Upcoming License Change

[MikeCodesDotNET]

As part of our Avalonia Accelerate plans, we're announcing an upcoming change to our TreeDataGrid control licensing model. We recognise this may impact some of our users, and we want to provide a clear explanation of our decision.

We've long aspired to make the TreeDataGrid a robust, feature-rich component for our users. However, we haven't been able to dedicate the resources necessary to improve it as quickly or comprehensively as we'd like. This has resulted in slower development and limited support, particularly for users outside our paid support services.

The crux of the issue lies in the complexity of the TreeDataGrid. It demands the attention of our most senior engineers, whose time is at a premium. Under the current licensing model, it's been challenging to justify allocating resources to its development, especially given the lack of direct return on investment. This has led to a situation where we can only review PRs and address issues from paid support customers, potentially making it expensive for some users to get the help they need.

To address these challenges and ensure the continued development and support of the TreeDataGrid, we've decided to implement a dual licensing model. The control will remain available under a AGPL-3 license for open-source projects, while commercial applications will require an Avalonia Accelerate license. This change will allow us to allocate resources to improve the control, benefiting all users through more frequent updates, better support, and faster issue resolution.

We plan to implement these licensing changes later this year, providing ample notice to ensure a smooth transition for all our users. We appreciate your understanding!

FAQ

When will the license change?

Late 2024, as we release the early access previews of Avalonia Accelerate.

Why the license change?

To quote @kekekeks:

Note that TreeDataGrid wasn't supposed to be MIT to begin with, but the final pushes to make it to work were sponsored by a company that writes GPL-licensed software with the only requirement being GPL-compatibility.
We didn't have a proper way set up dual-licending back then and the code wasn't ready for something that's sold on commercial basis, so we've published it as MIT and only added fixes as requested by our support customers.

Can I still use the MIT version?

Yes. The MIT version of the TreeDataGrid will always be available (in its current state) to be used. It just wont be receiving any further updates from the core team.

Will I need a license?

That will depend on whether your application is closed-source. If so, you will require a license available as part of the Avalonia Accelerate subscription, which will be available later this year.

How much will it cost?

The goal is to make Avalonia Accelerate accessible to everyone. We're still researching the best pricing strategy, but we're looking at initial pricing of ~€150 a year per seat for the entire Avalonia Accelerate bundle.

Existing customers with active support agreements will automatically receive licenses.

[jm-abellan]

Is there already a list to purchase an accelerate license?
I'm quite interested in the improvements you plan for TDG control
It'd be also appreciated a list of new features included for this control