FAQ

FAQ

Is ForgeChat free?

Yes — it's free to run and self-host. It's fair-code software distributed under the Sustainable Use License.

Can I use it commercially?

You can use ForgeChat for your own internal business purposes. The license does not allow reselling it or offering it as a paid hosted service to others without permission from Forgemind. See the license for the exact terms.

Do I need my own Meta / WhatsApp account?

Yes. ForgeChat connects to the official Meta WhatsApp Cloud API using your WhatsApp Business account and credentials. See WhatsApp Business API / Meta Setup.

What does it cost to run?

Two things: your hosting (a small server — or free on your own computer for testing) and Meta's WhatsApp messaging fees, billed by Meta based on your usage.

Can I rebrand it?

You may modify the source under the license. Forgemind AI is a trademark of Forgemind Techhub LLP and is not granted by the license — you can't ship your derivative as "Forgemind AI" or imply it comes from Forgemind. The project name "ForgeChat" itself is not a covered mark. See TRADEMARK.md.

Does it store my messages?

On your own server. ForgeChat is self-hosted — your conversations and contact data stay in your own PostgreSQL database, and WhatsApp access tokens are stored encrypted.

How do I update to a new version?

Pull the latest code and rebuild:

git pull
docker compose build forgecrm-backend forgecrm-frontend
docker compose up -d forgecrm-backend forgecrm-frontend

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See also: Installation • Troubleshooting • Security