Terms of service

1. Acceptance

By accessing host.tools (the "Service"), you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, don't use the Service. The Service is operated by host.com, Inc. ("we", "us") with the support of checkhost.com.

2. Use of the Service

You may use the free tier (web tools and 100 API calls/hour) without registering. Pro and Enterprise tiers require a paid subscription and an API key. You are responsible for the inputs you submit and the actions you take based on results.

3. Acceptable use

See our Acceptable Use Policy. In short: don't use host.tools to attack, defraud, harass, surveil, scrape at scale, or violate the law.

4. Probing third-party systems

Our tools issue real network probes (DNS queries, HTTP requests, TCP connects, port scans, SMTP banners) to whatever target you supply. You represent that you have authorisation from the target's owner where required, and that your use complies with applicable computer-misuse laws (CFAA, Computer Misuse Act 1990, equivalents).

5. Subscriptions & billing

Pro and Enterprise plans are billed monthly or annually, in advance. Cancel anytime; access continues until the end of the paid period. Annual prepay is non-refundable except where required by law.

6. API limits

Free tier: 100 requests/hour, hard-capped per IP. Pro: 10,000/day, per API key. Enterprise: custom. Sustained abuse triggers throttling and, if necessary, account suspension.

7. Data & privacy

We log inputs and outputs only to the extent needed to operate the Service (rate-limit buckets, cache memoisation, abuse detection). See Privacy Policy for details.

8. Intellectual property

The host.tools brand, code, design, and aggregated dataset are owned by host.com, Inc. You retain rights to your inputs. Public WHOIS / DNS / RIR data is sourced from upstream providers under their respective terms.

9. Warranty disclaimer

The Service is provided "as is". We make commercially reasonable efforts to keep results accurate, but DNS, WHOIS, GeoIP and reputation data depend on upstream sources. Don't make compliance decisions based solely on host.tools output.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability for any claim relating to the Service is limited to the fees you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or USD 100 if you're on the free tier.

11. Termination

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, abuse the Service, or pose a security/legal risk. You may close your account anytime via contact.

12. Changes to these Terms

We'll post material changes here and notify Pro+ subscribers by email at least 14 days before they take effect.

13. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to conflicts-of-laws principles. Disputes are resolved in the state and federal courts of New Castle County, Delaware.

14. Contact

Questions: [email protected].