# How does ThinLinc licensing work?

**URL:** <https://community.thinlinc.com/t/how-does-thinlinc-licensing-work/328>\
**Category:** Knowledge Base\
**Tags:** licensing, thinlinc\
**Created:** [9 March 2022 05:34 UTC](https://community.thinlinc.com/t/how-does-thinlinc-licensing-work/328 "2022-03-09T05:34:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aaron](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/community.thinlinc.com/aaron/32/13_2.png) [@aaron](https://community.thinlinc.com/u/aaron)\
**Post date:** [9 March 2022 05:34 UTC](https://community.thinlinc.com/t/how-does-thinlinc-licensing-work/328/1 "2022-03-09T05:34:02Z")

</div>

Unlike some solutions which are licensed per CPU or individual named user, ThinLinc is licensed per _concurrent user._ This means that you only need licenses to cover the maximum number of users you expect to be using the system _at the same time_.

> **Why concurent users?**
>
> _Our main goal here is to ensure continuity of service. Licensing requirements should not change because of hardware upgrades, or personell changes. To further ensure continuity, our licenses have “soft” and “hard” limits. If you have licenses for 100 concurrent users, and a 101st user tries to log on, ThinLinc will not prevent them from creating a session. An email will however be sent to the system administrator notifying them that their allowed usage has been exceeded, and that additional licenses will need to be purchased. Once the “hard” limit is reached, no more sessions will be able to be created._

ThinLinc licenses are purchased as part of a _subscription agreement_. Customers are entitled to email-based support and product upgrades for the duration of the agreement, which can range from 12 to 36 months at a time. The licenses provided with the subscription allow the specified number of users to access the ThinLinc system simultaneously.

ThinLinc licenses are issued for a specific version of ThinLinc. These licenses will work with older versions of ThinLinc too, but not newer versions. If you want to upgrade to a newer version of ThinLinc, you will need to request new licenses. In order to receive the new licenses, you will need to have a valid subscription agreement. You will also need a valid subscription agreement to receive email-based support.

ThinLinc licenses are perpetual, which means that they will never stop working for the version of ThinLinc for which they were issued. However, note that from 4.19.0 it is a legal requirement to have a valid (i.e. current) subscription agreement in order to continue using ThinLinc. From 4.21.0, users logging in to a system with licenses issued under an expired agreement will be reminded of this.

> **Why perpetual licenses?**
>
> _Perpetual licenses are another way in which we work to ensure continuity of service. If your subscription expires, you will lose access to support and upgrades, but users can still access their sessions. ThinLinc does not use a license server, and does not require contact with any external system in order for the licenses to be valid._

ThinLinc is free and unrestricted for up to 10\[1\] concurrent users, and can be downloaded here:

> **[ThinLinc downloads | ThinLinc by Cendio](https://www.cendio.com/thinlinc/download/)**
>
> Download ThinLinc's client and server, the turn-key Linux terminal server built on open-source technology. Ideal for companies of all sizes.

We also offer temporary licenses and support agreements free of charge, to those who want to do a longer term proof-of-concept evaluation. If you are interested in this, please contact [sales@cendio.com](mailto:sales@cendio.com).

* * *

_For more information on pricing and subscription types, see [Buy/pricing | ThinLinc by Cendio](https://www.cendio.com/thinlinc/buy)_.

_For more information about license usage and placement, see [License handling — ThinLinc Administrator's Guide](https://www.cendio.com/resources/docs/tag/licensehandling.html)_

_For more information on support, and currently supported ThinLinc versions, see [Support | ThinLinc by Cendio](https://www.cendio.com/thinlinc/support)_.

* * *

1. Note that from ThinLinc 4.19.0, the server bundle ships with 3 free licenses. Running up to 10 concurrent users requires the use of _Community Licenses_, which can be downloaded [here](https://www.cendio.com/thinlinc/buy-pricing/free-usage/).