Terms of service – Prefix.dev
I. Scope
These terms of service apply to the use of the platform-as-a-service platform “Prefix” (hereinafter “Platform”), operated by prefix.dev GmbH, Französische Straße 12, 10117 Berlin, Germany, e-mail: hi@prefix.dev (hereinafter “Provider”). The term “User” describes anyone using the Platform, including legal entities.
The Platform enables Users to access software services, download software, upload and offer their own software, and create public and private channels for exchanging software. Separately from the channels, the Provider has developed a tool, “Pixi”, a package manager for Windows, macOS and Linux, which can be installed free of charge.
By registering or using the Platform, the User accepts these Terms of Service in their respective valid version. For business Users, the version current at the time of contract conclusion applies.
Deviating general terms and conditions of the User are objected to, unless the Provider has expressly agreed to their validity in writing.
II. Description of Services
1. The Platform is built around modern software package management, focused on reproducibility, speed, and cross-platform developer workflows. It aims to improve how software dependencies and environments are managed across languages and operating systems (windows, macOS, Linux).
2. A channel is a named collection (or repository) of software packages and their dependency metadata that can be independently hosted, versioned, and used by package managers like mamba, micromamba, or tools like Pixi. Channels act like package registries that tools query to find and install packages. A channel consists of a package index file, that lists all of the packages available and their dependency metadata and a structured set of binary package files, organized by Platform/architecture subdirectories. There are public and private channels.
Anyone can access public channels; they are suitable for open-source packages and require no authentication. Private channels are only accessible to the User or their organization and require authentication; they are ideal for internal or proprietary packages. The User should note that these permissions are set by the channel owners and administrators and may change over time. The User should familiarize themselves with where they are posting on the Platform, familiarize themselves with the appropriate channel permissions before joining and posting in a particular channel, and choose the right channel and features and settings for their content.
After signing in to the Platform, Users can go to the Channels section of the Platform and create a new channel. Users may be asked to enter basic information such as the channel name and whether the channel is public or private.
Once a channel exists, Users can upload packages to it or download and install packages from the channel. A private channel may require an authentication token. The Platform automatically stores the package, updates the channel index and makes the package available for installation.
The User is not obliged to add content to the Platform, specifically channels. However, if the User chooses to do so, they are responsible for ensuring that they are authorized to do so, that they have the right to grant the necessary licenses, in particular permissive software licenses, and that their content complies with applicable law. The Provider is not responsible for Users’ content or the use of a User’s content by others.
3. The Platforms services include some content that belongs to the Provider, such as the design of the website, the Platforms and Providers art and images, and content that the Provider has created. The User may use the software in accordance with these terms of service. The User may use the Providers’ trademarks (and other marks) and copyrights only as specified or with the Providers expressed prior permission. The Provider retains all intellectual property rights in their content.
4. Through the Providers services, the User may have access to content created by other individuals. The User may not use this content without the permission of the third party who created it, or only as permitted by law. Content created by third parties belongs to those parties and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Provider. The Provider does not endorse or verify the accuracy or reliability of content shared by Users. The Provider is working hard to make the Platform a safe, positive, and inclusive place, but can’t always prevent Users from encountering content that they might find offensive. The User agrees that the Provider is not liable for any damage resulting from such content. The User can report content that they believe violated the Providers’ guidelines. The Provider has the right, but is not obligated, to investigate such reports and block or delete content at their discretion.
The Platform’s services may contain links to, or allow the User to access, third-party websites, features, applications, or other content. This may include sponsored content. The Provider is not responsible for the content or services provided by third parties.
5. The Provider operates the Platform in accordance with recognizes principles of data security and technology. In particular, the Provider takes appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect User data in accordance with Art. 32 GDPR (DSGVO).
The Provider is entitled to remove content and software or block access if there are concrete indications that these are illegal or violate these terms of service. This applies in particular to:
a) violation of copyright provisions
b) distribution of harmful software
c) violation of criminal law provisions
d) endangering the security or functionality of the Platform
The Provider is also entitled to remove content and software or block access, if the continued provision poses a risk to the Platform or would negatively impact the User experience or interests of other Platform Users. The User agrees that the Provider may disclose Users’ content to third parties outside of the Providers services if the Provider believes that they are required to do so by law or regulation, or that it is necessary to prevent harm to any person or to protect the rights and property of the Provider.
