Requests on BuildMyApp can be set to Public (visible to anyone on the web) or Verified Developers only (visible only to logged-in, GitHub-verified developers). You choose at post time and can change it later from the request edit page.
Do not post anything you would not want your selected audience to see. If your project requires confidentiality, consider describing the problem in general terms without revealing proprietary details.
BuildMyApp is a negotiation-free zone designed to remove buyer/seller friction.
This policy ensures serious listings and prevents lowball repricing.
Short answers to the worries buyers most often raise. Open the full Terms below for the complete legal text.
If you fund a build and don't accept some or all of it, you get that portion back in full. The developer fee and BMA's platform fee only apply to the work you accept.
BuildMyApp is a negotiation-free marketplace. Buyers list a fair price they are happy to pay, and qualified developers accept without haggling. Skipping negotiation removes a real cost (developer overhead, time-on-platform, anxiety pricing) and that saving flows back to buyers in the form of developers who can say yes to lower fair prices.
The cooldown prevents slow-motion haggling, where a buyer reposts the same concept at a lower price every few days until someone bites. Ninety days is short enough that a genuine change in your situation (new budget, revised scope) can be honestly reflected, and long enough that the marketplace isn't gamed by serial repricing.
Acceptance criteria are AI-reviewed before your request goes live, to make sure they are objectively verifiable. The developer must meet those criteria, exactly as posted, before you pay anything. You set the bar; the platform holds the developer to it.
You have three independent recourse paths and don't have to wait for any single one:
If a dispute hits the mediation deadline without an agreement, or either party walks out of mediation, the build is cancelled and your held funds are refunded in full. No platform fee is retained. Abandonment by either side is recorded on that party's reputation.
A 30-day warranty starts the moment you accept. If the software fails any of the acceptance criteria you wrote, the developer has 10 days to fix it or you receive a full refund. AI arbitration determines whether the failure is covered, so disputes are resolved quickly.
Your card is charged when you accept a developer's proposal, not when you post the request. Funds are held by the platform through the build and through the 30-day warranty period. Developers only get paid after the warranty closes without a valid claim.
It's a developer accountability tool that works for you. The platform watches the developer's repository for substantive progress, so a developer who goes dark or stalls is caught automatically. You don't have to chase anyone, and you can act on rejection or missed-deadline cancellation in parallel.
Every BuildMyApp build follows the same IP framework regardless of license type. The license type you select only controls one piece of it: the Foreground IP.
You receive the Foreground IP exclusively: no other buyer of this developer ever receives the same business logic, data models, branding, or buyer-specific integrations. The developer cannot reuse or resell the Foreground IP. Background IP, Residuals, Platform Contributions, and Anonymized Learnings work as described above. Price is usually higher to reflect exclusivity.
You receive a perpetual right to use the delivered software for your own purposes. The developer retains all other rights to the Foreground IP and may relicense it to other buyers only through BuildMyApp. The same Background IP, Residuals, Platform Contributions, and Anonymized Learnings rules apply. Price is usually lower.
Future licensing fees under a Non-Exclusive license are shared:
Full legal terms appear in the BuildMyApp Terms & Conditions, Section "License Types and IP Rights."
Once the developer submits a delivery, you have a review window to accept or reject it. If you don't respond in time, the delivery is automatically accepted.
| Price Range | Review Window |
|---|---|
| Under $1,000 | 3 days |
| $1,001 – $10,000 | 7 days |
| $10,001 – $50,000 | 10 days |
| Over $50,000 | 14 days |
For builds delivered in milestones, the acceptance process applies independently to each milestone. The review window is based on the milestone's payment amount, not the total contract price. A build is considered fully accepted only when the final milestone is accepted. Once a milestone is accepted, it cannot be reversed.
Rejections open mediation automatically to help both parties resolve the issue. The developer may revise and resubmit. Rejection history is tracked on your buyer record and visible to developers.
After you accept a delivery, a 30-day warranty period begins. During this period, funds are held by the platform and you may file a claim if the software fails to meet your acceptance criteria.
