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Community Edition

The ComposeForge Community Edition (CE) is the foundation of the project.
It is designed to be genuinely useful, respectful of users, and safe to depend on.

This page explains what Community Edition includes, what it intentionally does not include, and how it is meant to be used.

What the Community Edition Is

Community Edition provides:

  • The full ComposeForge builder interface
  • A curated set of open-source applications
  • Clean, readable Docker Compose output
  • Environment file templates and sensible defaults
  • Support for multiple ingress strategies
  • Downloadable bundles you own and control

There are: - No accounts - No time limits - No artificial restrictions

You can use Community Edition indefinitely.

What the Community Edition Is Not

Community Edition is intentionally not:

  • A hosted service
  • A managed platform
  • An “all-in-one” automation system
  • A replacement for learning how your stack works

ComposeForge does not: - Run containers for you - Monitor your systems - Apply updates automatically - Modify your environment after generation

If something is running, it is because you started it.

Ownership & Control

Everything generated by ComposeForge Community Edition:

  • Belongs entirely to you
  • Lives on your system
  • Can be edited, shared, or deleted freely
  • Continues to work even if ComposeForge is offline

There is no lock-in and no dependency on ongoing access to the builder.

Stability & Availability

Community Edition is intended to remain:

  • Publicly accessible
  • Usable without payment
  • Free from feature degradation

If ComposeForge were ever discontinued, the stated intent is to release the builder source so users are not stranded with undocumented or unusable configurations.

App Selection Philosophy

Applications included in Community Edition are chosen to be:

  • Widely used and well-maintained
  • Reasonable to self-host
  • Compatible with modest hardware
  • Aligned with open-source values

Not every possible application is included, and that is intentional.

Community Edition favors: - Clarity over completeness - Stability over novelty - Fewer moving parts over maximum features

Supported Use Cases

Community Edition is well-suited for:

  • Personal services
  • Home labs
  • Learning and experimentation
  • Small teams
  • Community and nonprofit projects
  • Privacy-conscious deployments

It is also appropriate as a long-term solution if it meets your needs.

Limitations (By Design)

Community Edition does not include:

  • Advanced automation
  • Opinionated business presets
  • Turn-key backup orchestration
  • Integrated account or billing systems
  • Enterprise-style support guarantees

These omissions are intentional. They keep Community Edition understandable, predictable, and safe to use without hidden complexity.

Relationship to Pro Editions

ComposeForge Pro editions are designed to add:

  • Time-saving defaults
  • Additional automation helpers
  • More opinionated presets

They do not: - Change file ownership - Restrict Community Edition usage - Require migration to proprietary formats

Upgrading is optional. Community Edition remains complete on its own.

Expectations & Responsibility

Using Community Edition means:

  • You are responsible for your systems
  • You should review generated files before running them
  • You control updates, backups, and security

ComposeForge aims to reduce confusion and setup friction — not to remove responsibility or hide system behavior.

If Something Doesn’t Work

If an application does not work on your hardware or platform, it is usually due to:

  • Upstream image architecture limitations (e.g. ARM vs x86)
  • Resource constraints
  • Environment-specific assumptions

ComposeForge does not intentionally block platforms, but it also does not guarantee universal compatibility.

In Summary

Community Edition exists to:

  • Make self-hosting more approachable
  • Reduce accidental complexity
  • Respect user autonomy
  • Avoid creating new dependencies

It is meant to be calm, capable, and honest — not a funnel, not a teaser, and not a trap.

If you are new, continue with
→ Getting Started

If you care about reuse and rights, see
→ Licensing & Ownership