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Terms of Service

Last updated: 19 August 2026

The short version

  • The free version does real work, with no time limit and no account.
  • Your files, your prompts, and the output Kernl generates for you are yours.
  • A paid license renews yearly. Email us within 30 days of a paid purchase for a full refund, no reason required. Cancel any time and your copy keeps working.
  • Kernl runs on your computer. Neither cancelling nor us disappearing can reach back and switch it off.
  • The numbered sections below are what binds.

1. Acceptance

By using Kernl, you agree to these terms. The software is licensed, not sold.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use Kernl. By using Kernl, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under 18, you may not use Kernl under any circumstances.

3. License

Personal use, free of charge

  • Kernl reads, plans, browses, edits, runs things, and answers, using either the built-in AI or an account of your own, at no cost and with no time limit
  • Changing files and running commands are part of the free version. A personal license, currently $59 per year, buys what comes after that: choosing how much it does without asking, more than one project folder, work that runs on a schedule, and approving from another device you own. The pricing page lists them
  • Works offline, and requires no account. The free version does not contact our licensing service. It does look for a newer release when it starts, which sends the version you have and the kind of computer it runs on, and which you can switch off in Settings. A personal license re-checks with our licensing provider when it can reach the network, and runs offline for up to 14 days between checks; past that it runs as the free version until it reaches the network again. If the license lapses, the copy you already have keeps its paid features on any version released while you were licensed, offline and with no time limit. Updating to a version released after your paid period ended is what drops to the free version rather than stopping. We cannot switch off a copy you have installed
  • A person working for themselves, on their own machine, is covered by a personal license

Commercial Use - License Required

A commercial license is required when:

  • A company or organization provides Kernl to its employees
  • Kernl is deployed on company-owned infrastructure (servers, Docker, CI/CD)
  • Kernl is bundled, embedded, or redistributed as part of a commercial product or service
  • Kernl is used by a team of two or more people within the same organization

For commercial licensing, contact sales@getkernl.ai.

4. Intellectual Property

Kernl is the sole intellectual property of its creator. All intellectual property rights in Kernl, including copyright, patent rights, trademark rights, and trade secrets, are exclusively retained by its creator. Kernl is an original work and is not derived from, or a redistribution of, anyone else's proprietary software.

5. Restrictions

You may not:

  • Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to derive the source code of Kernl
  • Remove, alter, or obscure any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices in Kernl
  • Redistribute, sublicense, rent, lease, or lend Kernl to third parties without a commercial license
  • Use Kernl to develop a competing product or service
  • Publish measurements of Kernl's performance that misrepresent it, for example by omitting the hardware, the model, or the version used. You are free to test Kernl and publish what you find. Our own benchmarks page publishes the command and the full log precisely so that anyone can check our numbers
  • Claim authorship, ownership, or credit for Kernl or any of its components
  • Use Kernl's name, logo, or branding in any way that implies endorsement, affiliation, or sponsorship without written consent

6. Acceptable Use

You may not use Kernl to:

  • Generate non-consensual intimate or sexual images of real individuals (deepfakes)
  • Generate images depicting minors in any sexual, suggestive, or exploitative context
  • Impersonate real individuals to deceive, defraud, or harass others
  • Create or distribute disinformation, including fabricated images or text attributed to real individuals or organizations
  • Develop, distribute, or deploy malware, ransomware, or any malicious software using Kernl's code generation or shell execution tools
  • Attack, scan, or compromise third-party systems, networks, or services using Kernl's browser, network, or automation tools
  • Harass, stalk, threaten, or abuse any individual using content generated by or actions taken through Kernl
  • Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law

Violation of this Acceptable Use Policy constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate termination of your license. Kernl Labs LLC ("Company") reserves the right to report suspected violations to law enforcement authorities.

7. AI Output & Autonomous Actions

Kernl uses artificial intelligence models to generate text, images, audio, and other content. AI-generated content may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading. You are solely responsible for reviewing, verifying, and deciding how to use any output produced by Kernl.

The Company makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, reliability, or suitability of AI-generated content for any purpose, including but not limited to medical, legal, financial, or safety-critical decisions. Do not rely on Kernl output as a substitute for professional advice.

Autonomous operation. Kernl is an autonomous agent. Based on AI decisions and the permissions and autonomy level you configure, it can read, create, modify, move, and delete files; run shell commands; control a web browser; access the network; use version control; and take other actions on your device and on any third-party services you connect. Kernl asks for your approval before actions it classifies as sensitive, but you are solely responsible for reviewing each approval request, for the permissions and autonomy you grant, and for the results of any action Kernl takes.