Milestone Builds: The warranty period begins only when the final milestone is accepted. Intermediate milestone acceptances do not start the warranty clock.
Claims are evaluated strictly against the acceptance criteria you wrote when posting the request.
Before posting, your acceptance criteria will be reviewed by AI to ensure they are objectively verifiable and reasonable within the scope of these warranty terms. Criteria may be modified to meet these standards.
Any disputes regarding warranty claims will be resolved through LLM Arbitration provided by Vilora.ai. AI review will compare the code at delivery time versus current state to determine if Buyer modifications contributed to the failure.
Version 1.8 -- Effective May 21, 2026
BuildMyApp is a demand-driven software marketplace operated by Maia AI, LLC. Buyers post software requests with fixed prices, developers submit proposals, and accepted proposals result in monitored builds with warranty protections. Builds may be delivered as a single deliverable or as a sequence of milestones, each with its own delivery, review, and payment cycle.
When you post a request on BuildMyApp, you choose its visibility:
You can change a request's visibility at any time. Whichever option you choose, please keep these in mind:
All requests are posted at a non-negotiable fixed price set by the buyer. Prices cannot be changed after posting. If a request expires without a developer accepting it, the buyer must wait 90 days before reposting the same concept at a different price.
BuildMyApp charges a 15% platform fee on all completed transactions. The remaining 85% is paid to the developer after the warranty period concludes without a valid claim.
Non-Exclusive License Revenue Sharing: For software delivered under a non-exclusive license, future licensing fees generated through the platform are shared: 60% to the developer, 25% to the original buyer, and 15% to BuildMyApp. Developers may only relicense non-exclusive software through BuildMyApp.
Hosting Service Fee (Run Fee): Buyers who use BuildMyApp's hosted delivery form pay a monthly Run Fee covering the cost of running the software on BuildMyApp's infrastructure. The Run Fee is a hosting service fee paid to BuildMyApp; it is not a license fee, and it is separate from the listing or build purchase price. The buyer's license to use the software is paid for via the listing or build purchase price.
Post-warranty spin-up fees: Buyers who request a new delivery form after their 30-day warranty period (for example, downloading a desktop installer for the first time on day 60, or requesting a source repository transfer for the first time on day 45) pay a per-request spin-up fee to BuildMyApp. The fee is disclosed at the time of request. Software, installers, and repository invites already received during the warranty period remain available without additional charge.
Payments are processed through Stripe. When a buyer's request is matched with a developer, funds are held by the platform during the build period and the subsequent 30-day warranty period. Funds are released to the developer only after the warranty period concludes without a valid claim.
Milestone Builds: For builds delivered in milestones, each milestone’s portion of the total price is held separately. When a non-final milestone is accepted by the buyer, that milestone’s payment is released to the developer immediately. When the final milestone is accepted, its payment is held through the 30-day warranty period before release. The platform fee (15%) applies to each milestone payment at the time of release.
Where a buyer is refunded -- in full or in part -- BMA does not retain any platform fee on the refunded portion. See the Refund Policy for the full breakdown.
When a developer submits a delivery, the buyer has a review window to accept or reject it. If no action is taken within the review window, the delivery is automatically accepted.
| Price Range | Review Window |
|---|---|
| Under $1,000 | 3 days |
| $1,001 – $10,000 | 7 days |
| $10,001 – $50,000 | 10 days |
| Over $50,000 | 14 days |
Milestone Builds: For builds delivered in milestones, the acceptance process applies independently to each milestone. When a developer submits a milestone delivery, the buyer has a review window to accept or reject that specific milestone. The review window duration is determined by the milestone’s payment amount (not the total contract price), using the same price-range table above. If no action is taken within the review window, the milestone is automatically accepted.
A build delivered in milestones is considered fully accepted only when the final milestone has been accepted. Acceptance of individual milestones is binding -- once a milestone is accepted, it cannot be reversed through subsequent milestone rejections or build cancellation.
