The Build vs. Buy Decision

What you're really signing up for when you build licensing from scratch

Months of Development

Key generation, validation, hardware fingerprinting, activation servers — each subsystem takes weeks to build and test properly.

Security Pitfalls

Homegrown crypto is almost always broken. One subtle flaw in your key generation algorithm and your entire protection is worthless.

Ongoing Maintenance

New platforms, .NET versions, OS updates, edge cases — licensing code demands constant attention that distracts from your core product.

SoftActivate Licensing SDK

Updated for 2026 .NET 8/9/10 & Visual Studio 2026 Full Source Code Available

Core Capabilities

Secure License Key Generation

Generate secure, digitally-signed license keys. Compact, tamper-proof keys that are easy to type or dictate.

Online & Offline Activation

Full support for online or over-the-phone software activation. Activation server included (Node.js) with REST API and admin console.

Hardware Locking

Lock your software to specific computers with advanced hardware fingerprinting. Flexible matching even when hardware components change.

Full Source Code

Complete C++ and C# source code available (Enterprise/Ultimate). No vendor lock-in, maximum control over your licensing process.

New in Version 5.0

Modern React Admin Console

Beautiful, responsive admin interface built with React 18, Redux Toolkit and Bootstrap 5. Manage licenses from desktop, tablet, or mobile.

Stripe Payment Integration

Accept one-time purchases and subscriptions with automatic license delivery via webhooks.

Multi-Tenant Architecture

Perfect for SaaS and resellers: per-tenant database isolation, user management, and analytics. (Enterprise Edition)

Improved Developer Experience

RESTful API to interact with the system programatically, self-documenting JSON Schema validation, vastly improved security and more.

Modern React Admin Console with Real-time Analytics

Manage your licenses, products, and customers with our stunning new React 18 admin console. Features interactive sales charts, real-time analytics, and responsive design that works beautifully on any device.

Real-time Sales Analytics and Reporting

Track your software sales with interactive charts and detailed reports. View sales by country, product, and time period. Export data for further analysis.

Online and Offline Software Activation with Included Licensing Server

Full support for online or over-the-phone software activation, powered by a modern Node.js server architecture. Lock your software to a specific computer with advanced hardware fingerprinting.

Secure License Key Generation and Validation

Generate license keys digitally signed using Elliptic Curve cryptography. 100% secure, yet compact and easy to type, dictate or print.

Full Source Code Available as Option

Full source code for Windows, Linux, OS X and Android NDK platforms on x86/x64/arm64 architectures is available in the Enterprise/Ultimate edition of the SDK (written in both C# and C++), should you need maximum control and peace of mind over your licensing process.

Protect your software with license keys and activation with only one line of source code.

Add full licensing, trial and activation to your software with only one line of source code using our customizable license manager with full user interface !

Stripe, PayPal and E-Commerce Integration

Accept payments via Stripe (one-time and subscriptions) with automatic license delivery. Also supports FastSpring, PayPal IPN, RegNow and ShareIt for maximum flexibility.

Windows, OS X and Linux software licensing support

For Enterprise and Ultimate SDK editions, you can now compile and use the SDK with OS X and Linux software applications.

Trial Versions Support

Add trial functionality to your application. The trial version will expire in a chosen number of days.

Advanced Hardware ID Generation

Generate hardware id strings that still match even if hardware components of the computer are replaced.

Download Manager

Restrict certain file downloads to only your customers, requiring a license key for download.

Priced for small to large businesses

More cost effective yet more powerful and flexible than other similar solutions on the market. One-time purchase, no subscription required.

Available for Your Platform

Native libraries and integration examples for each environment

Frequently Asked Questions

The SDK supports C#, VB.NET, C++ (native), and any .NET language. It works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The C++ edition includes native libraries for Windows (x86/x64/ARM64), Linux, and macOS (including Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3).

Yes! The Enterprise and Ultimate editions include complete source code for both the C# and C++ libraries. This gives you full control over the licensing process and eliminates vendor lock-in concerns.

License keys are digitally signed using ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography). This ensures keys cannot be forged while keeping them compact enough to type or dictate. You can embed custom data fields, expiration dates, and feature flags directly in the key.

The SDK generates hardware fingerprints from multiple system components (CPU, disk, network adapter, etc.) with configurable tolerance for hardware changes. Online activation uses a REST API server (Node.js with MySQL/MariaDB), and offline activation supports over-the-phone or email workflows.

No! The SDK is a one-time purchase with no recurring fees. All licenses include 1 year of updates and support, with optional renewal for continued updates.

Absolutely! Download the full SDK and use the License Designer to configure your licensing scheme. The SDK works in demo mode with some limitations. When you're ready to go live, simply purchase a license.

Complete Software Licensing Solution for C#, C++ and .NET