BuildMyApp Terms & Conditions
Version 2.2 -- Effective August 1, 2026
1. Platform Overview
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.
2. Posting Requests and Visibility
When you post a request on BuildMyApp, you choose its visibility:
- Public: full request details are visible to all platform users (developers, other buyers, and unregistered visitors) and may be indexed by search engines.
- Verified Developers Only: full request details are visible only to developers who have completed BuildMyApp's verification steps. A short summary may still appear elsewhere on the platform so developers understand the kinds of work being posted, but specifics stay behind the verification gate.
You can change a request's visibility at any time. Whichever option you choose, please keep these in mind:
- Anything you include in your request (title, problem description, expected outcome, acceptance criteria, technical preferences, and reference links) will be read by the audience that has access under the visibility you selected. Treat your request like a brief for a contractor: detailed enough to scope the work, free of information you wouldn't want that audience to hold.
- Trade secrets, confidential business information, and material protected by a non-disclosure agreement are best left out of any request. If sensitive specifics are necessary to scope the work, consider keeping them at a higher level in the request itself and sharing the details later, directly with your chosen developer, under whatever protections suit you.
- The Verified Developers Only setting exists specifically to give you more control when full disclosure isn't something you want from day one. BuildMyApp doesn't take responsibility for the consequences of information you choose to share on the platform, but we built that setting so you don't have to choose between getting good proposals and protecting what shouldn't be public yet.
3. Fixed Pricing
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.
4. Platform Fees
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.
5. Payment Flow
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, you pay a deposit when you accept the proposal (credited toward the first milestone), and each milestone is then charged to your saved payment method when that milestone is accepted, rather than the full price being collected up front. 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. (Builds begun before this change, or configured for full up-front capture, instead collect each milestone’s portion at the outset and release it on acceptance.)
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.
Deposits and balance payments for custom builds
For lump-sum custom builds, you pay a deposit (currently
10% of the agreed price) when you accept a
proposal. You authorize BuildMyApp to charge the remaining balance to your
saved payment method automatically when you accept the delivered build, or
when the review window ends and the build is accepted automatically. If a
balance charge fails, we will retry it and you can pay it directly from
your build page; developer payouts are withheld until the balance is
collected. If a build ends before delivery, the deposit is refunded to the buyer when
the build is terminated on account of the developer's withdrawal (a
developer quit, whether at fault or as a no-fault withdrawal for buyer
unresponsiveness under the Developer Withdrawal section below) or
termination for cause; other dispositions may apply per a mediation
resolution's terms.
For milestone custom builds, the deposit is credited toward the first
milestone. Each milestone is then charged automatically to your saved
payment method when that milestone is accepted (or when its review window
ends and it is accepted automatically). You pay only for milestones you
accept. If a milestone charge fails, we retry it and you can pay it from
your build page; the developer's payout for that milestone is withheld
until it is collected, while work on later milestones may continue.
6. Acceptance & Auto-Accept Policy
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.
7. Warranty Terms
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.
8. Rejection Policy
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.
Buyer Termination for Missed Deadline
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.
Developer Withdrawal Before Delivery
Before delivering, a developer may withdraw from a build (a “quit”). On withdrawal, all funds held for the build are refunded to the buyer in full, any deposit is returned, and the request may be reposted for new proposals. Funds already released to the developer for accepted milestones are not affected. How the withdrawal is recorded on the developer’s public reputation depends on the reason, as described below.
At-fault withdrawal. A withdrawal counts against the developer’s public “Quits” reputation when the developer steps away for reasons within the developer’s control (for example, changed circumstances, lack of capacity, or a scope mismatch the developer chose not to resolve).
No-fault withdrawal for buyer unresponsiveness. A withdrawal is treated as no-fault and does not count against the developer’s “Quits” reputation when the build cannot proceed because the buyer has stopped responding. This no-fault treatment applies only when all of the following are true: (a) the build was still pre-delivery and blocked awaiting the buyer’s input, such as a required item or a direct question; (b) the developer made at least two attempts to reach the buyer on the build; and (c) at least 14 days passed with no response from the buyer. The buyer is refunded in full in this case as well: the no-fault designation affects only the developer’s reputation, not the buyer’s refund. BuildMyApp may review whether these conditions were met and reclassify a withdrawal that does not qualify.
9. Commit Monitoring
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.
10. Reputation System
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.
11. License Types and IP Rights
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.
12. Developer Obligations
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.
Moderation Discretion
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.
13. Limitation of Liability
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.
14. Governing Law & Forum
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.
15. Agreement
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.