Back to blog
This post is on the way.
Reading
post
The piece is being set. The cover and the first lines land here.
Back to blog
This post is on the way.
Reading
post
The piece is being set. The cover and the first lines land here.
Back to blog
Reading
The piece is being set. The cover and the first lines land here.
Back to blog
Reading
The piece is being set. The cover and the first lines land here.
Back to blog
Reading
The piece is being set. The cover and the first lines land here.
4 Sep 2026 · Luffy · Always Free · dflow
When we started building dFlow, the goal was simple: make deploying and managing applications easier without forcing teams to give up control of their infrastructure.
That principle continues to guide everything we build.
Over time, however, dFlow has evolved significantly. What began as an open-source deployment tool has grown into a broader infrastructure and deployment platform, with application management, infrastructure automation, networking, databases, observability, and enterprise capabilities becoming an increasingly important part of the product.
As dFlow enters this next stage, we are making an important change to how the platform is distributed.
dFlow is moving from an open-source model to a source-available, commercially supported model.
The core dFlow source code will no longer be distributed under the MIT License.
At the same time, we are making a commitment that is equally important:
dFlow will remain self-hostable, and dFlow Cloud will always have a free tier.
This allows us to build dFlow as a sustainable product while preserving the flexibility that has always been central to the platform.
Previously, dFlow was distributed as an MIT-licensed open-source project. Anyone could access the source code, modify it, and redistribute their own versions.
Going forward, the dFlow source code will be maintained privately by the dFlow team.
Self-hosted users will continue to be able to deploy dFlow using the official dFlow distribution.
This means you can continue running dFlow on infrastructure that you own or control without needing to operate the dFlow source code yourself.
The distinction is important:
dFlow is no longer open source, but it remains self-hostable.
As dFlow has grown, so has the scope of what we are building.
Today, dFlow is no longer simply a deployment interface. We are building a platform that brings together application deployments, infrastructure, databases, networking, automation, observability, and increasingly sophisticated workflows.
Building and maintaining this platform requires sustained investment in engineering, infrastructure, security, documentation, support, and product development.
A commercial model gives us the ability to make those investments while maintaining clear ownership of the core platform.
More importantly, it gives us a sustainable foundation for building dFlow for the long term.
We believe this is the right model for the stage dFlow is entering.
One of the most important decisions we made during this transition was that we did not want self-hosting to become an enterprise-only feature.
Infrastructure teams have different requirements.
Some organizations want a fully managed platform.
Others need to run their deployment platform inside their own cloud account, private network, or data center.
Some teams simply want the freedom to choose where their infrastructure runs.
dFlow continues to support that model.
You can run dFlow on infrastructure you control, including:
The infrastructure remains yours.
dFlow provides the deployment and management layer on top of it.
For developers and teams who don't want to manage infrastructure themselves, dFlow Cloud provides the simplest way to get started.
We are keeping an always-free tier as a permanent part of dFlow.
This is not a limited-time promotion or a temporary launch offer.
The free tier is intended to give developers an easy way to explore dFlow, deploy projects, and understand the platform before deciding whether they need additional capacity or capabilities.
As the product evolves, the exact limits and capabilities of the free tier may change, but the principle remains:
There will always be a way to start using dFlow for free.
You can find the current limits and plans on our pricing page.
The official dFlow Docker image is the primary distribution mechanism for self-hosted deployments.
Instead of cloning and building the dFlow source code, self-hosted users can deploy the official distribution directly within their own environment.
This provides a much simpler operational model while allowing us to maintain a consistent, tested, and supported distribution.
The Docker image is provided under the dFlow license.
The license defines the rights associated with using and distributing the software, while the source code remains proprietary to dFlow.
This distinction allows us to provide the flexibility of self-hosting without maintaining an open-source licensing model for the core platform.
If you are already using dFlow, the transition does not mean you need to stop using the platform.
Existing deployments can continue to operate, and we will continue investing in the product and improving the platform.
What changes is the licensing model under which future versions of the dFlow platform are distributed.
