License, Free vs Pro & Device Activation
Activate Server Compass on your devices, understand the Free vs Pro limits, and pick a device tier. Server Compass is a perpetual license, not a subscription.
The License page
Open License from the sidebar ("Manage your ServerCompass license, activate devices, and compare Free vs Pro"). It shows your current status, device activation, the device tiers, and a full Free vs Pro feature matrix.
Activate a device
On Free, you see Activate your license with a License key field and the buttons Activate license and Purchase license. Once activated, the page switches to Current license with read-only details: Registered email, Customer name, Variant, Device limit (shown as a number of devices or Unlimited), Devices in use, Updates until, Activated on, Last verified, Instance name, and License status. Two actions are always available: Validate license re-checks with the server, and Deactivate this device frees a slot. Each license activates on a fixed number of machines, so device counts are read-only — "Need more devices? Purchase a higher device tier below."
Device tiers
Pro is sold in three device tiers — 1 device, 3 devices, and 5 devices. Every tier is a Perpetual license · 12 months of updates · No subscription, and you can renew for another year of updates later. Prices are shown live on the License page and the pricing section — check there rather than assuming.
Free vs Pro at a glance
The feature matrix compares the real limits:
- Connected servers — Free 1 server, Pro Unlimited
- Deployments — Free 1 deployment, Pro Unlimited
- Custom domains — Free 1 domain, Pro Unlimited
- Scheduled cron jobs — Free 5 cron jobs, Pro Unlimited
- Auto Deploy on git push — Pro only
- Managed database provisioning — Pro
- Command history retained — Free 20 commands, Pro Unlimited
- Client portal links — Free 1 read-only, 7-day; Pro Unlimited with full control
- Software updates — Free always latest; Pro 1 year, renewable
- Support — Free Community; Pro Email support
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Server Compass a subscription?
No. It is a perpetual license — you pay once and keep using the version you have. Each purchase includes 12 months of software updates, which you can renew for another year later.
How many devices does a license cover?
Licenses come in tiers of 1, 3, or 5 devices. Device counts are fixed per license; to run on more machines, purchase a higher device tier.
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