Licenses Explained
Decision Factors
Which license you need depends on four factors, each explained further down this page.
- Subscription or perpetual: pay yearly, or pay once and use forever.
- License type: Basic, SaaS, OEM or Extended OEM, depending on where you use amCharts.
- Products: which products do you need?
- Number of developer seats: how many people will be working with amCharts at the same time?
Subscription or Perpetual?
Subscription
A subscription is paid yearly and renews automatically. You can cancel or resume it any time.
While it’s active, you get all upgrades, including new major versions. SaaS, OEM and Extended OEM subscriptions also include amPlus technical support at no extra cost. For Basic, support is available as a separate subscription.
If you cancel, whatever you’ve built keeps working, and you can keep distributing it. You just can’t change it or build anything new with amCharts.
Example: You add charts to a public website and finish it in 6 months, with no further changes planned. You can cancel the subscription, and the charts keep working.
Choose subscription if:
- You want a lower upfront cost.
- Your project is time-limited.
- You always want the latest version.
- You want ongoing technical support.
Perpetual License
A perpetual license is paid once and never expires.
It includes minor upgrades (e.g. 5.1 to 5.2) for life, and major upgrades (e.g. 5 to 6) released within the first year.
SaaS, OEM and Extended OEM perpetual licenses also include the first year of amPlus technical support. After that, renewing amPlus is optional: it keeps major upgrades and support coming. Without it, you can keep using and distributing what you have, indefinitely.
Choose perpetual license if:
- You want a one-time fee with no recurring license costs.
- You have a long-term project, or more projects coming.
License Type
There are four license types: Basic, SaaS, OEM and Extended OEM. Each one covers everything the previous one does, and more. If you’d rather not read on, skip to the comparison table or contact us.
All licenses
Every license covers unlimited users, websites, servers (including development and test) and products. There are no runtime, per-user or revenue-based fees.
Basic License
For public websites where users don’t log in.
Example: A corporate website showing the same charts to every visitor.
SaaS (Software as a Service) License
For websites and web apps that require login, plus everything Basic covers.
Examples: An online CRM tool. A company intranet.
OEM License
For redistributable apps, plus everything SaaS covers: mobile and desktop apps, web apps sold to and installed by your customers, and software bundled with hardware.
Examples: A mobile app sold in app stores. A BI app installed on clients’ servers. Management software for a hardware device.
Extended OEM License
Everything OEM covers, plus:
- Your group of companies: wholly owned subsidiaries, and affiliates where you’re the majority shareholder.
- White-label software: your software, sub-licensed to a third party who sells it as their own.
- Software development tools used to build other software, e.g. compilers and CMS.
Extended OEM isn’t sold in the store. Contact us for a quote.
Compare licenses
| Basic licenseUse in public websites, where users don't need to log in. | SaaS licenseUse in SaaS (Software as a Service) websites, where user logins are required for access. | OEM licenseUse in redistributable mobile, desktop, or web apps. | Extended OEM licenseExtend your OEM license to affiliates and 3rd party / whitelabel OEM products. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usage limits | ||||
| Users | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Pages / Instances | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Public websites (Do not require user login) |
Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| SaaS websites (Requires user login to access) |
- | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Redistributable apps (mobile, desktop, or web apps sold to or installed by customers) | - | - | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Physical servers | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Development, testing or staging servers / environments | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Subdomains | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Individual developers working with the library | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Support & Upgrades | ||||
| Months of amPlus subscription included with purchase | - | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Access to amCharts support staff | Available to purchase | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Included support hours | - | 12 (per seat) | 30 (per seat) | 90 (per seat) |
| Free minor version upgrades (e.g.: V5.1 > V5.2) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free major version upgrades (e.g.: V5 > V6) |
While subscription is active. | |||
| Includes previous versions (V4, V3) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other | ||||
| Removable amCharts branding | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Includes source code | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Upgradable to other license type (by paying the difference in retail price) |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extended Usage | ||||
| Use in software development tools | No | No | No | Yes |
| Can be used by purchaser and its affiliates | No | No | No | Yes |
| Use in 3rd party rebranded software | No | No | No | Yes |
Products
amCharts has four products, each licensed separately:
- Charts: all basic and advanced chart types, like XY, pie, radar and gauge. Product info.
- Maps: interactive geographical maps. Product info.
- Stock Chart: stock and other time-based data, with analytical tools. Product info.
- Gantt: project timelines and schedules. Product info.
Buy only the products your project uses. Maps, Stock Chart and Gantt are 20% off when bought together with Charts of the same license type.
Developer Seats
Licenses
All licenses are per developer seat, per product. You need as many seats as there are people writing code with amCharts at the same time.
Seats aren’t tied to named people. When a developer leaves, their seat passes to the next one.
Example: Three developers are building a SaaS tool with XY and pie charts. You need 3 seats of amCharts: Charts.
You can add seats any time, to both subscriptions and perpetual licenses.
Support
Support is per seat too: each seat is one person who can contact amCharts support. Licenses with included support (SaaS, OEM, Extended OEM) come with as many support seats as license seats.
Upgrades aren’t counted by seat: one active seat is enough to get new major versions.
Still not sure?
Still not sure which license to choose? Contact us.