Terms of Service

Last updated: May 8, 2026

1. Acceptance

By downloading, installing, or using ShardHex ("the Software"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Software.

2. License Grant

2.1 Free Tier

We grant you a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the free features of ShardHex (local file splitting, merging, AES-256 encryption, batch data protection, steganography, integrity verification of local shards) for personal or commercial purposes, subject to these Terms.

2.2 Pro License

Upon purchase of a Pro license, we grant you the same license expanded to cover the cloud storage features (upload, download, cross-cloud integrity verification, self-healing repair). Unless stated otherwise at the point of sale, each Pro license permits activation on up to 3 devices simultaneously and is perpetual — your right to use the version of the Software you purchased does not expire as long as you comply with these Terms.

Pro licenses are non-transferable and may not be resold, sublicensed, or shared outside the licensed user.

3. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Software, except to the extent such activity is permitted by mandatory applicable law (for example, for interoperability under EU Directive 2009/24/EC).
  • Redistribute, sublicense, or resell the Software, license keys, or activated tokens.
  • Use the Software to process content that is illegal in the jurisdiction where you reside or where the resulting shards are stored.
  • Attempt to bypass license verification, the activation device limit, or the cryptographic gating in the Software.
  • Use the steganography feature to facilitate the distribution of CSAM, malware, or content infringing third-party rights.
  • Use the Software to harass, deceive, or harm others.

4. Third-Party Services

ShardHex is, by design, an integration on top of third-party cloud storage providers. Your use of those providers is subject to each provider's own terms and privacy policy. We are not responsible for the availability, integrity, security, or pricing decisions of third-party services. If a provider deletes, throttles, or bans your account, the data on that provider becomes inaccessible — using ShardHex with multiple providers is the mitigation we offer for this risk, not a guarantee against it.

5. Payments & Refunds

Pro license purchases are processed by PayPal. Pricing is shown at the point of purchase in U.S. dollars and may change for future versions; existing licenses are unaffected by price changes.

14-day refund window: you may request a full refund within 14 days of purchase, no reason required, by emailing [email protected] from the address used at checkout. Upon refund, your license is deactivated and the associated activation records are deleted.

After 14 days, refunds are at our sole discretion and are typically granted only when the Software is materially unusable for you and we cannot resolve the issue.

6. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL OPERATE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION LIMITS RIGHTS YOU MAY HAVE UNDER MANDATORY CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW IN YOUR PLACE OF RESIDENCE.

7. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL SHARDHEX OR ITS OPERATOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, OR REVENUE, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SOFTWARE — EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY UNDER THESE TERMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE PRO LICENSE IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

8. Your Responsibility for Your Data

All file processing happens on your device. You are solely responsible for:

  • Maintaining independent backups of your original files. ShardHex is a redundancy tool, not a sole-source backup solution.
  • Safeguarding your manifest (.json) and encryption keys (.key). Loss of either makes your shards unrecoverable, by design.
  • Ensuring your use of cloud storage complies with each provider's terms.
  • The lawfulness of any content you split, encrypt, or hide using the Software.

9. Termination

You may stop using the Software at any time. We may revoke your license only for material and uncured breach of these Terms, including violations of Section 3. If we revoke your license outside the 14-day refund window, we will refund the unused portion of any prepaid amount on a pro-rated basis. Upon termination, you must cease use of the Pro features and uninstall the Software, but the cryptographic shards you have already produced remain yours and continue to function with the free tier where applicable.

10. Copyright & Abuse

If you believe content distributed using the Software infringes your copyright, or you have received targeted abuse via shards distributed using the Software, contact [email protected] with details. Note that ShardHex itself does not host any user data — shards live on third-party cloud providers chosen by the uploader, and takedown requests should ordinarily be directed to those providers. We will cooperate with verified legal process directed at us.

11. Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws applicable at the principal place of business of the operator, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be resolved exclusively in the courts of competent jurisdiction at that location, except that consumers in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions with mandatory consumer-protection venue rules may bring claims in their place of residence.

Nothing in this clause limits your statutory rights as a consumer where such rights cannot be excluded or limited by contract.

12. Severability & Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Software, and supersede prior or contemporaneous communications on the same subject.

13. No Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms to a successor in interest in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of our assets.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be announced via an in-app notification or email to your registered address at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Software after the effective date constitutes acceptance. If you do not accept a material change, you may request a refund of the unused portion of your Pro license.

15. Contact

Questions or notices regarding these Terms: [email protected].