Licensing FAQ¶
This page answers common questions about how SarabFX licenses work. For the step-by-step activation process, see Activation.
What kind of license is a SarabFX license?¶
A SarabFX license is a perpetual license with one year of updates. You permanently own the major version you purchased and all of its minor updates — that never expires. On top of that, your purchase includes 12 months of updates, and if a new major version ships during that year you get it too (subscription-style) until your year is up. The next questions cover exactly how that works.
How long do I get updates?¶
Your purchase includes 12 months of updates from the purchase date:
- Throughout those 12 months you receive every update released — all minor updates and any new major version that ships during the year. In that period it behaves like an active subscription.
- Separately, you permanently own the major version you bought and its minor updates. This is your perpetual fallback — it keeps working forever, with no time limit.
When your 12 months end:
- If a new major version was released during your year, renew to keep using it (and to keep receiving updates for another year).
- If you don't renew, you fall back to the major version you originally purchased and lose access to the newer major version. You never lose what you paid for — the major version you bought is yours forever.
Example
You buy while v3 is current, so you permanently own v3 and its minor updates (3.1, 3.2, …). If v4 ships eight months into your year, you get v4 for the rest of your 12 months. When the year ends: renew to keep v4, or don't renew and keep running your perpetual v3 — yours forever.
What is a "seat"?¶
A seat is one activated machine. Each license includes a set number of seats. Activating SarabFX on a computer consumes one seat for that machine. Re-activating on the same machine does not use another seat.
Can I move my license to another computer?¶
Yes. Deactivate the machine you no longer want to use — this returns the seat to your license — then activate on the new machine. See Deactivate a machine.
Do I have to be online to use SarabFX?¶
Only for the initial activation and for periodic background license refreshes. After activation, SarabFX stores a signed local license and checks in with the server about twice a day (in the background, off the render thread). You can keep working offline for a few days at a time.
What happens if I go offline for a long time?¶
SarabFX keeps rendering while offline for a limited window, but it needs to reach the license server at least once every ~3 days. If it can't check in within that window, the effect's output stops being usable until you reconnect — reconnecting refreshes the license and restores normal rendering. A revoked license takes effect immediately, without a grace period.
Does one activation cover all the plugins?¶
Yes. A single activation on a machine unlocks every SarabFX plugin your license covers — you do not activate plugins individually.
What happens when my update year ends?¶
Nothing you own stops working. You keep your perpetual major version (and its minor updates) forever. If you gained a newer major version during your update year, keeping it requires a renewal; without renewing you fall back to the major version you purchased. Renew or upgrade anytime from your account on sarabfx.com.
Where can I see my license and machines?¶
Sign in to your account on sarabfx.com to view your license key, seat usage, and activated machines.
Have a licensing question that isn't answered here? Contact us via the Support page.