Free Beta Program
Last updated: September 20, 2026 · Version 2026-09-20 · A plain-language guide to how the beta works
The short version. Stove Pals is in a free public beta. It costs nothing to use, there is no advertising in the app, and no payment card is needed. If you have an account before we announce that paid plans are launching, you will get six months of our standard paid plan free once paid plans exist. Because this is a beta, things will change and will sometimes break. This page summarises how the beta works; our Terms of Service are what actually govern.
Free today
No charge and no advertising while the beta runs.
6 months free later
For every account created before paid plans are announced.
No card needed
Nothing to enter now, and nothing to cancel later.
Contents
1. What “beta” means
Stove Pals is a real, working product, but it is still being actively built. We call this stage a public beta (the “Beta Period” in our Terms of Service, Section 5.1) because we are opening it to everyone while we keep improving it, with your help.
In practice, during the Beta Period:
- features may change, move, or be removed, sometimes without advance notice;
- bugs, slowdowns, and downtime are more likely than in a finished product; and
- the Service is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties, as described in Section 21 of the Terms.
2. What is free right now
While the beta runs, Stove Pals is offered free of charge. That covers building a recipe library, planning meals on a calendar, shopping lists, nutrition tracking, events, family and shared libraries, and the AI-assisted features, subject to any usage limits we set to keep the Service stable and affordable to run (for example, limits on AI requests, uploads, or storage).
There is no advertising in the app. Free during the beta does not mean every feature is free forever: see Section 5.
3. The six-months-free offer
The offer in one sentence. If we introduce a paid subscription plan, every account created before we announce that paid plans are launching will receive six (6) months of free access to our then-current standard paid subscription tier, starting from the date paid plans become available, applied automatically with no payment method required.
The conditions that apply to the offer are:
- it is a one-time promotional benefit per person, has no cash value, and cannot be exchanged for cash, credit, or any other benefit;
- it is personal to your account and cannot be transferred, sold, or combined with other discounts or offers;
- it applies to our standard paid subscription tier as it exists when paid plans launch. If we offer more than one paid tier, it does not entitle you to the most expensive one unless that is the standard tier; and
- it may be denied or withdrawn from any account involved in fraud, abuse, or a violation of the Terms.
This offer does not promise that paid plans will exist. We are not obliged to introduce paid plans. If we never do, the offer never becomes payable. The full and controlling wording is in Terms of Service, Section 5.2.
4. Who qualifies
Every account created before we announce that paid plans are launching. You do not need to sign up for anything extra, opt in, or enter a payment method. If your account exists at that point, the offer is applied to it automatically when paid plans become available.
A few clarifications:
- It is per person. One person has one account (see Section 3 of the Terms), so creating extra accounts does not multiply the offer.
- Households. If you create a family and invite others, each person gets the offer on their own account, provided that account was created before the announcement. It is not shared across a family group and cannot be moved from one account to another.
- Accounts created after the announcement are not covered by this offer. Any different offer we make at that time will be described when we make it.
5. What happens when paid plans launch
We may introduce paid plans and paid features in the future. If we do, this is how we intend it to work:
- We announce it. We plan to tell you by email or a prominent notice in the app before paid plans go live.
- Your six months start. If your account qualifies, the free period begins on the date paid plans become available. No card is asked for and nothing is charged.
- You choose what happens next. Nothing is charged automatically when your six months end. You pay only if you choose a paid plan and give us a payment method.
We intend to keep offering a free tier, although the features and usage limits in it may change, and some things that are free today may later need a paid plan. We will give you at least 30 days’ notice, by email or a prominent in-app notice, before any change that materially reduces the functionality you have at no cost. See Section 5 of the Terms, and Section 6 for how billing would work if you did subscribe.
6. What to expect while we build
A beta is a trade: you get early, free access, and in return you accept that it is unfinished. Please expect that:
- things you rely on may work differently next week, or be replaced;
- the Service may occasionally be slow, unavailable, or wrong, and AI features depend on a third-party provider that may be rate-limited or down;
- data issues are possible. Keep your own copies of recipes and anything else you cannot afford to lose, and remember that deletion is generally permanent (see Section 18 of the Terms); and
- where a change materially and adversely affects a feature you actively rely on, we will make a reasonable effort to give you notice in the app or by email, but we cannot promise it for every change (Section 4).
We would love to hear what works and what doesn’t. You can send feedback any time to team@stovepals.com. Feedback is covered by Section 27 of the Terms.
7. Your data during the beta
Beta status does not change how we handle your information. Our Privacy Policy applies in full, and you keep ownership of the recipes and other content you add (see Section 8 of the Terms). You can delete your account and its data at any time from the Account page.
8. Safety still applies
Beta or not, Stove Pals is an organising tool, not an authority. Recipes, allergen information, nutrition figures, and cooking times from AI or other users are unverified estimates. Please read our Disclaimers before you cook from the app, and use Stove Pals at your own risk.
9. Ending or changing the beta
We may end the beta program, or change which features are part of it, at any time. Doing so will not cancel a six-month offer already earned by an account that existed before the change. Ending the beta on its own does not mean we will delete your account or your content.
We may update this page as the beta develops, and we will change the date and version at the top when we do. This page is a summary and supplements the Terms. If it ever conflicts with the Terms of Service, the Terms govern.
10. Common questions
Do I need a credit card?
No. Stove Pals is free during the beta, and the six-months-free offer is applied automatically with no payment method required.
Will I be charged automatically when the six months end?
No. You would only be charged if you choose a paid plan and give us a payment method.
I already have an account. Do I qualify?
Yes, if it was created before we announce that paid plans are launching and is not affected by the conditions in Section 3.
Can I give my free months to someone else?
No. The offer is personal to your account, is not transferable, and has no cash value.
Will paid plans definitely happen?
We may introduce them, but we are not obliged to. If we never do, the offer never becomes payable and Stove Pals simply stays as it is, subject to the Terms.
Is my data safe during the beta?
We work to protect it, but a beta is more likely to have bugs and data issues than a finished product. Keep your own copies of anything irreplaceable.
11. Contact
Questions about the beta or the six-months-free offer? Email us at team@stovepals.com.