Hyprland, the popular open-source Wayland compositor known for its sleek, highly customizable user experience, is introducing a paid subscription service called Hyprland Premium. For €5 per month (plus tax), subscribers gain access to exclusive perks, including:
- Future Premium Services – Potential additions like dotfile synchronization or other conveniences.
- Premium Forum Support – Direct Q&A with developers, private discussion channels, and priority assistance.
- Upcoming Desktop Experience Premium – Enhanced one-click dotfile customization (e.g., bar placement, keybindings) without altering Hyprland’s core features.
As you can imagine, the announcement initially sparked confusion, with some fearing Hyprland might abandon its FOSS roots. But as you can see from the above information, this isn’t about locking specific features behind a paywall or anything like that.
The lead developer is just trying to secure a bit of funding. As he explains in a Reddit post on the topic:
I need something to eat too. Once I end university, if I can’t make this my full-time job, I will have to severely decrease my contributions in favor of a real job. If this gets us somewhere, it will be only with benefits to you, the users. If I get enough money to hire another guy to help me work on Hyprland full time, I will.
So, crucially, Hyprland itself remains free and open-source—no paywalled features or closed-source forks are planned. The subscription is purely optional and designed for users who want extra support or customization while helping fund development.
To make it even clearer, the lead developer reassured users that the core project would stay unchanged—paid services are strictly add-ons, not fundamental features. The premium forums and desktop tools are conveniences, not necessities.
As for timing, the team admits the rollout is still in progress. Account registrations remain paused while they refine the system, and the official launch will come later. For now, Hyprland users can continue enjoying the compositor as always, with the added option to support its future.