If you have built something around dFlow or have specific requirements around licensing, redistribution, or commercial use, we recommend reviewing the current dFlow license or contacting us directly.
You may still encounter older references to dFlow being MIT licensed or fully open source.
Those references describe an earlier stage of the project.
As dFlow has evolved, some of our older documentation, blog posts, videos, and community discussions may continue to contain references to the previous model.
We will progressively update our first-party documentation.
The current dFlow license and documentation should be considered authoritative for the current product.
We also want to be transparent about the history.
The open-source phase of dFlow was an important part of how we built the product, learned from developers, and validated the problems we were trying to solve.
We are grateful to everyone who contributed, tested the platform, opened issues, shared feedback, and helped shape dFlow during that period.
While the licensing model is changing, our fundamental product philosophy is not.
We still believe developers should have choices.
You should be able to decide:
Where your applications run.
Where your data lives.
Which cloud provider you use.
How your infrastructure is connected.
Whether your deployment platform is managed or self-hosted.
dFlow is being built around that flexibility.
Our goal is not to own your infrastructure.
Our goal is to give you a better way to operate it.
The next stage of dFlow goes beyond simply deploying applications.
We are building toward a platform that can provide a consistent operational layer across different infrastructure environments.
That includes:
The underlying infrastructure can change.
The deployment experience should not have to.
Open source was the right model for the stage in which dFlow began.
A commercially supported, source-available platform is the model we believe allows us to take dFlow into its next stage.
This gives us the ability to invest more deeply in the product while preserving two things that matter to us:
Self-hosting remains available.
Getting started remains free.
We believe these principles can coexist with a sustainable commercial business.
And that is the direction we are taking dFlow.
If you have been following dFlow, here is the simplest way to think about the change:
dFlow is no longer an MIT-licensed open-source project.
The core dFlow source code is now proprietary.
dFlow remains available for self-hosted deployments through the official distribution.
dFlow Cloud will always have a free tier.
Enterprise customers can choose between self-hosted and managed deployments.
The mission remains the same:
Give developers a modern deployment experience without taking away control of their infrastructure.
The technology, the product, and the business around dFlow will continue to evolve.
This is the next chapter.
4 Sep 2026 · Luffy · Always Free · dflow
When we started building dFlow, the goal was simple: make deploying and managing applications easier without forcing teams to give up control of their infrastructure.
That principle continues to guide everything we build.
Over time, however, dFlow has evolved significantly. What began as an open-source deployment tool has grown into a broader infrastructure and deployment platform, with application management, infrastructure automation, networking, databases, observability, and enterprise capabilities becoming an increasingly important part of the product.
As dFlow enters this next stage, we are making an important change to how the platform is distributed.
dFlow is moving from an open-source model to a source-available, commercially supported model.
The core dFlow source code will no longer be distributed under the MIT License.
At the same time, we are making a commitment that is equally important:
dFlow will remain self-hostable, and dFlow Cloud will always have a free tier.
This allows us to build dFlow as a sustainable product while preserving the flexibility that has always been central to the platform.
Previously, dFlow was distributed as an MIT-licensed open-source project. Anyone could access the source code, modify it, and redistribute their own versions.
Going forward, the dFlow source code will be maintained privately by the dFlow team.
Self-hosted users will continue to be able to deploy dFlow using the official dFlow distribution.
This means you can continue running dFlow on infrastructure that you own or control without needing to operate the dFlow source code yourself.
The distinction is important:
dFlow is no longer open source, but it remains self-hostable.
As dFlow has grown, so has the scope of what we are building.
Today, dFlow is no longer simply a deployment interface. We are building a platform that brings together application deployments, infrastructure, databases, networking, automation, observability, and increasingly sophisticated workflows.
Building and maintaining this platform requires sustained investment in engineering, infrastructure, security, documentation, support, and product development.
A commercial model gives us the ability to make those investments while maintaining clear ownership of the core platform.
More importantly, it gives us a sustainable foundation for building dFlow for the long term.