After acceptance, a 30-day warranty period begins. During this period, the buyer may file a warranty claim if the delivered software fails to meet the acceptance criteria specified in the original request.
Milestone Builds: For builds delivered in milestones, the 30-day warranty period begins only when the final milestone is accepted (i.e., when the build as a whole is complete). Intermediate milestone acceptances do not start the warranty clock. The warranty covers the entire delivered build, not individual milestones in isolation.
Covered: Features and functionality listed in acceptance criteria that stop working and are not fixed by the Developer within 10 days of notification of a warranty claim submitted through BuildMyApp, provided there have been no changes to the code files that may have caused or contributed to the failure.
Warranty Process: (1) Buyer files a warranty claim identifying the specific acceptance criteria violated. (2) AI review determines whether buyer-side code changes may have caused or contributed to the issue. (3) If the issue is valid, the Developer has 10 days to fix it. (4) If the Developer does not fix the issue within 10 days, a full refund is issued to the Buyer.
Not covered: New feature requests, compatibility with environments not specified in the original request, performance expectations not defined in acceptance criteria, issues caused by the buyer's modifications to the delivered code (as determined by AI review).
AI Review: Acceptance criteria are reviewed by AI before posting to ensure they are objectively verifiable and reasonable within the scope of warranty coverage. Criteria may be modified to meet these standards. AI review also compares the code at delivery time versus current state to determine if buyer modifications contributed to a warranty claim.
Final-Delivery Scope: "Delivered Forms" are the channels through which you receive a build: a hosted instance, a downloaded installation, or the transfer of a private Git repository. Warranty covers each Delivered Form for 30 days from purchase (listings) or sign-off (commissioned builds). Warranty fixes for Delivered Forms you have already received propagate to all of them: a fix may arrive as a redeployed hosted instance, a new signed installer at your stable download URL, or a new commit on your private repository, whichever Delivered Forms you have. Delivered Forms you request after your 30-day warranty window has ended incur a spin-up fee per Delivered Form (currently $19). Note: additional deployments do not alter original warranty periods. The acceptance environment provisioned for commissioned builds is not under warranty after sign-off; if you opted not to keep hosted as one of your Delivered Forms, that environment is paused for 30 days and then permanently removed.
Dispute Resolution: Any disputes regarding warranty claims will be resolved through LLM Arbitration provided by Vilora.ai.
Buyers may reject a delivery during the review window. Rejections open mediation automatically, facilitated by Vilora.ai, to help the parties resolve the issue. The developer may revise and resubmit the delivery. Rejection history is tracked on the buyer’s record and is visible to developers as part of the buyer’s acceptance rate.
Milestone Builds: When a buyer rejects a milestone delivery, no funds are moved. The rejection opens mediation automatically, and the developer may revise and resubmit the milestone. Previously accepted milestones and their released payments are not affected by a subsequent milestone rejection. If the build is cancelled after repeated rejections, only payments for unaccepted milestones are refunded to the buyer; payments already released for accepted milestones are kept by the developer.
Build Cancellation: If a delivery or milestone accumulates repeated rejections without resolution, either party may request cancellation. Upon cancellation, held funds for unaccepted work are refunded to the buyer. Funds already released for accepted milestones are not recoverable through cancellation.
Mediation Deadline: Mediation is time-bounded. If a resolution is not agreed within 10 days of mediation opening, or if either party ends mediation before that window closes, the build will be automatically cancelled. Held funds will be refunded to the buyer in full, funds already released for accepted work remain with the developer, and the unresolved mediation will be recorded on both parties’ profiles.
If the developer has not delivered by the proposal’s estimated completion date plus a 20% grace window, the buyer may terminate the build. Held funds are refunded to the buyer in full and the request may be reposted. The developer’s “terminated for cause” counter increments.
See the Refund Policy for refund mechanics.
During active builds, BuildMyApp monitors the developer's GitHub repository for commit activity. Commits are assessed by AI to determine whether they represent substantive progress. If no substantive commits are detected for 14 consecutive days, the build may be revoked.
