentials are injected into your instance at provisioning and stored only in that instance's environment. They're deleted with the instance at expiry. We don't archive or log them.

No subscription required. Each trial is a one-time $5 payment. You only pay when you launch a trial.

If you complete a trial and decide to self-host or upgrade to managed hosting, your $5 trial fee converts to a credit. You shouldn't pay twice to evaluate and then use the same tool.

We offer refunds within the first 24 hours if the tool isn't provisioning correctly or doesn't match what was described. We don't offer refunds for change-of-mind after a successfully provisioned instance.

Extended trials and managed hosting plans are on the roadmap. The current standard is 5 days.

BYOK stands for "Bring Your Own Key." Some tools require external API credentials for useful evaluation. OpenClaw and Hermes require model-provider keys during launch; Paperclip lets you add provider secrets after you claim the workspace.

OpenClaw and Hermes currently require BYOK in the launch flow. Paperclip does not require a key at checkout, but you will add model-provider secrets inside Paperclip for real agent work. AFFiNE hosted-trial provisioning is planned, not currently verified.

Yes — we evaluate suggestions regularly. We prioritize tools that are genuinely self-hostable, actively maintained, and have a clear use case distinct from existing listings.

Use each tool’s documented export, backup, or configuration-copy path before expiry. Some agent tools are more about preserving config and secrets than exporting documents. After that, use the migration guidance for setting up on your own infrastructure (typically Hetzner or another VPS provider).

Migration guides are included. Hands-on setup support is on the roadmap. If you need help now, the $5 credit can be applied toward setup consulting.

Yes. Each trial is independent. If you want more time with a tool or want to start fresh after an initial evaluation, you can launch another trial.