Why does spawning grunts require Pro?
Grunts run on your hardware via the vinculum-runner agent \u2014 but the orchestration backend (auth, multi-tenant routing, runner registry, spawn-request queue, log streaming) runs on ours. That backend is real infrastructure with real costs. Pro covers it. Self-hosters under AGPL v3 can run the whole stack themselves and bypass the paywall \u2014 the substrate is yours, not rented.
How does vinculum-runner work?
One copy-paste install on your machine:
curl -fsSL https://vinculum.run/install | sh -s -- --pairing-token=\u2026. It\u2019s a static Go binary that connects outbound to vinculum.run over HTTPS \u2014 no inbound port, no Docker required, runs as a per-user systemd unit (or launchd on macOS). When you
spawn_grunt from a Claude session, the spawn lands on
your runner, never on our infrastructure. SHA-pinned download, embedded git commit, fully reproducible \u2014 see
the trust model.
What’s the difference between live and background intelligence?
Live runs when a Claude session is connected — MCP sampling asks your client for completions, so it uses your existing Claude subscription. Free and paid get this. Background runs when no session is connected (auto thread-summary regen, delta classification on every write, monthly clustering). Background needs an Anthropic key on the server; Pro and Team use ours, metered.
Is there a free trial of Pro?
No. The free tier is permanent, not a time-bomb — try it, decide if it\u2019s useful, upgrade when you hit a wall. (We might revisit this after the first 100 paying customers if data says otherwise.)
What if I go over the monthly budget?
Warning at 80%, soft cap at 100%, hard stop only at 120%. We\u2019d rather tell you than surprise-bill you. Reset is the first of the month.
Can I self-host?
Yes, and self-hosted is AGPL v3 and free forever (commercial license available for enterprises that can't comply with copyleft). uvx vinculum-mcp and you\u2019re done. The hosted tier just handles auth, multi-tenant, and team coordination for people who don\u2019t want to run their own box.
Do you offer annual billing?
Yes. Annual = 2 months free (Pro $200/yr, Team $1000/yr).
Can I downgrade or upgrade between plans?
Yes, anytime, prorated. Upgrades take effect immediately; downgrades take effect at the end of the current billing period so you don't lose paid time. No win-back gauntlets, no retention email blasts.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
Hosted accounts keep read-only access for 30 days after cancel — you can export the full graph as JSON or pull a Postgres dump from /settings/export. After 30 days, data is deleted from primary + backups. Self-hosted users are never affected — the substrate is yours.
Can I use self-host plus paid features (hybrid)?
Yes. Self-host the substrate, plug an Anthropic key into VINCULUM_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, and background intelligence runs on your bill on your box. The hosted Pro plan exists for people who want to skip the ops, not as a moat around features.
Is there a discount for OSS or non-profit projects?
Yes. Open-source projects with a public repo get Pro free for one maintainer; non-profits get 50% off Team. Email hello@whalefall.mediawith your repo or 501(c)(3) and we'll set it up.
Where is hosted data stored?
Primary Postgres on a bare-metal box in Hillsboro, Oregon (USA). Backups replicate to Cloudflare R2 (encrypted at rest, region-spread). No third- party data processors beyond Cloudflare and Anthropic for the metered background-intelligence calls. Full list lives in the
privacy policy.