TERMS OF SERVICE

Effective Date: June 26, 2026

Last Updated: June 26, 2026

1. Agreement to Terms

By downloading, installing, or using the Austere mobile application ("App"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the App.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Austere ("we," "our," or "us").

2. Description of Service

Austere is an AI-powered life coaching application that provides:

  • Personalized AI coaching sessions

  • Daily accountability check-ins

  • Guided journaling with AI feedback

  • Goal setting and progress tracking

  • Weekly performance reviews

Austere is designed to support personal development and accountability. It is not a medical, psychological, or therapeutic service.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to use Austere. By using the App you represent and warrant that:

  • You are at least 16 years of age

  • You have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms

  • You will use the App in compliance with these Terms and all applicable laws

4. Account Registration

To use Austere you must create an account by providing:

  • A valid email address

  • A secure password

You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials

  • All activity that occurs under your account

  • Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access at support@austereapp.com

We reserve the right to terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

5. Subscriptions and Payments

5.1 Subscription Plans

Austere offers the following paid subscription plans:

  • Monthly subscription: $9.99 per month

  • Annual subscription: $69.99 per year

Web-based subscriptions may be available at different pricing through austereapp.com.

5.2 Billing

  • Subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring basis

  • In-app subscriptions are processed by Apple and governed by Apple's payment terms

  • Web subscriptions are processed by Stripe

5.3 Auto-Renewal

Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in:

  • iPhone Settings → Your Name → Subscriptions (for App Store subscriptions)

  • austereapp.com/account (for web subscriptions)

5.4 Refunds

  • In-app purchase refunds are handled by Apple in accordance with their refund policy

  • Web subscription refund requests can be submitted to support@austereapp.com within 7 days of purchase

  • We reserve the right to approve or deny refund requests at our discretion

5.5 Price Changes

We reserve the right to change subscription pricing. We will provide at least 30 days notice of any price changes via email or in-app notification.

6. Free Trial

If we offer a free trial period:

  • The trial begins on the date you start the trial

  • You will be charged the applicable subscription fee at the end of the trial unless you cancel before the trial ends

  • Only one free trial per user per account

7. AI Coaching Disclaimer

7.1 Not a Medical or Mental Health Service

Austere provides AI-generated coaching content for personal development purposes only. Austere is NOT:

  • A licensed therapist, psychologist, or counselor

  • A medical service or healthcare provider

  • A crisis intervention service

  • A substitute for professional mental health treatment

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, thoughts of self-harm, or a medical emergency, please contact:

  • Emergency services: 911

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

7.2 AI Limitations

Our AI coach is powered by large language model technology. You acknowledge that:

  • AI responses may sometimes be inaccurate, incomplete, or inappropriate

  • The AI coach does not have memory between sessions unless context is explicitly provided

  • AI coaching is not a replacement for human judgment, professional advice, or real human connection

  • We do not guarantee any specific outcomes or results from using Austere

7.3 No Guarantee of Results

Personal development requires consistent effort and commitment. We make no guarantee that using Austere will result in any specific improvements to your health, finances, relationships, career, or any other area of your life.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use Austere to:

  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations

  • Harass, abuse, or harm others

  • Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information

  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems

  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the App

  • Use the App for any commercial purpose without our written consent

  • Share your account with others

  • Create multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions

  • Submit content that is illegal, obscene, or harmful

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account for any violation of these terms without notice or refund.

9. User Content

9.1 Your Content

You retain ownership of all content you submit to Austere including journal entries, check-in responses, and messages to your coach.

9.2 License to Us

By submitting content you grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to use your content solely to:

  • Provide the Austere coaching service to you

  • Generate AI responses personalized to your situation

  • Improve our AI models in an anonymized, aggregated form

We will never sell your personal content or use it for advertising.

9.3 Content Responsibility

You are solely responsible for the content you submit. We are not responsible for any content you choose to share within the App.

10. Intellectual Property

10.1 Our Property

The Austere App, including its design, code, features, branding, and content, is owned by us and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without our written permission.

10.2 Feedback

If you submit feedback or suggestions about Austere we may use them without any obligation to compensate you.

11. Privacy

Your use of Austere is also governed by our Privacy Policy available at austereapp.com/privacy. By using the App you consent to our collection and use of data as described in the Privacy Policy.

12. Third Party Services

Austere integrates with third party services including:

  • Anthropic (AI processing)

  • Supabase (data storage)

  • RevenueCat (subscription management)

  • Apple (payment processing)

  • Stripe (web payment processing)

Your use of these services is governed by their respective terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the practices of these third party providers.

13. Disclaimers

THE APP IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT:

  • THE APP WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE

  • DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED

  • THE APP OR SERVERS ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR HARMFUL COMPONENTS

  • THE RESULTS OF USING THE APP WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

  • Loss of profits or revenue

  • Loss of data

  • Loss of goodwill

  • Personal injury

  • Property damage

ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF AUSTERE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE APP SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

15. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Austere and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses including legal fees arising from:

  • Your use of the App

  • Your violation of these Terms

  • Your violation of any third party rights

  • Any content you submit to the App

16. Termination

16.1 By You

You may terminate your account at any time by:

Termination does not entitle you to a refund of any prepaid subscription fees.

16.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your account immediately without notice if you:

  • Violate these Terms

  • Engage in fraudulent or abusive behavior

  • Fail to pay subscription fees

Upon termination your right to use the App ceases immediately.

17. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be resolved in the courts of Maricopa County, Arizona.

18. Dispute Resolution

Before filing any legal claim you agree to attempt to resolve any dispute informally by contacting us at support@austereapp.com. We will attempt to resolve the dispute within 30 days.

If informal resolution fails any dispute shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the American Arbitration Association rules rather than in court, except that either party may bring claims in small claims court.

19. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by:

  • Sending an email to your registered address

  • Displaying a notice in the App

Continued use of Austere after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms you must stop using the App.

20. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

21. Entire Agreement

These Terms together with our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Austere regarding your use of the App and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

22. Contact Us

For any questions about these Terms of Service:

Email: support@austereapp.com

Website: austereapp.com/terms