Perpetual license versus Subscription license
Choice of one-time payment or flexible monthly or yearly payment
AssistMyTeam offers two models of licensing – a Perpetual license with a one-time fee and a more flexible subscription license with a recurring monthly or yearly fee.
We get a lot of questions about the Subscription License vs. Perpetual License purchase options for AssistMyTeam Products. Refer to this document for a clearer understanding on each license type and its pros and cons.
Perpetual Licenses
Perpetual Licenses are how most software products has been acquired until now. There is an initial cost to purchase a license, plus an annual subscription cost that entitles the owner to all updates and technical support.
PROS: One advantage of a Perpetual License is that it costs less over time. Also, if you fail to renew the support contract of your Perpetual License, the software will continue to work. However there is a disadvantage if Support Contract is not maintained. You will not receive any new software updates and you will not be able to upgrade to a later release.
Most medium-and-larger companies, who cannot be sure their purchasing department will renew subscription every year, tend to go with Perpetual Licenses. This ensures AssistMyTeam software is never inaccessible because of purchasing logistics or glitches, however can carry a risk if not maintained.
CONS: Although perpetual licences may be used forever on a particular version (or on the last version before you discontinue renewing the support contract), they have a short lifecycle and within few years eventually become obsolete, due to factors such as supported hardware and companion software. As a result you may need to upgrade periodically to ensure compatibility with other line-of-business applications. If you continue to use an old version of AssistMyTeam product which has reached end of life updates, patches and hotfixes are no longer provided. This could expose you to serious usability risks, such as incompatibilities with newer and changing Microsoft software environments (e.g., Microsoft Office, Exchange, SharePoint, SQL etc.).
Subscription Licenses
Subscription Licenses are new to the AssistMyTeam products line up and can be thought of as “renting” a Software license month-to-month or year-to-year. With Subscription License, you pay either a monthly or annual price that includes software, all updates and technical support.
PROS: An advantage of Subscription License is its lower initial acquisition cost. Typically, start-ups and smaller companies (who place a premium on conserving money to maintain strong cash flows) opt for subscriptions based licensing. It is a great way to get started for a little more than what you would pay just for software maintenance.
On a rough estimation, the breakeven point for Subscription license versus Perpetual license is approximately 5 years. The means you could have subscription license for 5 years giving you the ability to spread your costs over the same period as a Perpetual license purchase.
CONS: A subscription licensing model offers better affordability with a predictable payment schedule, becoming a part of operational expenditure. Upgrades and new features are released in real time and rolled into the monthly price, ensuring no compatibility or obsolescence issues. However, it does cost more over time and if you fail to renew the subscription, the software will quit working all together (whereas a Perpetual License will keep working on the same version).
Perpetual license and Subscription license - Comparison Chart
COMPARISON | ||||
Perpetual License | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription | |
| One Time Fee |  |  | | |
| Recurring Fee Monthly or yearly | | | | |
| Number of Products | One (1) AssistMyTeam Product | One (1) AssistMyTeam Product | Three (3) AssistMyTeam Products | All AssistMyTeam Products |
| Free Upgrade | | | | |
| Remote Assistance (Microsoft Teams or Team Viewer) | | | | |
| Standard Support (Email, Live Chat, Remote Assistance) Working Days (9 AM to 5 PM GMT) | | | | |
| Prioritized Premium Support (Email, Live Chat, Remote Assistance) 24×7 including Weekends & Holidays | | | | |
| Setups without license activation (Ideal for closed systems and networks) | | | | |
| Request Enhancements or New Features | | (max 1 time) | (max 3 times) | (max 5 times) |
| Phone Support Working Days (9 AM to 5 PM GMT) | | | | |
| License Types Supported | 1 Seat. | Only Unlimited Seats. | Only Unlimited Seats. | Only Unlimited Seats. |
- Subscriptions License have a lower initial price but cost more over time and stop working if you do not renew.
- Perpetual Licenses cost more up-front, less over time, and never expire.
- Which is best? The decision is entirely up to you. There is no difference in the functionality of the software for the two licensing methods.
However, for subscription based licensing, there is a premium support 24x7 only offered with Silver and Gold subscriptions. Moreover, the premium Gold subscription provides a far more rich features such as the rights to use multiple or all of AssistMyTeam products in as many sites or locations with unlimited user seats, phone support etc.