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Installing Agon

This guide walks you through downloading and installing the Agon desktop application on your computer. Once installed, you'll complete the setup wizard to configure your studio.

System requirements​

Agon desktop ships for macOS and Windows only — there is no Linux build.

Minimum
macOSmacOS 12 Monterey or later
WindowsWindows 10 (64-bit) or later
RAM4 GB
Disk space500 MB for the app; extra space for your database and backups
Internet connectionRequired for initial setup and for clients to connect remotely

Step 1: Download Agon​

Go to agon-studio.dev and download the installer for your operating system:

  • macOS: download the .dmg file
  • Windows: download the .exe installer

Step 2: Install the application​

On macOS:

  1. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
  2. Drag the Agon icon into your Applications folder.
  3. Open Agon from Applications. If macOS says the app cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.

On Windows:

  1. Run the downloaded .exe installer.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. Agon will be added to your Start menu and desktop.

Step 3: First launch​

When you open Agon for the first time, the setup wizard starts automatically.

The wizard walks you through three steps:

  1. Enter your studio name, timezone, and your manager account details
  2. Optionally connect Stripe for online payments
  3. Finish — see your studio's QR code and save your one-time recovery code

See Onboarding Wizard for a complete guide to each step.

What happens in the background​

When Agon starts, it automatically:

  • Starts a local server on port 8000 on your computer
  • Establishes a secure Cloudflare Tunnel so clients can connect from anywhere
  • Opens and manages your local database (your data stays on your machine)

You do not need to configure any of this manually.

Updating Agon​

Agon keeps itself up to date automatically — in the common case, there is nothing for you to do.

Here's what happens:

  • Agon checks in the background, roughly every twenty minutes, whether a new version is ready for your studio.
  • New versions roll out gradually, studio by studio, rather than to every studio at once. This means a release can reach other studios before it reaches yours — that's expected, and it's exactly what lets a problem be caught early, before it reaches you.
  • Once your studio is included, Agon downloads the update in the background without interrupting your work.
  • Before installing anything, Agon automatically backs up your database — the same backup it takes every night on its own. Your classes, clients, bookings, and settings are never at risk.
  • The update is then installed automatically, but only during a quiet window outside roughly 7:00 AM–9:00 PM local time, so it never happens in the middle of a class or a shift. Agon reopens on its own afterward, right where you left off.

This fully automatic flow is rolling out gradually and depends on Agon's installers being digitally signed, which is planned but not yet in place for every release. Until it reaches your installation, you'll still see the update banner below, which asks you to confirm before installing:

  • Windows: when an update is available, a banner appears in the app. Click Install Update to download and apply it — the app restarts and resumes where you left off.
  • macOS: when an update is available, a banner appears with a Download button that opens the download page in your browser. Download the new version and install it the same way you installed Agon the first time.

As automatic updates roll out to every studio, this manual step will no longer be necessary.

What if something goes wrong?​

Can I delay or skip an automatic update? No — once your studio is included in a release, Agon installs it automatically at the next quiet overnight window, and there's no setting to pause or postpone it. This is by design, not an oversight: every studio stays on a current, supported version, and the safeguards built around it — a gradual rollout, an automatic backup immediately beforehand, and an install window chosen to avoid business hours — mean an update should never put your data at risk or interrupt a class.

Will an update ever delete my data? No. Agon backs up your full database immediately before installing any update, in addition to its regular nightly backup. See Backup and recovery for where backups are stored and how to restore one.

The installer fails or the app won't open Make sure your operating system meets the minimum requirements. On macOS, check System Settings → Privacy & Security for a blocked app message. On Windows, try running the installer as Administrator.

Port 8000 is already in use Agon uses port 8000 for its local server. If another application on your computer is using this port, Agon will show an error on startup. Close the other application and try again.

The setup wizard doesn't appear on first launch If Agon was previously installed on the same machine, the wizard may not appear because setup was already completed. Reinstall Agon fresh to start over.