License

Houston is dual-licensed: the extension's code is free and open source, and a paid license key is required for the vulnerability-scanning feature itself to run.

The code: GNU GPL v2 or later

All of Houston's source code (com_houston, plg_task_houston, and plg_installer_houston) is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later, the same license Joomla! itself uses. Each package includes its own LICENSE.txt. You are free to read, modify, and redistribute the code under the terms of that license, independently of whether you hold a paid license key.

The license key: what it unlocks

A Houston license key is a separate, commercial add-on to the free code. It is required for the actual vulnerability-matching scan to run and for alert e-mails to be sent. Without a key:

• Houston still installs and runs normally.
• The dashboard (System → Houston) still lists every installed extension and whether Joomla has a newer version on record.
• No vulnerability matching happens, and no findings or e-mail alerts are generated.

A license key is tied to a single site and is verified against our payment provider (Gumroad) when entered. No site content or configuration is transmitted as part of that check. Only the key itself is sent.

Getting a license key

License keys are sold through Houston's product page. Questions about licensing can be sent to support@artd.ch.