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neatComponents provides a number of different licenses (here...). This page explains why, and which one is best suited to your needs.
FREE License
This is the Normal license that everyone starts with. This license provides access to all neatComponents features, and also for an unlimited number of websites, domains and users. It works without restriction for light usage. If a site becomes busy then it imposes a small delay on serving 'the next page'. This internal 'Rate Limit' can be removed by purchasing a Premium license.
Still unsure? Read The Explainer explained below.
Who uses a Free License?
Everyone
Everyone uses the Free license to start with. It gives you a no-cost entry point to using neatComponents, so you can learn how to build content and data-driven websites without any financial risk or outlay.
Education
neatComponents provides an ideal learning environment for teaching students about data-management and website development without wasting time and effort learning programming and debugging lines of code. Websites can be quickly created with unlimited numbers of users and with tight access controls - ideal for the educational environment.
Professional Website Developers
neatComponents is a professional website development platform and is of great benefit to people developing websites for sale. The Free License means that even the smallest website development studio can create a website for a customer with no up-front cost on their own server. The developer can then export the finished site to a Premium Licensed installation owned by their customer.
Single Website License
This premium license provides access to all neatComponents site building features and also removes all internal 'Rate Limits'. It does not provide multiple site hosting or the billing and payment system for managing hosted sites. It is available either for outright purchase, or on a 'pay-as-you-go' monthly basis.
Who uses a Single Website License?
Single Website Licenses are used by businesses, and all sorts of organizations, who want to have the benefits of a neatComponents website without the restriction of the 'Rate Limit' slowing down page delivery.
Most organizations only require one Single Website License, but if you have several domains and need separate websites for them, then it is possible to have several websites on the same installation by buying additional 'Single' licenses. If you need more than about ten websites it would be more economical to transition to an Unlimited license.
Unlimited Website License - Cloud-maker
This premium license provides access to all neatComponents site building features and also removes all internal 'Rate Limits'. It also provides multiple site hosting and a complete the billing and payment system for managing hosted sites for SaaS or Cloud delivery. It is available either for outright purchase, or on a 'pay-as-you-go' monthly basis.
Who uses an Unlimited Website License?
Website Development Companies
neatComponents provides a full hosting and billing system so that website development companies can host their customers websites on their own server and then bill them monthly. The system manages everything from hosting to metering to reminders and credit control. This license enables you to host an unlimited number of websites and have an income stream from each one - all managed automatically.
Corporate
If you have multiple domains and independent websites and microsites for different products or services, then the Unlimited license is your best choice. In addition to hosting an unlimited number of websites the internal accounting system can be used for 'profit center analysis'.
Education
An Unlimited license allows a school or college to host an unlimited number of 'class' or project based websites, without the page delay found in the Free License - and gives access to Support services.
Transitioning Licenses
In most cases you can 'upsize' a license simply by making a one-time payment to cover the difference between what you have paid so far, and the cost of the larger license. For example, you can upsize from a 'Single' to an 'Unlimited' simply by paying the difference in price. Or, a monthly pay-as-you-go License can be upsized to a full License at any time in the first 24 months simply by paying the balance difference.
Q. If we purchase the Unlimited Website licence and create a site from the software and then want to re-sell that are there any financial implications to that in terms of paying back to Enstar?
A. To understand this we need to separate out the concepts of 'site' and 'server'. In order to run a neatComponents or clearString website you need it to be run from a server, which has the nC software installed on it.
There are the different types of nC license shown above - for example, the Single Website license type will only allow a single site to be run using it, whilst the Unlimited Website licence will run an infinite quantity of sites.
This means you can create a site, and sell it to someone else. However, for them to run the site, they will either need it to be on a server of their which has an nC license - which they would need to buy from us, or it would need to be hosted on your server and they would pay you a fee for hosting it. You need to factor the cost of the license into your pricing for the job. neatComponents saves you days of work so your construction charges will be much lower than your competitors - but you will need a license.
Using the Free License
There is also a special type of license, called a 'rate-limited' license. This is free, and is designed to be used by developers - like you - to create sites before they go live. The 'rate-limiting' allows it to function whilst you are developing the sites, but makes it unsuitable for running busy sites - when lots of different people will be visiting them.
Q. What is a typical scenario?
A. So a typical scenario would have the developer running a free rate-limited license themselves, and each time they sell a site, they move it off onto their customer's machine, and purchase a single-site license for it.
Q. Which license should I buy?
A. Where there are lots of sites involved, and if the developer wants to profit from the hosting side of the business, the developer can purchase a Unlimited Website license, and then host lots of live sites on it.
If you don't want to get an income stream from hosting your clients' websites then you should bundle the price of a Single Website license into your job.
Tip: Pay-as-you-go payment options are available for both types of license to keep up-front costs to a minimum and ease cash-flow though your business and theirs.
The choice of which license route to take is a business decision that you have to make, based on the quantity of sites you are looking to create, how much you can charge for their hosting, etc.
Further information
If you are still unsure as to how licensing works, or what is the best license choice for your application, please contact us and we will be pleased to advise you.