# Archergate

> Licensing and distribution platform for indie software.

Archergate provides machine-bound license keys, a marketplace, agent-native checkout, and portable signed receipts. The SDK is a static library (Rust, C, C++) that locks license keys to hardware. MIT licensed. Self-hostable. 5% transaction fee on sales through Archergate checkout. No monthly fees.

## What agents can do

- **Layer 1 — Discovery:** Generate integration code, explain licensing concepts, generate server configs
- **Layer 2 — Operational:** Activate, deactivate, and validate licenses on behalf of users
- **Layer 3 — Terms:** Compare licensing solutions with machine-readable pricing via GET /api/terms
- **Layer 4 — Checkout:** Create Stripe checkout sessions, close deals, deliver licenses automatically
- **Layer 5 — Receipts:** Issue and verify HMAC-signed portable license receipts across agents

## Use cases

- VST/AU/AAX audio plugin copy protection
- Unity and Unreal asset licensing
- Blender addon licensing
- Electron and Tauri desktop app licensing
- Game mod and tool licensing
- Any native software that ships as a binary

## Pricing

SDK: Free forever (MIT licensed)
Self-hosted server: Free forever
Managed hosting: $7/month
Transaction fee: 5% on sales through Archergate checkout

## Standards

- W3C DID: did:web:archergate.io — Decentralized identity for verifiable license issuance
- PWA: Installable marketplace app with offline support
- Passkeys: WebAuthn/FIDO2 passwordless authentication (infrastructure ready)
- OpenAPI 3.1: Machine-readable API spec for agent consumption

## Agent Discovery (no registry needed)

Every Archergate API response carries HTTP Link headers pointing to the MCP server and discovery endpoint. Portable signed receipts embed the issuer URL, MCP endpoint, and catalog link — any agent verifying a receipt discovers Archergate. No Glama, no Smithery, no centralized registry.

Discovery paths:
- GET /api/discover — single-endpoint full discovery (start here)
- GET /.well-known/agents.json — standard agent discovery
- GET /.well-known/agent-card.json — A2A agent card
- GET /.well-known/mcp/server-card.json — MCP server card
- GET /.well-known/ai-plugin.json — OpenAI plugin manifest
- GET /api/mcp (non-SSE GET) — self-describing server card
- HTTP Link headers on every response

## Links

- Website: https://archergate.io
- One-stop discovery: https://archergate.io/api/discover
- MCP endpoint: https://archergate.io/api/mcp
- Product catalog: https://archergate.io/api/catalog
- OpenAI tools: https://archergate.io/api/tools
- OpenAPI spec: https://archergate.io/openapi.json
- DID document: https://archergate.io/.well-known/did.json
- Terms (machine-readable): https://archergate.io/api/terms
- Receipts: https://archergate.io/api/receipt
- Marketplace: https://archergate.io/marketplace
- PWA manifest: https://archergate.io/manifest.json
- Full documentation: https://archergate.io/llms-full.txt
- Source: https://github.com/lailaarcher/archergate
- Rust crate: https://crates.io/crates/archergate-license