Last updated: August 21, 2026
These terms govern your use of the Hound software agent, the houndav.com website, and any related services (collectively, the "Service"). By installing, downloading, or using Hound, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
The Hound agent is open-source software released under the Apache License 2.0. Your use of the agent source code is governed by that license. These terms govern the Service as a whole, including the definition feeds, paid subscriptions, website, and support.
The free tier provides on-demand scanning, real-time file protection, quarantine, and the MCP server at no cost and with no account required. We may change the features included in the free tier at any time. We will not retroactively remove protections from systems that already have the free tier installed without providing reasonable notice.
Pro and Fleet subscriptions are billed as described at the time of purchase. All fees are non-refundable except where required by applicable law. We may change pricing for future billing periods with 30 days' notice. If you cancel, your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period.
Fleet subscriptions include a specified number of seats. Additional seats are billed as described at purchase. You are responsible for managing seat assignments within your organization.
You agree not to:
The open-source agent itself may be forked, modified, and redistributed under the Apache 2.0 license. This restriction applies to the proprietary definition feeds and paid services, not to the agent code.
Definition packs are cryptographically signed. We make reasonable efforts to ensure definitions are accurate, but we do not guarantee that every malicious package, binary, or threat will be detected, or that every detection will be correct. False positives and false negatives are inherent to security software.
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY. WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL DETECT ALL THREATS, PREVENT ALL SECURITY INCIDENTS, OR OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION OR ERROR. NO SECURITY SOFTWARE CAN GUARANTEE COMPLETE PROTECTION. HOUND IS ONE LAYER OF A SECURITY STRATEGY, NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ONE.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL HOUND, ITS DEVELOPERS, CONTRIBUTORS, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, SECURITY BREACHES, OR SYSTEM DAMAGE, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATED TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR FIFTY U.S. DOLLARS ($50), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Hound and its developers from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these terms, or your violation of any third-party rights.
The execution gate operates by intercepting process execution at the kernel level using fanotify. It is designed to fail open: if the Hound agent crashes, becomes unresponsive, or is stopped, pending executions are released and the system continues to operate normally. Despite this design, you acknowledge that any software operating at this level carries inherent risk, and you accept that risk by enabling the execution gate.
Hound's definition data draws from public sources including the OpenSSF Malicious Packages feed. We are not responsible for the accuracy of upstream data sources. Detection identifiers and threat names may reference third-party research; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
You may stop using the Service at any time by uninstalling the agent. We may suspend or terminate your access to paid features if you violate these terms or fail to pay applicable fees. The open-source agent will continue to function for local scanning regardless of account status.
We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be noted on the website with an updated date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Davidson County, Tennessee.
If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.
Questions about these terms: legal@houndav.com