Which license covers what
Open source
Plugin and helper
The Claude Code and Codex plugin, hooks, helper and MCP servers in the public repository.
MIT LicenseFree for personal use
PairBrowse browser
The native browser binaries and PairBrowse's own additions in them: changes, branding, build integration and packaging.
Binary License On a Mac and on Linux x64, PairBrowse downloads the native browser by default ("browserEngine": "auto"). Everything else you install is the MIT-licensed plugin and helper, plus open-source runtime packages under their own licenses.
Plugin and helper: MIT
The MIT License is one of the most permissive open-source licenses. In plain terms:
You can
- Use it for anything, commercial work included
- Copy, change, merge and publish it
- Share it, sublicense it or sell copies
You must
- Keep the copyright notice and the license text in copies
The software comes "as is", without warranty, and the authors are not liable for claims or damages arising from it. Copyright 2026 PairBrowse contributors.
The browser: Binary License
The PairBrowse Binary License covers the native browser (for example PairBrowse.app and the pairbrowse-* archives) and PairBrowse's own additions in it. It does not cover the plugin and helper source, which stay MIT, or the third-party components inside the browser.
You can
- Download, install and use it free of charge
- For personal, non-commercial purposes
Without written permission, you cannot
- Use it commercially: selling it or access to it, putting it in a paid product or service, or using it mainly for commercial gain
- Reverse engineer or decompile PairBrowse's own additions, except where the law gives you that right
- Copy, change, redistribute, sublicense, rent or publish it, or make derivative works
- Remove or change copyright, license or attribution notices
Rights the law gives you that cannot be waived, such as reverse engineering for interoperability, are not affected, and nor are the rights in the third-party components' licenses. Your rights end automatically if you break the license; you must then stop using the browser and delete your copies. The browser comes "as is", without warranty, and your mandatory consumer rights are unaffected.
Which applies to you
It depends on how you use PairBrowse and which browser it runs. The browser setting lives in ~/.pairbrowse/config.json.
Personal use on a Mac or Linux x64, default settings
FreeCommercial use with the native browser
Pro licenseAny use with "browserEngine": "chromium"
FreeWindows, or Linux on other chips (for now)
Free
Switching to "browserEngine": "chromium" gives a fully open setup. The native browser keeps its logins in its own profile, so after switching you sign in to your sites once more. See the browser docs for details.
Third-party components
The browser contains third-party components, such as Chromium and FFmpeg. Each stays under its own license, listed in the notices and license files shipped with the app. Nothing in the Binary License limits the rights those licenses give you, including your rights under the GNU Lesser General Public License to modify an LGPL library and to reverse engineer for debugging those changes.
The pinned runtime packages the helper installs, such as Playwright, also come with their own licenses.
PairBrowse Pro
A separate PairBrowse Pro license from the copyright holder adds commercial use of the native browser, ready-made builds and updates, and access to the native build's source and build pipeline, where Pro members can also contribute. Its terms are in the Pro agreement; the Binary License grants none of this. See pricing or write to [email protected].
Full texts
Licensing questions: [email protected]. See also the terms of use.