Trial license
A trial license is time-boxed evaluation access. Duration is set at issuance; when time runs out the license becomes Expired and the customer must purchase, extend, or enter a paid key.
Fixed window
Days + optional hours from issue or activation.
Trials dashboard
Active, Expired, Converted, Cancelled.
Conversion funnel
Extend, end, or upgrade to paid type.
Business model
Trial is the standard product-led growth pattern: reduce purchase friction, prove value, then monetize.
- Time-limited full product — 14/30-day evaluation with all features.
- Feature-limited trial — entitlement set caps exports, users, or modules.
- Freemium bridge — trial auto-expires; free tier uses different license type or no license.
- Sales-assisted — AE extends trial from dashboard during negotiation.
Benefits
- For vendors — measurable pipeline (Trials page); force expiry without manual key rotation; same RSA/signing stack as paid licenses.
- For customers — try before buy; clear deadline drives decision.
- For marketing — self-serve signup flows with automatic trial issuance.
Logic of use
Server computes expiration from trial period at create. SDK and validate endpoint treat expired trials like any expired license. Trials can use online activation/session tracking identical to paid types so you see evaluators in Activations.
Free-tier LicenPro accounts can issue Perpetual and Trial only; other types typically need a paid plan.
Example lifecycle
User registers on vendor site → automation issues Trial, 14 days, feature set “Trial”. User installs app, activates online. Day 12: in-app banner warns expiry. Day 15: validation returns expired → paywall. User buys → vendor issues Subscription or Perpetual; old trial marked Converted or left Expired.
Enterprise prospect needs 30 more days. AE opens /dashboard/trials, extends expiry. No re-install; next online validation picks up new date.
Lifecycle stages
- Issue — type Trial + period.
- Active — customer uses product within window.
- Expiring soon — optional UX warnings before end.
- Expired — validation fails; Trials filter shows Expired.
- Extend / End — operator actions on Trials page.
- Convert — new paid license; optional transfer of user/device.
Dashboard workflow
- Create: license wizard → Trial → trial period in step 2.
- Operate:
/dashboard/trials(Trials guide). - Detail: same tabs as other licenses (Overview, Activations, Sessions when online).
Compare with other models
- vs Subscription — trial is short evaluation; subscription is paid recurring term.
- vs Perpetual — trial always expires; perpetual does not by default.