Changes to our licensing model
In August 2024, we introduced a new licensing model to support long-term development, encourage use of modern Raspberry Pi hardware, and better meet evolving customer needs.
What's unchanged
- Perpetual use remains - a one-time purchase still grants you lifetime use of SolarAssistant.
What’s new
- Licenses are now transferable - you can now move your license to a different device you own, with only one device active at a time.
- Includes 2 years of free updates - your initial purchase includes 2 years of software updates. After that, updates are optional at $14/year. You can try the latest version before purchasing and roll back if needed. If you don't see the value, then there is no need to make a purchase.
Why we made this change
- Encouraging better hardware - SolarAssistant started when the Raspberry Pi 3 was popular. Our previous license model discouraged users to upgrade to newer devices. Newer devices make it possible for us to develop faster, more reliable, and feature-rich experiences.
- Listening to customer feedback - we received many requests to transfer a license to a newer device. Requiring a new license purchase in these cases felt unnecessarily restrictive.
- Sustainable development - your license remains valid forever. However, optional paid updates help fund ongoing development - ensuring we continue to deliver improvements worth paying for.
Already a customer before August 2024?
You can continue using your original license terms: one device, non-transferable, with free lifetime updates. However, we recommend considering the new model to support ongoing development and access to future related services that wasn't bundled in the original product. If you think you're missing out on an update, please compare your software version to our changelog.