Exponential is free, but making it is not: releases, security fixes, PHP upgrades, documentation, translations and the community websites all take paid hours. The website's Give Support page names the ways to fund that work. This page explains each one, says which organization the money goes to, and connects it with the sponsor and supporter sections of this help.
Two organizations, one project
The project is developed by 7x, a company, and operated by the Exponential Foundation, a nonprofit. Each has its own GitHub Sponsors page:
| 7x | Exponential Foundation | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Sponsors | https://github.com/sponsors/se7enxweb | https://github.com/sponsors/exponentialcms |
| Funds | The people who do the daily development and maintenance now | The open source project as such: documentation, community, long-term care |
The full comparison, with sources, is on Two organizations, two sponsor pages.
The ways to give on the website
The Give Support page lists five, read in October 2026:
| On the website | What it is | Where the link goes |
|---|---|---|
| Become an Exponential Partner | Join the network of official partners: companies that build, host or sell around Exponential and support the project in return | the partner application, https://exponential.earth/partner/apply |
| Donate to the Exponential Project | A donation through a GitHub Sponsors subscription | 7x's sponsor page, https://sponsor.se7enx.com/ |
| Sustaining Support Subscription ("Become a GameChanger") | A monthly sponsorship that keeps the work going | 7x on GitHub Sponsors, https://github.com/sponsors/se7enxweb |
| Sponsor Development of New Software | Pay 7x to build new software for a need you have | https://sponsor.se7enx.com/ |
| GitHub Sponsors for 7x | Sponsor 7x directly on GitHub | https://github.com/sponsors/se7enxweb |
Note
Every donation link on the Give Support page goes to 7x. The Foundation's own sponsor page, https://github.com/sponsors/exponentialcms, is linked from the website's community page ("Sponsor the Exponential Foundation") and from the Foundation's website. Choose the organization whose mission you want to fund, or split your gift between both.
The website's footer also links PayPal donations. Other channels, and a warning about requests for money through channels you cannot verify, are on Other ways to give.
Which one to choose
| You are | Consider |
|---|---|
| A user whose site runs on Exponential | A small monthly sponsorship, to 7x or the Foundation |
| A company that earns money with Exponential | A larger sustaining sponsorship (Sponsoring as a company), or becoming a partner |
| A company that needs a feature | Sponsored development from 7x, and the result can come back to everyone |
| An agency, host or trainer | The partner program (Partners: start here) |
| Someone who wants a possible tax deduction in the United States | The Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; ask your own tax adviser |
Why it matters
The website's Project page says the project is funded by donations of time and resources by 7x and its sponsors. The build page puts it simply: if Exponential saves you time, helps you ship a project or earns you revenue, consider giving back. What the money pays for is described on What sponsorship funds; the recognition sponsors receive is on Sponsor recognition.
Giving without money
Not everyone can give money, and the website's FAQ says so too. Code, translations, documentation, testing, accessibility advice and answers in the forums are all gifts to the project: Contribute to the project, Ways to support Exponential.
Related pages
- Sponsors: start here
- Supporters: start here
- Who is the Exponential Foundation? and Who is 7x?
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
Become an Exponential Partner. Partners share their information, provide funding, contribute back and develop the products with us, and that is how Exponential grows. A partner website and dashboard are planned for mid-2027: please become a partner today to speed up our growth rate and land new features faster. Start with Partners: start here and How to apply.