Licensing¶
This guide explains the licensing model of EventSourcingDB and how it applies to different use cases. It outlines what is free to use, when a commercial license is required, and how the licensing mechanism works in practice.
Understanding these terms will help you evaluate whether EventSourcingDB fits your technical and legal requirements – especially in environments with security, compliance, or air-gapped constraints.
Free Tier for Small Use Cases¶
EventSourcingDB can be used free of charge for small-scale applications that store up to 25,000 events. This limit is designed to support a wide range of use cases, including evaluation, development, testing, personal projects, and smaller commercial systems.
As long as the number of stored events remains below 25,000, you can use EventSourcingDB without a license key – in development and in production.
Commercial Licensing¶
If you need to store more than 25,000 events, a commercial license is required. Each license is bound to a single instance of EventSourcingDB. If you operate multiple instances, you need a separate license for each of them.
A license is available with two contract terms: the annual license runs for one year, the quarterly license for three months. A license renews automatically at the end of its term.
| Plan | Per year | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial | 2,500 EUR | 750 EUR |
| Individual developer | 360 EUR | 120 EUR |
All prices are per instance and shown net. For commercial licenses, whether VAT is added depends on your country – within the EU, the reverse-charge mechanism may apply if you provide a valid VAT ID. For individual developers, a flat 19% VAT is always added.
For organizations running EventSourcingDB at larger scale, we also offer optional volume licenses. Non-profit and similar organizations may qualify for reduced terms on request – just contact us.
Individual Developer Licensing¶
If you build on EventSourcingDB as an individual developer rather than as a company or team, you can license it at a reduced rate – see the table above. An individual developer license is technically identical to a commercial one and unlocks exactly the same functionality.
The individual developer license is meant for natural persons who do not run a company of their own. It is for developers who build on EventSourcingDB in a private capacity, with the invoice issued to you personally.
If you operate a company – including a single-person GmbH, a UG, or a registered sole proprietorship – the commercial license applies, even if you work entirely on your own and think of yourself as an individual developer. The same holds as soon as EventSourcingDB is used by or on behalf of a company or team.
Technical License Handling¶
Licensed users receive a license key that is provided as a file. It can be passed via a command-line flag or placed in a predefined location. There is no online activation or remote license verification – EventSourcingDB does not connect to any external servers for license checks.
This makes the system fully usable in isolated environments with no internet access, such as air-gapped networks or high-security zones.
Behavior After License Expiry¶
If a license expires, EventSourcingDB continues to function in read-only mode. You can still access all stored data, run queries, and replay events. However, new events can only be written if the total number of stored events is still below the 25,000 threshold – or if a new valid license is provided.
Your data is never locked, and no features are silently disabled. The system remains transparent and predictable, even when a license is missing or expired.
Licensing Model in Practice¶
EventSourcingDB follows a clear and pragmatic licensing model: free for small-scale usage, licensed per instance for larger systems. It is closed-source and commercially maintained, with a focus on long-term sustainability, operational simplicity, and professional support.
If you're unsure which licensing model applies to your situation, or if you'd like to request a quote or a volume license, feel free to contact us at hello@thenativeweb.io. We're happy to help.