Keygate vs Cryptlex: an open source alternative
A managed licensing platform with native SDKs, compared with an open source license server you run yourself.
Cryptlex is a mature cloud platform with native SDKs for many languages, priced by active activations, with a self hosted edition on its Enterprise plan. Keygate is open source and free to self host, with Stripe checkout, a customer portal and update feeds included. It has no native SDK: apps call a small REST API and check signed tokens offline.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Keygate | Cryptlex |
|---|---|---|
| Source code | ✓Open source (AGPL) | ✕Client libraries only |
| Self hosting | ✓ | ✓Enterprise plan |
| Free self hosted edition | ✓Every feature included | ✕ |
| Floating licenses | ✓ | ✓Hosted, or LexFloatServer on premise |
| Offline verification | ✓Ed25519 signed tokens | ✓ |
| Usage metering | ✓ | ✓Meter attributes |
| Built in payments | ✓Stripe checkout and renewals | ~Stripe, Paddle, FastSpring via an integration script |
| Customer portal | ✓ | ✓Growth plan and up |
| Update distribution | ✓Sparkle, Velopack, Tauri feeds | ✓ |
| Official client SDKs | ✕REST API, with code for Electron, Tauri, .NET, Python, Swift | ✓LexActivator for about a dozen languages |
| Webhooks | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audit logs | ✓ | ✓Business plan and up |
Checked October 2026 against Cryptlex's public documentation and pricing. Plans and prices change, so check Cryptlex's site for current details. Spot a mistake? Open an issue.
What sets Keygate apart
Free to self host, with every feature
Keygate is open source. The version you run yourself has every feature, with no paid edition and no limits on products, licenses or activations.
Payments without glue code
Connect Stripe and checkouts create licenses, renewals extend them, and failed payments, cancellations and refunds update them. There is no webhook handler for you to write.
Licensing and updates in one place
Store signed releases in S3 compatible storage and serve update feeds for Sparkle, Velopack and Tauri, limited to customers whose license covers the update.
When Cryptlex is the better choice
- You want native libraries for C++, mobile or other platforms instead of calling an API yourself.
- You need built in protection such as virtual machine detection and checks against clock tampering.
- You would rather not run a server at all, or you sell through resellers and need a reseller portal.
Pricing
Cryptlex is priced by active activations, from $100 per month for 1,000 up to $600 for 10,000, with custom Enterprise plans.
Keygate is free to self host. You pay for the server it runs on, with no fees per license, activation or user.
Moving from Cryptlex
Most of what you set up in Cryptlex has a direct counterpart in Keygate:
| In Cryptlex | In Keygate |
|---|---|
| Product | Product |
| License Template | Plan |
| License | License |
| Activation | Activation, one per device |
| Feature Entitlements | Features on the plan |
| Meter Attributes | Usage limits per feature |
| Users and Organizations | Customer email, plus team seats |
| Hosted floating and LexFloatServer | Floating plan on your Keygate server |
| Offline activation with request and response files | Signed token after one online activation. No activation by file |
| Releases | Releases with Sparkle, Velopack and Tauri feeds |
| LexActivator: ActivateLicense(), IsLicenseGenuine() | activate and verify, then the signed token checked locally |
Getting your data out
Download every license and user as CSV through the Cryptlex Web API with a personal access token: GET /v3/licenses/export and /v3/users/export.
Turn the export into a CSV with each customer's email, plan, end date and ID, then import it with the script in the migration guide. Customers receive new Keygate keys, so keep Cryptlex running until most of them have moved. Read the migration guide →
Frequently asked questions
- Does Keygate have SDKs like Cryptlex's LexActivator?
- No. Keygate has a REST API and complete code for Electron, Tauri, .NET, Python and Swift that you copy into your app. If you need a native library for C++, mobile or other platforms, Cryptlex covers more of them today.
- Can Keygate check licenses offline?
- Yes. Every activation returns a token signed with Ed25519. Your app checks it with a public key and keeps working without a connection until the token is due for renewal.
- How does the cost compare?
- Cryptlex charges by active activations, starting at $100 per month for 1,000. Keygate is free to self host, so your cost is the server it runs on.
Related guides
Try Keygate
A Go server and a PostgreSQL database. The quick start goes from nothing to an activated key on your own machine.
Other Cryptlex alternatives
- Keygen
A licensing and distribution API with a hosted cloud and a free self hosted Community Edition. No built in payments or customer portal. Compare with Keygate →
- LicenseSpring
A managed licensing service with native SDKs, Stripe and FastSpring built in and a free plan for one product. Self hosting is an Enterprise option. Compare with Keygate →