License

GNU General Public License v3.0

SaveVault is licensed under the GNU GPL-3.0-only (version 3 only, not “or later”). In plain terms, you are free to run, study, share, and improve it. The complete, authoritative terms are in the LICENSE filein the source repository, and the license itself is published atgnu.org. The Steam edition links the Steamworks SDK under a GPL section 7 additional permission, published asLICENSE-STEAMWORKS-EXCEPTION.txt.

What this means for you

• Build it for free. The full source is public — you can compile and run SaveVault at no cost.
• Buying supports development. Purchasing a build on Steam or direct gets you a ready-to-run installer (code-signed on Windows and macOS) with updates, and funds the project. You're paying for convenience and support, not for permission.
• No lock-in. The binaries you receive are GPL-licensed too (the Steam edition adds the Steamworks SDK under the permission above), and your backups are open, self-describing archives. Your saves are always yours.

No warranty

As is standard for GPL software, SaveVault is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, to the extent permitted by law. See the full license text for the complete disclaimer.

Third-party components

SaveVault builds on excellent open-source work, including the PCGamingWiki / Ludusavi game-save manifest, the rclone cloud-sync tool, SDL2 (the Windows controller backend), the Steamworks SDK (Steam edition only, under Valve’s own terms), and the Zilla Slab and IBM Plex typefaces (SIL Open Font License). Each retains its own license; bundled components' notices ship with the application.