Keygate vs LicenseSpring: an open source alternative
An enterprise licensing service with native SDKs, compared with an open source license server you run yourself.
LicenseSpring is a managed licensing service with native SDKs, built in Stripe and FastSpring integrations and a free plan for small products. Self hosting is an Enterprise option. Keygate is open source and free to self host with every feature, and it also stores your release files in S3 compatible storage you connect and serves the update feeds, which LicenseSpring leaves to you.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Keygate | LicenseSpring |
|---|---|---|
| Source code | ✓Open source (AGPL) | ✕ |
| Self hosting | ✓ | ✓Enterprise plan |
| Free self hosted edition | ✓Every feature included | ✕ |
| Floating licenses | ✓ | ✓Cloud, or a floating server on premise |
| Offline verification | ✓Ed25519 signed tokens | ✓ |
| Usage metering | ✓ | ✓Consumption licenses |
| Built in payments | ✓Stripe checkout and renewals | ✓Stripe and FastSpring |
| Customer portal | ✓ | ✓Business Plus and up |
| Update distribution | ✓Sparkle, Velopack, Tauri feeds | ~Tracks versions, does not host files |
| Official client SDKs | ✕REST API, with code for Electron, Tauri, .NET, Python, Swift | ✓C++, .NET, Java, Python, Go, Swift and more |
| Webhooks | ✓ | ✓Enterprise plan |
| Audit logs | ✓ | ✓Business Plus and up |
Checked October 2026 against LicenseSpring's public documentation and pricing. Plans and prices change, so check LicenseSpring'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 LicenseSpring is the better choice
- You need enterprise terms: an SLA, dedicated infrastructure or a choice of data region.
- You want hardware bound licensing with TPM or Secure Enclave, or support for hardware keys.
- You want native SDKs, or ready made integrations with tools such as Salesforce and HubSpot.
Pricing
LicenseSpring has a free plan for one product and 100 active licenses. Paid plans start at $199 per month, with custom Enterprise pricing.
Keygate is free to self host. You pay for the server it runs on, with no fees per license, activation or user.
Moving from LicenseSpring
Most of what you set up in LicenseSpring has a direct counterpart in Keygate:
| In LicenseSpring | In Keygate |
|---|---|
| Product | Product |
| License Policy | Plan |
| License | License |
| Device | Activation, one per device |
| Product Features | Features on the plan |
| Consumption | Usage limits per feature |
| Customers and License Users | Customer email, plus team seats |
| Floating Cloud and Floating Server | Floating plan on your Keygate server |
| Offline activation with .req and .lic files | Signed token after one online activation. No activation by file |
| Product Versions | Releases with Sparkle, Velopack and Tauri feeds |
| SDK activate_license(), check(), local_check() | activate and verify, then the signed token checked locally |
Getting your data out
In the LicenseSpring dashboard, use Export Licenses under Licenses, and the CSV download on the Customers page.
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 LicenseSpring running until most of them have moved. Read the migration guide →
Frequently asked questions
- Does Keygate support floating licenses like LicenseSpring?
- Yes. A floating license checks out a seat, keeps it with a regular heartbeat and gives it back when the app closes or stops responding. When every seat is taken, the next checkout is refused until one frees up.
- Does Keygate work with Stripe like LicenseSpring?
- Yes. Keygate creates the license when a Stripe checkout completes, renews it with the subscription, emails the customer when a payment fails and revokes the license after a full refund. Stripe Payment Links work too.
- How does the cost compare?
- LicenseSpring has a free plan for one product and 100 active licenses, and paid plans from $199 per month. 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 LicenseSpring 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 →
- Cryptlex
A managed licensing platform with native SDKs for about a dozen languages, priced by active activations. Self hosting is an Enterprise option. Compare with Keygate →