Assumption of risk. You accept all risk of data loss, file or system changes, unintended or erroneous actions, and external side effects that may result from using Kernl, and you agree to keep current backups of important data. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Company is not liable for any action Kernl takes on your system or on any third-party service, including actions you approve or that result from your configuration.

8. Content Ownership

You retain ownership of any content you provide to Kernl (inputs). To the extent permitted by applicable law, you own the output that Kernl generates in response to your inputs. The Company claims no ownership of your inputs or outputs.

You are responsible for ensuring that your use of AI-generated content complies with applicable laws, including intellectual property, defamation, and privacy laws. AI-generated content may inadvertently resemble existing copyrighted works; Kernl Labs LLC ("Company") is not liable for such resemblance.

9. Where Kernl Runs

Kernl runs on your own computer. The Company does not host models, and does not receive what you typed, what Kernl replied, or the names, paths, or contents of your files. The app does send us the usage counts set out in the privacy policy, which carry none of that. Because your work stays on your machine, keeping backups of it is your responsibility.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

KERNL IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. THE COMPANY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT KERNL WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COMPANY BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF KERNL, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, EVEN IF THE COMPANY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

THE COMPANY'S TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID THE COMPANY FOR KERNL IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) FIFTY U.S. DOLLARS ($50).

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability for fraud, for fraudulent misrepresentation, or for death or personal injury caused by negligence. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so parts of the two paragraphs above may not apply to you.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Kernl Labs LLC ("Company") from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to your use of Kernl, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

13. User Conduct

Kernl executes code and commands on your machine at your direction. You are solely responsible for all actions taken through Kernl, including but not limited to file modifications, shell commands, and network requests. The Company is not responsible for any damage, data loss, or consequences resulting from commands you instruct Kernl to execute.

14. Termination

Your license to use Kernl terminates automatically if you breach any of these Terms. Upon termination, you must destroy all copies of Kernl in your possession. Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, and 18 survive termination.

15. Support

Community support via the Kernl community (Discord) and hello@getkernl.ai. Commercial licensees receive priority support per their agreement. No guarantee of response time or resolution is provided for free personal use.

16. Payment, Trials, Renewal, and Refunds

The free version has no time limit, needs no account, and needs no payment. Everything in this section applies only if you buy a paid licence.

  • Trial. A personal licence starts with a 90-day trial. It takes no card, and it gives you the paid features for the whole 90 days. If you do nothing at the end of it, you go back to the free version and keep using Kernl. There is one trial and every install gets the same one. A business evaluation is arranged with us directly, and any term we agree there is in writing rather than enforced by the software.
  • Price and renewal. A personal licence is $59 per year and renews yearly at the price you were last charged, until you cancel. The Company will tell you before a renewal price changes, and you may cancel instead.
  • Cancellation, and what you keep. You may cancel at any time, and your licence runs to the end of the period you already paid for. After that, the copy of Kernl you have keeps its paid features on any version released on or before the end of that period. It keeps them offline, with no further checks and no time limit. Updating to a version released after your paid period ended is what moves the install to the free version, and Kernl keeps running either way. This does not apply to a licence that ends for breach under section 14.
  • Refunds. Email hello@getkernl.ai within 30 days of a paid purchase and the Company will refund it in full, with no conditions attached and no reason required.
  • Taxes. Prices exclude any sales tax, VAT, or equivalent, which is added where the law requires it.

Payments are handled by Stripe and licences by Keygen. The Company never receives or stores your card details. The privacy policy lists what each of them sees.

17. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising under these Terms shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in New York County, New York. You consent to personal jurisdiction in these courts.

18. Beta Software

Kernl is currently in beta. Features, pricing, and availability may change at any time during development. Data created during the beta period is stored locally on your machine; Kernl Labs LLC ("Company") does not guarantee migration or compatibility of beta data with future releases.

  • Free for personal use: reading, planning, browsing, and answering are free for individuals, with no time limit, as described in section 3. The Company may add further paid capabilities in future releases, and may change what a paid license costs. It will not move the free capabilities listed in section 3 behind a payment.
  • Updates: Auto-updates are included. You can disable them in Settings.

19. Modifications

The Company reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes take effect when posted. Continued use of Kernl after changes constitutes acceptance. Material changes will be noted in the "Last updated" date above.

20. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

21. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with any applicable commercial license agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and Kernl Labs LLC ("Company") regarding Kernl and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

Questions about these terms or about licensing: sales@getkernl.ai. For anything else, hello@getkernl.ai.