BuildMyApp maintains computed reputation metrics for all users, including completion rates, acceptance rates, warranty claim rates, and ratings. These metrics are public and cannot be manipulated. They are calculated from actual platform activity.
Every build delivered through BuildMyApp follows the IP framework set out below, regardless of the licensing preference selected at request time. The choice between Exclusive and Non-Exclusive controls only the rights granted in Foreground IP; the remaining categories apply identically to both license types.
Foreground IP (Buyer-owned under Exclusive; perpetual license under Non-Exclusive). “Foreground IP” means the business logic, data models, user interfaces, branding, and buyer-specific integrations created by the Developer for the Buyer in connection with a request. Under an Exclusive license, no other buyer ever receives the Foreground IP; the Developer assigns the Foreground IP to the Buyer on acceptance. Under a Non-Exclusive license, the Buyer receives a perpetual, worldwide right to use the Foreground IP for the Buyer’s own purposes, and the Developer retains the right to relicense substantially similar Foreground IP only through BuildMyApp, subject to the revenue-sharing terms in Section 4.
Background IP (Developer-retained, embedded license to Buyer). “Background IP” means generic scaffolding, utilities, framework adapters, build tooling, libraries, and similar non-buyer-specific materials that the Developer brings to, or develops independently of, a particular engagement. The Developer retains all right, title, and interest in Background IP. The Buyer receives a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, reproduce, modify, and distribute Background IP solely as embedded in the delivered software. The Developer may reuse Background IP without restriction in other engagements, on or off the platform.
Residuals (Developer-retained). “Residuals” means general methods, techniques, design patterns, and know-how retained in the unaided memory of natural persons performing work on the engagement or in the working memory of AI tools used by the Developer in the ordinary course. The Developer may use Residuals freely in future engagements. This carve-out does not authorize disclosure of Confidential Information that the Buyer has identified in writing as confidential, or that a reasonable person would understand to be confidential under the circumstances.
Platform Contributions (BuildMyApp-owned). Any modifications, contributions, or improvements to BuildMyApp’s own platform code, conventions, build tooling, skills, or operational documentation that the Developer makes during the course of a build are owned exclusively by Maia AI, LLC. The Developer assigns such Platform Contributions to Maia AI, LLC upon creation, and agrees to execute any further instruments reasonably necessary to perfect that assignment.
Anonymized Learnings (Developer-retained). The Developer may retain build retrospectives, lessons learned, and similar reflective materials for the purpose of improving the Developer’s practice, provided that all Buyer-identifying details, Confidential Information, and Foreground IP have been removed.
Relationship to other sections. The Non-Exclusive revenue-sharing terms in Section 4 apply to Foreground IP only. The Developer Obligations in Section 12 (including ownership representation and non-infringement) apply to all categories above.
These additional terms apply to all developers who submit proposals or deliver software through BuildMyApp.
Ownership Representation: By submitting a proposal or delivering software, you certify that you are the original author of all code you deliver, or that you have the full legal right to sell or license it.
IP Non-Infringement: You represent that your delivered software does not infringe any third-party intellectual property, patents, trademarks, or copyrights.
No Unauthorized Code: Your delivered software must not contain code from employers, clients, or projects where you do not hold distribution rights. This includes code written under employment agreements, client contracts, or open-source licenses that are incompatible with the buyer's licensing selection.
Non-Exclusive License Obligations: For software delivered under a non-exclusive license, you agree to relicense it only through BuildMyApp. You may not sell, license, or distribute the software through any other platform or channel. Future licensing fees are shared: 60% to you (the developer), 25% to the original buyer, and 15% to BuildMyApp.
Indemnification: You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Maia AI, LLC (BuildMyApp) and any buyers or licensees from all claims, damages, and expenses arising from intellectual property infringement, ownership disputes, or misrepresentation of rights related to software you deliver through the platform.
