Comparison
Licensr vs. the alternatives
All of them can check a license key. The difference is everything around it: who owns the payment, what happens after the sale, and how much you build yourself.
Licensr vs. LicenseSeat
Both handle license key validation. The difference is everything around it: who owns the payment, what happens after the sale, and how much you build yourself.
Full-stack licensing platform
Best for plugin makers who want payment processing, a hosted storefront, subscription management, and license enforcement in one product, without stitching together three services.
- Stripe Connect, 0% rev share
- Hosted buy page included
- Full subscription lifecycle
- Domain-mode + anti-extraction guard
- Official JS/TS, C++, and C# SDKs with offline JWT verify on JS and C#
- Multi-tenant, roles, onboarding wizard
SDK-first licensing API
Best for developers who already have a payment flow (Gumroad, Paddle, Stripe) and need a dedicated license server with native SDKs for Unity, Unreal, Swift, C++, and more.
- Native Swift + Rust SDKs (plus C#, C++, JS)
- Floating / concurrent licenses
- Named per-key entitlement API
- Built-in telemetry (MAU, DAU)
Payment processing included
Licensr connects your own payment account so it collects revenue directly. LicenseSeat is license-only: you plug in Gumroad, Paddle, or your own Stripe separately.
Revenue share
We charge a flat platform subscription. LicenseSeat also charges a flat fee, but your payment flow is separate.
Hosted buy page (branded storefront)
Licensr generates /buy/your-slug out of the box. LicenseSeat expects you to build your own checkout UI.
Subscription lifecycle (renewal, dunning, cancellation)
Stripe webhooks, grace periods, and license state machine are all handled for you.
Customer self-serve portal
Branded sign-in page and portal with your logo and colours. Customers can view licenses, manage seats, and access Stripe billing portal. Magic-link sign-in, no password required.
Custom transactional emails
Visual email template editor for receipts, license delivery, renewal notices, and expiry warnings.
License key validation API
Seat / node-locked activation
Domain-mode activation
Bind licenses to a domain instead of a machine. Essential for WordPress, browser, and SaaS plugins.
Domain-origin guard (anti-extraction)
Even if someone extracts your API key + license key, they cannot use it on an unauthorized domain.
Floating / concurrent licenses
LicenseSeat supports heartbeat-based check-in/check-out. We use node-locked seats.
Trial licenses (automated end-customer trial)
LicenseSeat has a first-class trial flow. We support time-limited keys via expiry dates, but there's no self-serve trial button on the buy page yet.
Feature-based entitlements
Plans can carry an arbitrary feature_flags JSON object, returned on every validate/activate/token call, to gate plan-specific functionality. LicenseSeat's SDK exposes a dedicated CheckEntitlement("key") call with named entitlements and per-entitlement expiry, which is more granular, at the cost of extra API surface.
Offline activation
Both support air-gapped / offline validation. Licensr issues short-lived EdDSA-signed JWT tokens you verify locally against a per-plugin JWKS. No SDK required. LicenseSeat checks out an Ed25519-signed, AES-256-GCM-encrypted "machine file" and caches it for a configurable max_offline_days.
REST API
Native SDKs
Official SDKs for JavaScript/TypeScript (npm), C++ (CMake git), and C# (NuGet + Unity UPM). JS and C# verify offline JWTs locally; C++ mints and stores the token today. LicenseSeat additionally ships Swift and Rust SDKs.
In-dashboard integration walkthrough
Step-by-step interactive guide inside the admin panel showing your real API keys and plugin slug.
Public developer docs
Webhook events + replay
We log every inbound Stripe webhook with full payload, status, and a replay button. LicenseSeat supports outbound webhooks.
Multi-tenant (multiple independent teams)
Each tenant gets its own isolated Stripe account, products, licenses, and users. Purpose-built for agencies or plugin studios with multiple brands.
Roles & permissions (admin / member)
Setup wizard / guided onboarding
Usage analytics (MAU, DAU, geo)
LicenseSeat's SDK captures telemetry automatically. We track last-seen and activation counts.
Public pricing page
Both platforms publish transparent, public pricing. LicenseSeat lists Hobby (free), Indie ($9/mo), and Starter ($29/mo) plans openly on their site.
Free tier
Both offer a free plan to get started without a credit card.
Payments, storefront, and licensing, all in one.
Free tier, no credit card required. From signup to a live buy page in 15 minutes.