FreeTSA

1.Public Service and Usage Limits

FreeTSA provides a publicly accessible timestamping service. To ensure fair access and protect the service from excessive load, a maximum of one timestamping request per second per IP address is permitted.

Applications requiring higher request rates or more predictable service capacity should consider a dedicated instance.

2.Availability and Service Limitations

FreeTSA is maintained with the intention of keeping the service available at all times. In the event of technical issues or service interruptions, reasonable efforts are made to restore normal operation as quickly as possible.

However, FreeTSA is provided on a best-effort basis, without any guarantee of availability, uptime, response times, or restoration times. No Service Level Agreement (SLA) is offered, and there is no commitment to restore the service within a specific timeframe.

Users should take these limitations into account when integrating FreeTSA into their applications and workflows.

3.Commercial Use and Attribution

Timestamps issued by FreeTSA may be used for commercial purposes. Projects and applications may incorporate FreeTSA timestamps without requiring a separate commercial licence from the service operator.

You are also welcome to mention or reference FreeTSA in your project documentation, website, or other materials. Attribution is appreciated but not required.

4.Donations and Project Status

FreeTSA is an independent project operated on a non-profit basis. It is not a company, partnership, or foundation, and it has no profit-making purpose.

Donations are entirely voluntary and help support the continued operation, maintenance, and development of the service. You may contribute any amount at any time using the PayPal donation button available on the FreeTSA website.

5.Dedicated Private Instances

Projects requiring greater service stability, higher request rates, or dedicated infrastructure can enquire about a private FreeTSA timestamping engine.

For a donation of €500, FreeTSA will arrange and configure a dedicated VPS reserved exclusively for the donor’s project for an initial period of one year.

The arrangement includes:

• Dedicated infrastructure: The VPS is procured and configured by FreeTSA and is reserved exclusively for the donor’s project.
• Hosting location: The instance is normally hosted in a trusted data centre selected by FreeTSA. Alternative hosting arrangements can be discussed based on the project’s specific requirements.
• Security and isolation: For security reasons, the VPS must remain under FreeTSA’s infrastructure and administration. It cannot be hosted within the donor’s own infrastructure, and the donor is not granted access to the server’s internal files. This separation helps protect the timestamping authority and its sensitive server-side data.
• Performance: The instance is designed to support approximately 100 timestamping requests per second, depending on the workload and operating conditions. Actual performance may vary.
• System-level customisation: The initial contribution includes agreed system-level configuration, such as firewall rules, SSL/TLS certificates, and service port selection.
• Renewal: The dedicated instance is provided for one year. Continued operation beyond the initial term requires a further €500 donation for each additional year, subject to renewal arrangements.
• Multiple instances: Additional dedicated instances can be arranged for projects requiring separate environments or additional capacity.

Dedicated instances offer greater control over capacity and deployment configuration than the public service. However, they are provided on a best-effort basis, without a formal SLA or guarantees of uninterrupted availability.

If your project requires a dedicated instance, higher request rates, or a customised deployment, please get in touch to discuss your requirements and the available options.

6.Contact

For enquiries about dedicated instances, hosting arrangements, or other project-related matters, please contact FreeTSA using the contact details provided below.