FAQ

About C5 #

Do I need to be a programmer? #

No. You ask for things in plain words. Being comfortable with a terminal helps for install and updates, but the app itself is a normal website in your browser.

Do I need internet? #

Only for a few things: installing, updating, activating, and using AI models hosted by other companies.

If you run models on your own computer, C5 works with no internet at all.

Does my data go to the cloud? #

No. Your prompts, files, and results stay on your computer, encrypted. See Privacy.

What does it cost to run? #

C5 itself is licensed software. On top of that you pay whichever AI provider you use, based on how much you use it. Running models locally costs nothing per use.

Set a budget on day one — see Budgets.

Can I use it on more than one computer? #

Yes. Install it on each and run growther activate on each. Your plan sets how many machines you can have active.

Using it #

How do I get better results? #

Say what "done" looks like, attach the files, and say what to avoid. See Chat for the habits that help most.

Why is it asking me before doing things? #

That is the permission system protecting you. You control how much it asks — see Permissions.

Can I stop it mid-task? #

Yes. Click Stop and it stops right away. Stop is a brake, not an undo — anything already done stays done: a file that was written is still written, an email that was sent is still sent. See Chat.

Where do my finished files go? #

The Library. Everything has a Download button.

Why is a task taking so long? #

Usually it split into many smaller pieces, or it is waiting on you. Open Productivity and click the task to see exactly where it is.

Models and money #

Which model should I use? #

Start with the defaults. When you want to tune it, see Choosing models.

Can I run models on my own machine? #

Yes. It costs nothing per use and nothing leaves your computer. See Model providers.

How do I keep costs down? #

Set a budget, use smaller models for simple work, be specific in your requests, and check your schedules — a frequent schedule is usually the biggest line on the bill.

Data and safety #

What if I lose my computer? #

Getting your work back depends on whether you kept a backup — see Backups and recovery.

Keeping it private is a separate question, and the honest answer is that C5's own encryption does not cover this case: your key file sits on the same drive as your data, so someone with the drive has both. Turn on full-disk encryption — FileVault on macOS, BitLocker on Windows, LUKS on Linux. That is the tool that protects a lost laptop. See Local encryption.

Can Growther.ai see my work? #

No — your prompts, files, and results never leave your computer. If you connect to Mothership, what is shared is limited to measurements, plus anything you have deliberately marked shareable — the full list is at Privacy. Never connect, and nothing leaves at all.

Can I get my data out? #

Yes, at any time, from Settings. It is yours.

What happens if I stop paying? #

Your data stays on your computer and you can still export it. You own it — that does not change.

C5 itself is licensed software, so an inactive license means the app stops running. Your work is not held hostage: export what you need from the Library, or from Settings, at any time.

How do I get a license? #

Get one from growther.ai. Then run growther activate on each computer to pair it — see Connecting.

Why does C5 check in with the license service? #

C5 holds a short-lived licence file and renews it quietly in the background, well before it runs out. It is a routine check-in, not a re-purchase, and you do not have to do anything.

Renewing is also how a change reaches you: buy more seats, add a feature, or extend your term, and it appears without reinstalling anything.

C5 needs internet just to stay licensed? #

Only briefly, and only now and then. The licence file lasts long enough to cover ordinary time offline — travel, a flaky connection, a laptop shut for a week. Nothing stops the moment you disconnect.

If a machine will be offline for a long stretch, or permanently, ask us about an air-gapped licence instead.

Does my license expire soon? It shows a date only a couple of weeks away #

It should not, and if you see one, tell us.

There are two different dates involved, and only one of them concerns you: when your access ends, which is the date the app and the admin console show. The other is an internal renewal deadline for the licence file itself, a couple of weeks out and refreshed continuously. You should never be shown that one.

Still stuck? #

Try Common issues, or Getting help.