BuildMyApp may, at its sole discretion, hide, redact, or remove content posted to any collaboration session, listing Q&A thread, or other user-facing surface on the platform if such content is determined to violate these Terms, infringe on third-party rights, or otherwise harm the platform or its community. Hidden messages remain in place with a moderated notice; their original content is suppressed for non-moderator viewers.
BuildMyApp provides a platform for matching software developers with software buyers and does not develop, sell, license, or warrant any software or services provided by users. All transactions and interactions between users are solely between the participating parties. BuildMyApp disclaims all liability arising from or related to any software, services, or other materials provided by users, including any claims related to performance, defects, infringement, or failure to meet expectations.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the total aggregate liability of BuildMyApp arising out of or related to these terms or the use of the platform shall not exceed the total fees paid by a Buyer to BuildMyApp for a specific transaction giving rise to the claim.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Maia AI, LLC, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities, arising out of or related to the use of, or inability to use, the platform or services, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so the above limitations may not apply to the extent prohibited by law.
These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action or proceeding arising out of or related to these terms or the use of the platform shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Travis County, Austin, Texas, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.
By using BuildMyApp, you agree to these Terms & Conditions. Continued use of the platform after changes to these terms constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.
Version 1.4 — Effective May 13, 2026
These terms apply to developers who list software for purchase or buy-out on the BuildMyApp marketplace.
By listing software on BuildMyApp, you certify that you are the original author of the listed software, or that you have the full legal right to sell or license it.
You represent that your listed software does not infringe any third-party intellectual property, patents, trademarks, or copyrights.
Your listed software must not contain code from employers, clients, or projects where you do not hold distribution rights.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Maia AI, LLC (BuildMyApp) and any buyers or licensees from all claims, damages, and expenses arising from intellectual property infringement, ownership disputes, or misrepresentation of rights related to software you list or sell through the platform.
When you sell software under an exclusive license, you must transfer all rights in the Foreground IP (as defined in the BuildMyApp Terms & Conditions, Section 11 “License Types and IP Rights”) to the buyer and remove all copies of the Foreground IP from your possession within 7 days of the sale. You retain Background IP, Residuals, and Anonymized Learnings as defined in that section, and the buyer receives a perpetual royalty-free license to use Background IP as embedded in the delivered product.
When you offer software for purchase under the platform's standard "Buy" option, you grant each buyer a non-exclusive, perpetual license to use the software for their own purposes. You may continue to sell additional non-exclusive licenses to other buyers. You must maintain the software in a deliverable state for the duration of the listing.
For software originally built for a buyer through BuildMyApp under a non-exclusive arrangement, future purchase fees for that same software are shared: 60% to you (the developer), 25% to the original buyer, and 15% to BuildMyApp. For software you built independently and listed on BuildMyApp, future purchase fees are shared 85% to you and 15% to BuildMyApp.
App Store and Play Store distribution. Software whose primary distribution channel is the Apple App Store or Google Play Store is listed on BuildMyApp as a source-code transfer only, and only under a buy-out (exclusive sale) (Section 5). Non-exclusive "Buy" pricing is not available for app-store-distributed software because end-user transactions for those apps occur through the app store and BuildMyApp cannot serve as the licensing channel. After a buy-out, the buyer publishes and maintains the app under their own developer account.
The Foreground IP / Background IP / Residuals / Platform Contributions / Anonymized Learnings framework defined in Section 11 of the BuildMyApp Terms & Conditions applies to all software sold or licensed under this Agreement, including both buy-out and non-exclusive transactions.
By listing software on BuildMyApp, you grant Maia AI, LLC a non-exclusive, revocable right to display, market, and promote your listing on the platform. This grant is revocable by either party: by you (when you delist the software), or by BuildMyApp (under Section 8 below).
BuildMyApp reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to suspend or remove any listing at any time, with or without prior notice, for violations of these Terms, intellectual property disputes, fraud signals, or other concerns related to the integrity of the platform or its community standards. Suspension is reversible upon resolution of the underlying concern; removal is terminal.
