This page explains how licensing works in Ranorex Studio. It describes which license models are available, how they behave, and how licenses are installed, uninstalled, and transferred between machines.
Further Reading: Review the article Admin vs Non-Admin installation for details on installation modes.
Ranorex Studio offers flexible licensing options to support different use cases and team setups. There are two main licensing categories:
- Perpetual licenses
- Subscription licenses
Each model has distinct benefits. Understanding the differences helps you choose the option that best fits your environment.
Perpetual licenses
Perpetual licenses do not expire and are available in two variants: node-locked and floating.
- Node-locked license: A node-locked license is bound to a single machine (host). Once activated on that machine, it can be used indefinitely.
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Floating license: They are not bound to a single machine. They “float” on a server, waiting to be leased by a user. When a license is leased, it becomes unavailable to other users until it is returned. Then, the license floats on the server again, ready for lease by another user.
Note: Perpetual licenses and Subscription licenses are available as Floating licenses.
Floating licenses are managed in the Ranorex License Manager on a machine. The machine where the License Manager is installed is referred to as the server.
The License Manager automatically distributes floating licenses to clients that request them.
Note: The licenses can be transferred from one machine to another once every 90 days from the last installation.
Subscription licenses
Subscription licenses are only available as Floating licenses.
You can use a subscription license on multiple machines, depending on the number of machines allowed by your subscription.
Note: If you have any questions, check out our Licensing frequently asked questions for more information and guidance.
License types
Floating licenses (Perpetual and Subscription) are available in three types: Runtime, Professional (discontinued), and Enterprise.
Note: For Perpetual Licenses, to configure a client, you can use the Type drop-down menu to specify which license type that client should request. For example, if the client only needs to run tests, a Runtime license is usually sufficient. In most cases, it is recommended to leave Type set to Auto.
While for Subscription license you have a Subscription license and Self-Hosted licensing, for more information, visit Install a subscription license.
- Auto (recommended): The client automatically requests the appropriate license type for the current operation from the server.
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Runtime: The client only requests a Runtime Floating License. This license type is limited to running tests, for example, via:
- Ranorex Agent
- Command line
- Ranorex Test Suite Runner
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Professional (discontinued): The client only requests a Professional Floating License. This license is limited to Runtime floating operations plus additional tools such as:
- Ranorex Spy
- Tracking
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Enterprise: The client only requests an Enterprise Floating License. This license type has no feature limitations and is required for full Ranorex Studio functionality, including:
- Starting Ranorex Studio
- Recording tests
- Editing test suites (including via the API)
How license leasing works
Leasing behaves differently depending on what you do in Ranorex Studio or one of its tools.
For example, simply starting Ranorex Studio triggers the lease of an Enterprise Floating License. Running a test on a Ranorex Agent, on the other hand, triggers the lease of a Runtime Floating License, but if that isn’t available, it can also use an Enterprise Floating License. To see what each license type allows, see License types above.
When a client leases a license from the server:
- The license is temporarily unavailable to other clients.
- After the operation finishes (for example, the test run is complete or Ranorex Studio is closed), the client returns the license to the server.
- The license is then available for other clients to lease.
Note: If a floating license cannot be returned to the server because of a network issue, it will be blocked for 5 minutes and cannot be leased during that time. We strongly recommend using a stable and reliable network infrastructure.
In the License Manager UI, you can see:
- Which Perpetual Floating licenses are currently leased and unavailable to others.
- Under Clients, the machine name and user associated with each leased license.