Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Askbar desktop application and the website askbarapp.com (together, "the Service"), operated by Christian Becker ("Askbar", "we", "us"), Heideweg 16, 67134 Birkenheide, Germany. By downloading, installing, or using Askbar, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Description of Service

Askbar is a Windows desktop application that provides an AI-powered floating overlay accessible via global hotkey. Features include chat with AI models, screenshot analysis, voice input, PDF and document processing, web search, and image generation. The specific features available depend on your subscription plan.

2. Plans and Pricing

Askbar is offered under three plans:

• BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) — €22 one-time: A lifetime single-device license. You supply your own API keys from supported AI providers. We manage no usage on your behalf; your AI usage is billed directly by your provider.
• Base — €8/month: A managed subscription with a monthly usage allowance. Service continues up to the allowance included in the plan.
• Pro — €17/month: A managed subscription with higher usage limits and our best available model quality for an improved experience.

Subscriptions are available as monthly or yearly plans. Yearly plans are billed as a single annual payment.

Prices are in EUR and may be subject to VAT depending on your country. All purchases are processed by Paddle, who acts as Merchant of Record.

We reserve the right to modify pricing at any time. Existing subscribers will be notified at least 30 days before any price change takes effect. Continued use after notification constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

3. Free Trial

New subscribers to Base and Pro plans receive a 7-day free trial. The trial begins on the date you complete sign-up. No payment is charged during the trial period and no credit card is required to begin.

If you do not cancel before the trial ends, your subscription will automatically begin at the end of the 7-day period and you will be charged the applicable plan price (€8/month for Base, €17/month for Pro). Cancellation before the trial end date prevents any charge. Trial availability may be modified at our discretion, and we reserve the right to offer one trial per person.

4. License

Subject to these Terms and payment of applicable fees, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license to install and use the Askbar application on a single Windows device for personal or professional purposes.

You may not:

• Distribute, sell, rent, or sublicense the software
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble the application
• Use the application to build a competing product
• Share your license key or account credentials with others
• Use the Service on more devices than your plan permits

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use Askbar to:

• Generate, distribute, or request content that is illegal, harmful, or offensive
• Violate the usage policies of the AI providers connected through the Service
• Attempt to circumvent usage limits or access controls
• Probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of our infrastructure
• Automate requests in a way that constitutes abuse of the AI provider APIs

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate this policy without prior notice.

6. AI Disclaimer

AI-generated output may be inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading. Askbar is a tool to assist your thinking — it does not provide professional legal, medical, financial, or other expert advice. Do not rely solely on AI output for decisions with significant consequences. You are responsible for verifying any information before acting on it.

We are not responsible for the content generated by third-party AI models, nor for any actions you take based on that content.

7. Third-Party Services

Askbar integrates with third-party AI providers (OpenAI, Groq, Google Gemini, Anthropic, DeepSeek, OpenRouter) and other services. Your use of those services is subject to their respective terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or conduct of third-party services.

8. Paddle — Merchant of Record

All purchases of Askbar are processed by Paddle.com Market Ltd("Paddle"), who acts as the Merchant of Record. By purchasing Askbar, you enter into a transaction with Paddle and agree to Paddle's Terms of Service. Paddle is responsible for collecting payment, issuing invoices, handling refunds and chargebacks, and remitting applicable taxes.

We receive from Paddle only your email address and subscription status, which we use solely to provision and verify your license.

9. Automatic Renewal and Cancellation

Subscription plans (Base, Pro) automatically renew at the end of each billing period (monthly or yearly, depending on the plan you chose) unless cancelled. Renewal charges are made at the then-current plan price. You will receive a receipt from Paddle for each charge.

You can cancel your subscription at any time through the Paddle customer portal (link provided in your purchase receipt) or by emailing contact@askbarapp.com. Upon cancellation, your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period. No further charges are made after cancellation.

10. Payments and Refunds

For EU consumers, the statutory 14-day right of withdrawal applies, subject to the digital goods exception described in our Cancellation Policy. Outside the withdrawal period, subscription payments are non-refundable except where required by applicable law. BYOK lifetime purchases are subject to the same withdrawal policy.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ASKBAR'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM. IN NO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES.

Mandatory statutory liability (e.g. under German product liability law for intentional acts or gross negligence) remains unaffected.

13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany, excluding its conflict-of-law provisions. If you are a consumer in the EU, you also benefit from any mandatory protective provisions of the law of your country of residence.

For disputes with consumers, the competent court is determined by applicable law. For disputes with businesses, the exclusive place of jurisdiction is Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms. We will notify you of material changes at least 30 days before they take effect, via email or an in-app notice. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms: contact@askbarapp.com