The questions everyone asks us.
What it really costs, what you need for online bookings, where your data stays and what the licence allows, installers and web agencies included. Here are the answers in plain words; every practical step is in the docs at docs.arenile.app, and if something is missing the Coste360.it team will answer.
Cost
Is it really free? What’s the catch?
There isn’t one. Download it and install it in one click on the beach club computer, or on your online server: Arenile is free for the beach clubs you own or run directly: no licence fee and no commission, with every feature. Coste360.it offers paid installation and setup for those who would rather not do it themselves. About the licence
Do online bookings carry a commission?
Arenile takes no commission, neither on bookings nor on takings. Card payments go through Stripe straight into your account, and Stripe charges its own per-transaction fees. Guests can also pay on arrival. Online payments
Do I need a server? How much is it?
Only if you want bookings from your website: then you need a small online server, a few euros a month from your hosting provider. Otherwise a computer at the beach club is enough. Choose how to install
How much does Coste360.it charge to install it?
It depends on your beach club: where to install it, how many spots to draw, whether to connect bookings to your website. We send a quote after a short call. Talk to the Coste360.it team
Installers, web agencies and consultants
Arenile is free for the beach club that uses it for itself. Anyone who works for beach clubs (installers, web agencies, consultants, software resellers, hosting providers) and earns from it needs a commercial licence from Coste360 SRL. These are the most common cases, in plain words: the licence text (LICENSE, “Additional Use Grant”) is what counts.
I am an installer: can I install Arenile at a beach club and get paid for it?
No, not without a commercial licence. Installing, configuring, customising, hosting, updating or supporting Arenile on behalf of a beach club, in exchange for a fee or another commercial benefit, is a third-party service the licence reserves to Coste360.it and its partners. Talk to the Coste360.it team
What if I install it for free, but then get paid for the website, maintenance or support?
You still need the licence. Free help is only free if it really is free: if it is part of a paid offer, or is used to promote one (website, management, bookings, support for the beach club), it is a commercial service.
Can I offer Arenile hosted or “in the cloud” to my clients?
No. Managed hosting, a managed service or software as a service (SaaS) based on Arenile require the commercial licence, even if the beach club does not pay for Arenile itself but only for the “service”.
Can I resell Arenile, or a modified version under my own brand?
No. Reselling it, and any product built on its code that replaces Arenile or offers similar features (management or bookings for beach clubs), require the commercial licence.
I build websites: can I put the booking widget on the beach club’s site?
Yes, freely. Embedding or linking the Arenile booking page or widget in a website or app is not a service on Arenile, as long as you do not install, host, configure, customise, maintain or support Arenile itself. You copy the widget from the beach club’s panel; the beach club runs Arenile.
Can the beach club install it itself, or have one of its employees do it?
Yes. The beach club and its employees can install, configure and use it freely. A friend or relative who helps for free, with no paid offer attached, is fine too.
I rent servers (VPS) or offer a “one-click installer”: is that a problem?
No, as long as the client installs and runs Arenile on their own on the server they rent from you, and you do not configure it, maintain it, support Arenile or sell an offer dedicated to Arenile. A generic installation template is fine; a “managed Arenile package” is not.
We are a consortium or association of beach clubs: can we install it for all members?
Not under the free licence, if the consortium does not control the individual beach clubs: each one is a third party. Each beach club can use it for itself, or the consortium can ask for a commercial licence.
I run several beach clubs of my own (same company or group): do I need the licence?
No. Beach clubs you run directly, or companies you control or that control you (over 50%), fall under free use, even with a single installation for all of them.
I have a hotel with a serviced beach: can I use it?
Yes, for the beach the hotel runs directly. Rooms and accommodation services are not covered by free use.
The code is public: so can I do whatever I want with it?
No. Arenile is source-available under the BSL 1.1 licence: you can read, study and modify the code and contribute, but production use is free only in the cases above. Each release becomes AGPL-3.0 three years after it ships; until then these rules apply. About the licence
What happens if I offer services on Arenile without a licence?
You are using the software outside the licence terms: Coste360.it can enforce its rights, and your client ends up with an unauthorised installation. It is better for everyone to get licensed first.
How do I get the commercial licence? Is there a partner programme?
Write to Coste360.it from the contact page, saying which services you offer (installation, hosting, support, websites) and for how many beach clubs. Authorised installers can work on Arenile within the rules, with Coste360.it support and updates. Talk to the Coste360.it team
Using it
Does it work without internet?
Yes, if Arenile runs on a computer at the beach club: map, desk bookings, season passes and cash desk all work without a connection. Online bookings from guests need Arenile to be reachable from the internet. With the desktop app you install it in one click on the front-desk computer. Compare the options
Do I need to be good with computers?
Not to use it: the setup wizard takes you from the map to the price list. Installing the online version needs some confidence. If you would rather not do it yourself or with one of your staff, we do it. Setup wizard
Can I try it before the season?
Yes. Load the Lido Demo, a sample beach club with a map, prices, season passes and bookings, and try every feature without touching your own data. Load the demo data
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. The panel works on the front-desk computer, a tablet or a phone, and the booking page is designed for your guests’ phones first. Manager guide
Which languages does it speak?
Italian, English, German and French, in both the panel and the booking page. Guests see the page in their own language.
Data and licence
Where is my guests’ data stored?
On your computer or your server, not with us. Back it up whenever you like; reports, daily takings and each guest’s data export as CSV or JSON. Backup and restore
Are there limits on umbrellas or users?
No. No limits on spots, bookings or users, and no feature held back for a paid edition.
Is the Arenile source code public?
Arenile is source-available on GitHub under the BSL 1.1 licence: you can read the code and use Arenile free of charge for the beach clubs you own or run directly. Each release moves to the AGPL-3.0 licence three years after it ships. About the licence
Can I offer it to my clients as a service?
Only with a Coste360.it installer licence. Offering Arenile as a hosted service, or installing it on behalf of third parties, is reserved to Coste360.it and the companies it licenses. You can use it free of charge for the beach clubs you own or run directly. About the licence
Can’t find your answer?
Arenile is developed by Coste360 SRL, the company behind Coste360.it, the Italian platform for monitoring coasts and maritime state concessions. The team that builds it is the team that answers.