Terms of Service

Effective: March 24, 2026

These terms govern your use of Aelu (the "Service"), a web-based Chinese learning application operated by Aelu ("we," "us," "the developer"). By using Aelu, you agree to these terms. They are written in plain language because you should be able to understand the agreement you are entering.

1. What the Service Is

Aelu is an adaptive Chinese learning application that provides spaced repetition drills, graded reading, listening practice, speaking drills with tone grading, and per-skill diagnostics. It is a web app that runs in your browser on desktop and mobile devices. It is a tool for studying Chinese -- not a replacement for a teacher, tutor, or language partner.

2. Free and Paid Tiers

Aelu offers two tiers:

• Free: HSK 1-2 content, all 44 drill types, graded reading, listening practice, and basic progress tracking. No time limit. No credit card required.
• Full Access (paid monthly): Everything in Free, plus HSK 3-9 content, full diagnostics, adaptive day profiles, context notes, media shelf, and encounter-aware cleanup loop.

The free tier is not a trial. It is a permanent tier with full functionality for HSK 1-2 content.

3. Account Responsibilities

If you create an account, you are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure. You are responsible for all activity under your account. If you believe your account has been compromised, email hello@aeluapp.com immediately.

You must be at least 13 years old to use Aelu. The service is designed for adults and we do not knowingly collect data from children under 13.

4. Payment and Billing

Payments for the Full Access tier are processed through Stripe. We do not store your credit card details -- Stripe handles all payment data securely. You can pay with major credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay where available.

Full Access is billed monthly. Your subscription renews automatically each month until you cancel. The current price is listed on the pricing page and may change. We will notify subscribers of price changes.

5. Cancellation and Refunds

You can cancel your Full Access subscription at any time from your account settings. When you cancel:

• You retain Full Access through the end of your current billing period.
• After that, you revert to the free tier.
• Your data and progress are never deleted. Everything stays exactly as it is.
• If you re-subscribe later, your progress picks up where you left off.

30-day refund policy: If you are not satisfied within the first 30 days of a paid subscription, email hello@aeluapp.com and we will refund your payment in full. No forms, no retention offers, no hoops.

6. Data and Privacy

Your learning data (study history, drill scores, progress) is stored on our servers.

For full details on what we collect and how we handle it, see our Privacy Policy.

7. Acceptable Use

Use Aelu for learning Chinese. Do not:

• Attempt to access other users' accounts or data.
• Reverse-engineer, scrape, or redistribute the app's content, curriculum, or source code.
• Use automated tools to interact with the service in a way that degrades it for others.
• Use the service for any unlawful purpose.

If you violate these terms, we may suspend or terminate your account. We will try to reach out first if the violation seems unintentional.

8. Intellectual Property

Our content: The curriculum, drill content, graded reading passages, context notes, and all other educational content in Aelu are the intellectual property of the developer. You may not copy, redistribute, or resell this content.

AI-generated content: Some educational content in Aelu -- including drill sentences, example passages, and error explanations -- is generated by open-source language models running locally on our infrastructure. All generated content passes through automated validation and human review before it reaches learners. We use this approach to create natural, context-rich practice material at scale. No user data is sent to external AI services.

9. Limitation of Liability

Aelu is a language learning tool. It is provided "as is." We work hard to keep it accurate, available, and useful, but we cannot guarantee:

• That the service will be available 100% of the time.
• That all content is free of errors (though we fix errors as soon as we find them).
• That using the app will result in any specific learning outcome or HSK score.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the developer's total liability for any claim related to the service is limited to the amount you paid for the service in the 12 months preceding the claim, or $144, whichever is less. This is an independent project, not a corporation with a legal department.

10. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page. Continued use of Aelu after changes constitutes acceptance.

11. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the United States. Any disputes will be resolved through good-faith communication first. If that does not work, disputes will be handled through binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, unless you are in a jurisdiction that gives you the right to bring claims in court -- in which case, that right is preserved.

12. Contact

Questions about these terms? Email hello@aeluapp.com. Every email gets read and we will respond within a few business days.