Community and Standard editions
The self-hosted software comes in two editions, Community (free) and Standard (a one-time fee). They are the same software: both get the same releases and every feature. The difference is in the licence, and in one small thing on the site: the "Powered by Choir Master CMS" link in the footer. This page is for whoever decides which edition a choir needs.
This page summarises the licence. It is not a substitute for it: the licence text is what binds you, and it is in the LICENSE.md file of the download and at https://choirmastercms.com/license.
The two editions side by side
| Community | Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | One-time fee |
| Licence key | Required | Required |
| Websites per key | One | One |
| "Powered by Choir Master CMS" footer link | Always shown | May be switched off |
| Modify the software | No | Yes, for your own licensed website only |
| Redistribute it or give it to others | No | No |
| Updates | Offered as released, with no guarantee of any | Included for 12 months from purchase, then renewable |
| Support | None | As described when you buy |
| Licence expires | Can be ended by us at any time, by notice | Perpetual (see below) |
| Move to a new domain | Write to support | Allowed on notice, if the old site stops using the key |
The same restrictions apply to both editions. In particular you may not use the software to host or build websites for other people as a service, or to offer a product that competes with it.
What the licence says, in its own words
- Community. "a free, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the Community Edition on one Website per License Key". Its attribution rule is that every public page must show the text "Powered by Choir Master CMS" in the footer, linked to
https://choirmastercms.com, and that you must not remove, hide, obscure or alter it, or make it less legible than the surrounding footer text. You may adjust its font, colour and size within those limits. - Community support and updates. "The Community Edition is provided without support or updates of any kind. We may release updates at our discretion."
- Standard. "a perpetual, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to install and use the Standard Edition on one Website per License Key". Under it you may remove the attribution and "modify the Software for use on your licensed Website only". Your modifications may not be distributed.
- "Perpetual". It "means your license to the versions you are entitled to does not expire". Updates are included for 12 months from purchase; after that you may keep using the latest version you received, or renew updates at the fee then in effect.
- Moving a Standard key. You may move it to a different domain by notifying us, "provided the original Website stops using it".
- Web designers. A web designer or developer may install and configure the software for a client, provided each client website has its own licence key, held by the client.
- Your data. "You are responsible for backing up your data and securing your installation." See What to back up.
How your site knows its edition
The site does not read the edition from the key itself. The release server states it in its answer to every update check, as community or standard, and the site remembers the last answer. Two things follow:
- A site that has never completed a check is treated as Community. That includes a site with no licence key, one that has
UPDATE_MODE=offsince it was first started, and one that has never managed to reach the release server. The footer link cannot be switched off until one check has completed. - Once a check has completed, the answer is kept through later failed checks, so a short outage of the release server does not bring the footer link back.
If you have just bought Standard, open the Updates page (the Version link on the admin dashboard leads there) and press Check now. See Update your site with one click.
Turn off the footer link on a Standard site
- Log in as a Site Admin or Admin.
- Go to Site Settings and open the Footer section.
- Clear the Show "Powered by Choir Master CMS" box and save.
On a site that is not entitled to hide it, the setting's help text reads "Always shown on the Free and Starter plans and on the Community edition, whatever is chosen here." The Free and Starter plans are the hosted service's: see What each plan includes. If the box has no effect on a Standard site, see Uploads fail, or updates misbehave.
What Standard includes, according to the product pages
When you choose the Community edition in the account portal and are offered Standard instead, the page ("Would you rather it was all done for you?") describes Standard as the same software, set up and supported by us, and lists:
- Installed and configured for you, on your server or your Cloudflare account.
- Technical support for six months, which can be extended.
- Updates guaranteed for 12 months; the licence itself does not expire.
- The choice to remove the "Powered by" link from your footer.
These are the product pages' words at the time of writing; what you actually get is what is described when you buy.
How to buy Standard
Contact sales at sales@choirmastercms.com, or use the contact form at https://choirmastercms.com/contact. The Standard edition is not bought through the account portal.
French text and open-source notices
- The licence is published in English and French, and both have equal force. The French text is
LICENSE.fr.mdin the download and at https://choirmastercms.com/fr/licence. On a French-language page the attribution reads "Propulsé par Choir Master CMS". - The software includes open-source components under their own licences. They are listed in
NOTICES.mdin the download and at https://choirmastercms.com/notices.