III. Access and Use of the Platform, User obligation
1. Access to the Platform is via the Internet. The User is responsible for providing a sufficient Internet connection. Use of the Platform requires registration. To register, the User must provide truthful and complete information about themselves, in particular:
- password
- username
The Platform reserves the right to change, expand, or discontinue the services offered, provided this is reasonable. The Provider reserves the right to interrupt the services and the possibility of accessing the Platform and its content for maintenance, system updates or any other changes. Significant changes will be announced to Users within reasonable notice.
2. The User is obliged to use the Platform exclusively lawfully and to observe the applicable legal provisions. In particular, the User may not upload or distribute unlawful content. When uploading software, the User guarantees that they have the necessary rights to the software and that uploading and offering it does not violate the rights of third parties. The User indemnifies the Provider against all claims of third parties resulting from a legal violation by the User. The User undertakes not to use automates procedures for using the Platform, unless this is expressly permitted.
The User undertakes not to upload software that:
a) contains malware, viruses, or other harmful programs
b) violates the rights of third parties, in particular licenses, copyrights, trademark rights or patents
c) violates legal provisions, in particular contains criminal or indecent content
Indecent content refers to material that is inappropriate for a general or mixed-age audience and violates commonly accepted standards of decency. This typically includes, but is not limited to:
§ sexually explicit or suggestive content
§ nudity or sexualized imagery
§ lewd, obscene or vulgar language
§ content meant to shock
d) endangers the security or functionality of the Platform.
3. When downloading software, the User guarantees that the use of the software complies with the respective license conditions and that no rights of third parties are violated.
4. For the creation and management of private channels, the following applies: The creator of a private channel is responsible for access management and compliance with these terms of service within the channel. The creator can restrict access to the channel and set usage rules for the channel, provided they do not contradict these terms of service. The Provider reserves the right to review private channels and close them in case of violations of these terms of service.
IV. Rights of use
1. The Platform is owned by the Provider.
The Provider undertakes its utmost effort to ensure that the content provided on the Platform infringes no applicable law. Platform content may be protected under copyright law and other statutory provisions. The Provider grants to the User the revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Platform for their own purposes, provided that this use complies with the provisions of these terms of service and applicable special terms as well as with applicable statutory provisions. In case of suspension or deletion of the User’s account, the right of use set forth above will be revoked.
2. The Provider reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to suspend or delete User accounts at any time and without notice, that it deems inappropriate, offensive or in violation of these terms.
The suspension or deletion of User accounts shall not entitle Users to any claims for compensation, damages or reimbursement. The suspension or deletion of User accounts due to causes attributable to the User does not exempt the User from paying any applicable fees or prices.
3. The Provider does not charge any fees for using the free features of their services. However, the User may pay for additional features, functions and products. The User may also be asked to agree to additional terms before purchasing or selling new offerings through the Platform. Payments are processed via “Stripe”.
V. Copyrights and IP
All rights to the software provided by the Provider, the Platform itself, and the content contained therein belong exclusively to the Provider or its licensors.
By registering or using the Platform, the User does not acquire any rights to the software or the Platform, unless expressly agreed otherwise. For software uploaded by Users, the following applies:
The uploading User remains the sole author and rights holder of their uploaded software. By uploading, the User grants the Provider a non-exclusive, temporally and spatially unlimited right to store, reproduce, and make publicly available the software for the purpose of operating the Platform. The User guarantees that they have all necessary rights to upload the software and grant the aforementioned usage rights. The User can set their own license conditions for their software, which are binding for other Users when downloading.
When downloading software, the respective license conditions of the software apply. The User is obliged to observe and comply with these license conditions. In case of violations of copyright provisions, the Provider is entitled to remove the respective software and exclude the User from the Platform. The User can inform the Provider of possible copyright infringements by other Users. The Provider will review such notifications and take necessary measures in case of justified suspicion.
VI. Data Protection
The Provider collects, processes and uses personal data of Users in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) as well as the Platform’s privacy policy.
The following data is collected in the context of registration and use:
- registration data (name, e-mail address)
- usage data (access times, uploaded/downloaded software, created channels)
- technical data (IP address, browser type, operating system)
- communication data (messages within the Platform, support requests)
Data processing serves the following purposes:
- provision and improvement of the Platform
- implementation of the User relationship
- ensuring the security of the Platform
- communication with Users
- fulfillment of legal obligations
Data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required for these purposes, but at the latest two years after the termination of the User relationship, except for data whose retention is legally required.
The User has the right to information, rectification, deletion, restriction of processing, data portability, objection, and complaint to the competent supervisory authority.
The Provider implements technical and organizational measures to protect data in accordance with Art. 32 GDPR. These include in particular:
- encryption of data
- access controls
- regular security reviews
- employee training
A detailed description of data processing is provided in the separate privacy policy.