We believe this is the right model for the stage dFlow is entering.
One of the most important decisions we made during this transition was that we did not want self-hosting to become an enterprise-only feature.
Infrastructure teams have different requirements.
Some organizations want a fully managed platform.
Others need to run their deployment platform inside their own cloud account, private network, or data center.
Some teams simply want the freedom to choose where their infrastructure runs.
dFlow continues to support that model.
You can run dFlow on infrastructure you control, including:
The infrastructure remains yours.
dFlow provides the deployment and management layer on top of it.
For developers and teams who don't want to manage infrastructure themselves, dFlow Cloud provides the simplest way to get started.
We are keeping an always-free tier as a permanent part of dFlow.
This is not a limited-time promotion or a temporary launch offer.
The free tier is intended to give developers an easy way to explore dFlow, deploy projects, and understand the platform before deciding whether they need additional capacity or capabilities.
As the product evolves, the exact limits and capabilities of the free tier may change, but the principle remains:
There will always be a way to start using dFlow for free.
You can find the current limits and plans on our pricing page.
The official dFlow Docker image is the primary distribution mechanism for self-hosted deployments.
Instead of cloning and building the dFlow source code, self-hosted users can deploy the official distribution directly within their own environment.
This provides a much simpler operational model while allowing us to maintain a consistent, tested, and supported distribution.
The Docker image is provided under the dFlow license.
The license defines the rights associated with using and distributing the software, while the source code remains proprietary to dFlow.
This distinction allows us to provide the flexibility of self-hosting without maintaining an open-source licensing model for the core platform.
If you are already using dFlow, the transition does not mean you need to stop using the platform.
Existing deployments can continue to operate, and we will continue investing in the product and improving the platform.
What changes is the licensing model under which future versions of the dFlow platform are distributed.
If you have built something around dFlow or have specific requirements around licensing, redistribution, or commercial use, we recommend reviewing the current dFlow license or contacting us directly.
You may still encounter older references to dFlow being MIT licensed or fully open source.
Those references describe an earlier stage of the project.
As dFlow has evolved, some of our older documentation, blog posts, videos, and community discussions may continue to contain references to the previous model.
We will progressively update our first-party documentation.
The current dFlow license and documentation should be considered authoritative for the current product.
We also want to be transparent about the history.
The open-source phase of dFlow was an important part of how we built the product, learned from developers, and validated the problems we were trying to solve.
We are grateful to everyone who contributed, tested the platform, opened issues, shared feedback, and helped shape dFlow during that period.
While the licensing model is changing, our fundamental product philosophy is not.
We still believe developers should have choices.
You should be able to decide:
Where your applications run.
Where your data lives.
Which cloud provider you use.
How your infrastructure is connected.
Whether your deployment platform is managed or self-hosted.
dFlow is being built around that flexibility.
Our goal is not to own your infrastructure.
Our goal is to give you a better way to operate it.
The next stage of dFlow goes beyond simply deploying applications.
We are building toward a platform that can provide a consistent operational layer across different infrastructure environments.
That includes:
The underlying infrastructure can change.
The deployment experience should not have to.
Open source was the right model for the stage in which dFlow began.
A commercially supported, source-available platform is the model we believe allows us to take dFlow into its next stage.
This gives us the ability to invest more deeply in the product while preserving two things that matter to us:
Self-hosting remains available.
Getting started remains free.
We believe these principles can coexist with a sustainable commercial business.
And that is the direction we are taking dFlow.
If you have been following dFlow, here is the simplest way to think about the change:
dFlow is no longer an MIT-licensed open-source project.
The core dFlow source code is now proprietary.
dFlow remains available for self-hosted deployments through the official distribution.
dFlow Cloud will always have a free tier.
Enterprise customers can choose between self-hosted and managed deployments.
The mission remains the same:
Give developers a modern deployment experience without taking away control of their infrastructure.
The technology, the product, and the business around dFlow will continue to evolve.
This is the next chapter.