Software licensing
cost calculator
Building a license server takes more than the first round of development. Compare that work, hosting and maintenance with the cost of integrating a hosted licensing service.
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Enter your costs
The numbers below are examples. Replace them with your own costs, then calculate the result.
How we compare build vs buy
- In-house initial cost = development hours × engineering hourly rate.
- In-house monthly cost = maintenance hours × engineering rate + hosting and other monthly costs.
- Hosted initial cost = integration hours × engineering hourly rate.
- Hosted monthly cost = service fee + maintenance hours × engineering rate.
- Total cost = initial cost + monthly cost × comparison months. Cost difference = in-house total − hosted total.
Worked example
At £50 an hour over 24 months, the example in-house server costs £9,400. The hosted option costs £2,472, including integration and maintenance time. The difference is £6,928. Change the hours and fees to suit your project.
What to include in your costs
This covers development, integration, hosting and maintenance. Both options still need license checks in your application. Compare their features as well as the cost. The estimate leaves out tax, financing and unexpected work, and assumes monthly costs stay the same.
Check the details behind your estimate
Use these references to check the costs, features and work involved before choosing a setup.
License validation API documentation
Read the validation request and response before estimating the work to add license checks.
Read more PricingCurrent BillingServ pricing
Use the current plan price when entering the monthly cost of the hosted service.
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Browse the guidesFrequently asked questions
What does it cost to build a license server?
Count the initial development hours, hosting bills and ongoing maintenance. Include testing, security updates and changes to your application. The calculator uses your hourly rate and estimates to put a total on that work.
Does a hosted licensing service remove all the development work?
You still need to integrate license checks into your application and decide what happens when a check fails. Include that work, testing and future updates in the hosted option.
What should I compare besides cost?
Check activation limits, reissues, revocation, offline behaviour and how licenses connect to billing. Try the validation API in your application before choosing a service.
Is this for buying software licenses for my team?
This tool is for developers licensing their own software. It compares a license server you build with a hosted licensing service. It does not calculate per-seat prices for other software.
See how hosted licensing works
Read how activation and validation work, then compare the service with the checks your application needs. Use the current pricing page when entering the monthly fee.