Open source ensures technology is not locked away inside compiled binaries — it lets everyone draw knowledge and learn from the code. That is why we firmly believe the free software movement and open source spirit benefit the world, and why we have always kept our infrastructure source code open. To date, numerous organizations and independent developers have built their own projects on top of our open source code.

Open source means freedom, and it also means responsibility. We encourage every developer to learn, modify, and share under the terms of the license, and together maintain a healthy, sustainable open source ecosystem.

Yes or No — the choice is always yours. We never force users to update software versions — whether to upgrade, and when, is entirely your decision. Within the app, we also provide numerous toggles and options, from enabling features to fine-tuning details, striving to accommodate every user's unique needs and habits.

We believe good software should not make decisions for the user, but rather return the decision-making power to the user. The default settings may be what we consider the most suitable arrangement, but they are never the only answer — you can always adjust and choose in your own way. After all, no one knows what you need better than yourself.

No piece of software can be perfect on its own — only by embracing brilliant ideas from around the world and pooling collective wisdom and creativity can we build a truly capable application. That is why AstroBox-NG leverages the latest experimental technologies to create a high-performance plugin system, giving every idea fertile ground to take root and allowing the community to expand the boundaries of the app together.

We are not content to stop there. We continuously provide developers with richer, more powerful APIs, steadily lowering the barrier to creation — whether you want to implement a small convenience feature or a complete, complex solution, AstroBox is ready to be the stage for it. Because we have always believed that an application's true potential extends far beyond its developers' original vision.

Never introducing external ads into the app is a baseline we hold firm. AstroBox will forever only feature lightweight promotion of in-app resources, and will never integrate with any ad network, nor display any external splash ads or pop-up ads.

We know well that ads might bring revenue, but what they trade away is an interrupted experience, drained attention, and the quiet erosion of trust in an app. These are costs we refuse to make our users bear. In AstroBox, every recommendation you see relates only to the app's own resources — simple, restrained, and always serving your use, never disrupting it.

A clean experience should be the most basic respect software offers its users — and on this, we will not compromise.

We have always believed that if the code we write cannot run with the same effectiveness across the five major platforms — Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS/iPadOS — then it loses its meaning. Technology should not be divided by platform, and experience should never be compromised by device. No matter what system you use or what device you hold, AstroBox is committed to delivering a consistent, complete, and seamless experience.

We know that true cross-platform is never simply about "it runs." It means repeatedly refining details on every platform, so features are not reduced, interactions do not feel awkward, and habits can transfer. This path is not easy, but we are willing to walk it, so that wherever you are, whatever device you use, you can enjoy the same excellent AstroBox.

We will never charge for features that do not incur additional financial costs for us. In our view, such features belong to every user by right, and everyone should be able to use them freely, not be kept out by a paywall.

Of course, software development and maintenance require resources, and we sustain the project's long-term operation through in-app donation benefits and similar means — but rest assured, this will never come at the expense of the basic experience. What is yours will always be yours; what should be free will always be free. What we want is for every user to enjoy the convenience AstroBox brings without burden, not to turn basic access into a transaction.