BuildMyApp also reserves the right to hide or redact messages posted in any collaboration session associated with a listing or transaction for the same reasons. Hidden messages remain in place visually with a moderated notice; their original content is suppressed for non-moderator viewers.
This discretion is in addition to, and does not waive, the indemnification obligations in Section 4.
Version 1.4 — Effective May 13, 2026
These terms apply to developers who list software for purchase or buy-out on the BuildMyApp marketplace.
By listing software on BuildMyApp, you certify that you are the original author of the listed software, or that you have the full legal right to sell or license it.
You represent that your listed software does not infringe any third-party intellectual property, patents, trademarks, or copyrights.
Your listed software must not contain code from employers, clients, or projects where you do not hold distribution rights.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Maia AI, LLC (BuildMyApp) and any buyers or licensees from all claims, damages, and expenses arising from intellectual property infringement, ownership disputes, or misrepresentation of rights related to software you list or sell through the platform.
When you sell software under an exclusive license, you must transfer all rights in the Foreground IP (as defined in the BuildMyApp Terms & Conditions, Section 11 “License Types and IP Rights”) to the buyer and remove all copies of the Foreground IP from your possession within 7 days of the sale. You retain Background IP, Residuals, and Anonymized Learnings as defined in that section, and the buyer receives a perpetual royalty-free license to use Background IP as embedded in the delivered product.
When you offer software for purchase under the platform's standard "Buy" option, you grant each buyer a non-exclusive, perpetual license to use the software for their own purposes. You may continue to sell additional non-exclusive licenses to other buyers. You must maintain the software in a deliverable state for the duration of the listing.
For software originally built for a buyer through BuildMyApp under a non-exclusive arrangement, future purchase fees for that same software are shared: 60% to you (the developer), 25% to the original buyer, and 15% to BuildMyApp. For software you built independently and listed on BuildMyApp, future purchase fees are shared 85% to you and 15% to BuildMyApp.
App Store and Play Store distribution. Software whose primary distribution channel is the Apple App Store or Google Play Store is listed on BuildMyApp as a source-code transfer only, and only under a buy-out (exclusive sale) (Section 5). Non-exclusive "Buy" pricing is not available for app-store-distributed software because end-user transactions for those apps occur through the app store and BuildMyApp cannot serve as the licensing channel. After a buy-out, the buyer publishes and maintains the app under their own developer account.
The Foreground IP / Background IP / Residuals / Platform Contributions / Anonymized Learnings framework defined in Section 11 of the BuildMyApp Terms & Conditions applies to all software sold or licensed under this Agreement, including both buy-out and non-exclusive transactions.
By listing software on BuildMyApp, you grant Maia AI, LLC a non-exclusive, revocable right to display, market, and promote your listing on the platform. This grant is revocable by either party: by you (when you delist the software), or by BuildMyApp (under Section 8 below).
BuildMyApp reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to suspend or remove any listing at any time, with or without prior notice, for violations of these Terms, intellectual property disputes, fraud signals, or other concerns related to the integrity of the platform or its community standards. Suspension is reversible upon resolution of the underlying concern; removal is terminal.
BuildMyApp also reserves the right to hide or redact messages posted in any collaboration session associated with a listing or transaction for the same reasons. Hidden messages remain in place visually with a moderated notice; their original content is suppressed for non-moderator viewers.
This discretion is in addition to, and does not waive, the indemnification obligations in Section 4.
Milestone delivery is an optional feature that splits project delivery into checkpoints with incremental payment releases. It is available for projects priced at $2,500 or more.
Each milestone has an auto-accept window based on the milestone's payment amount:
If the buyer does not accept or reject within this window, the milestone is automatically accepted.
Warranty claims on non-final milestones require proof of regression: the buyer must demonstrate that functionality which was working at the time of milestone acceptance has subsequently broken. This is a higher bar than the standard warranty, and is intended to protect developers from clawback of already-paid work.