VII. Liability and limitation of liability
1. The Provider does not exclude or limits its liability to the User if this would be unlawful. The Provider is only liable to the User for losses and damages that are a foreseeable consequence of the Providers failure to exercise reasonable care and skill or the Providers material breach of contract with a User, in jurisdictions where the exclusions below are not permitted. Consumer rights that cannot be waived or limited by contract or agreement are not affected by this paragraph.
The information presented in or through the services is provided for informational purposes only. The Provider makes no representations about the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information. If the User relies on this information, they do so at their own risk.
Neither the Provider, it’s affiliates, nor the Providers contractors involved in the creation, production or provision of the services, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, for incidental, special, exemplary or consequential damages, or damages for lost profits, lost revenues, lost savings, lost business opportunities, loss of data or goodwill, service interruptions, computer damage or system failures, or the cost of replacement services of any kind, arising out of or in connection with these terms of service or the use or inability to use the services, whether on warranty, contract, statue, tort (including negligence), product liability or other legal theory, and whether or not the Provider or its contractors have been advised of the possibility of such damages, even if a limited remedy provided in these terms of service is found to have failed its essential purpose, in jurisdictions where disclaimers or limitations of liability are permitted.
Except for the types of liability that cannot be limited under applicable law (as described in this section), the Provider limits its liability to the User to the greater of the following two amounts: (1) 100 EUR (or the equivalent in the Users local currency), or (2) the amount the User paid to the Provider in the three months prior to the first claim.
The Provider is not responsible for the conduct or content (whether online or offline) of any User of the Platform. The limitations of liability to not apply to claims under the product liability act (Product Liability Directive, Directive (EU) 2024/2853) or in case of culpable violation of data protection provisions.
The User indemnifies the Provider against all claims of third parties resulting from the use of software that is uploaded by Users, insofar as the User is responsible for the legal violation.
2. The Provider, all its affiliates and their respective contractors make no warranties, expressed or implied, for the services to the fullest extent permitted by law. The services are provided “as is”. The Provider also disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, quality, non-infringement, and any warranty arising from course of dealing or course of performance. Limitations on implied warranties are not allowed in laws of certain jurisdictions. To the extent that such warranties cannot be excluded under the laws of the Users’ jurisdiction, the Provider limits the duration and remedies of such warranties to the full extent permitted by the applicable laws.
VIII. Term and termination
The User can terminate their account and stop using the service at any time by directly contacting the Provider at the contact details provided below this document or by deleting the account.
IX. Modifications of the terms of service
The Provider reserves the right to amend provisions of these terms of service and applicable special terms of use that are minor in scope or nature, and to do so without citing any reason, provided such modifications do not lead to the Provider’s obligations as a whole being restructured. The Provider will communicate the modified conditions at least two weeks prior to the effective date. Users who do not object in text form (letter, e-mail, fax) to the modification within four weeks after the receipt of the modification will be deemed to have accepted the respective modification. The Provider will specifically indicate the possibility to objecting to the modification and the consequences of the above-mentioned deadline.
If the User objects to the new modifications, the Provider’s request to modify them will be deemed to have been rejected.
X. Miscellaneous
The use of the Platform and Platform content requires the use of special technical systems such as end User devices, software programs, transmission networks, telecommunications and other services provided by third parties, all of which may entail further costs. The Provider does not provide such end User devices, software programs, communication channels, telecommunications services or other services and therefore will not assume any liability for such services provided by third parties.
XI. Choice of law and place of jurisdiction
These terms of service, as well as all non-contractual obligations in connection with it are subject to German substantive law. The application of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) is excluded.
The place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from or in connection with these terms of service, including its validity, is the registered office of the Provider (Berlin, Germany). The aforementioned agreement on the place of jurisdiction shall apply exclusively, to the extent permitted by law. This agreement applies to both contracting parties, provided they are merchants, legal entities under public law or special funds under public law within the meaning of § 38 (1) ZPO (German Code of Civil Procedure).
XII. Severability clause
The invalidity or unenforceability of one or more provisions of this contract shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this contract.
In place of the invalid or unenforceable provision or to fill the gap in the provision, the legally permissible and enforceable provision that comes closest in economic terms to the meaning and purpose of the invalid, unenforceable or missing provision in the minds of the parties shall apply.
Amendments or additions to these Terms of Service must be made in writing.
Status: 02.04.2026
Provider contact details:
Prefix.dev GmbH
Französische Straße 12
10117 Berlin, Germany
Contact email: hi@prefix.dev