How The License Works
LightBurn is not a subscription service. Once you purchase a license, you can continue to use LightBurn forever.
Your LightBurn license key comes with one your of free updates included. After that year is up, you can unlock future updates by adding a year of updates to your existing key at any time.
A standard LightBurn license has three seats, meaning it can be installed and activated on up to 3 computers at a time.
What is a License Key?¶
A LightBurn license is a digital key used to unlock the software for permanent use.
Every new license comes with a year of free updates from the date you first activate it. After a year, you'll need to renew your software update period in order to receive updates for another year. If you renew before your key expires, you'll receive an additional two months on your one-year renewal.
If you choose not to renew, you will always be able to continue using the most recent version of LightBurn that is compatible with your operating system and was released within your license's valid update period.
Add a Year of Updates to Your LightBurn License Key
To download an earlier version of LightBurn that is compatible with an operating system no longer supported by current versions of LightBurn, please see our OS compatibility table or click on the blue box below for direct links to the most recent version of LightBurn for your operating system.
Support for Other Operating Systems
- LightBurn version 1.7 is the last version compatible with Linux, versions of Windows prior to 10, and versions of macOS prior to 11. Download LightBurn 1.7.08 and see our 1.7 documentation for information and installation instructions.
- macOS users running versions older than 10.13 should download LightBurn 1.6.03 , which supports macOS 10.11 or newer. See our legacy documentation for more information and installation instructions.
- Users limited to 32-bit versions of Windows should download LightBurn 1.5.06 , which is the final 32-bit release of LightBurn. See our legacy documentation for more information and installation instructions.
License Types¶
The type of license you need depends on the controller used by your laser. LightBurn supports three device types: GCode, DSP, and Galvo.
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LightBurn Core supports GCode-based devices.
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LightBurn Pro supports both DSP and Galvo devices, in addition to GCode-based devices.
If you're not sure what type of license you need, see Identify Your Laser.
If you started with a license that supports one type of device, and now need to use LightBurn with a different type, you can add support for the new device type to your existing key. Please note that adding support for additional devices does not renew your key.
A LightBurn license automatically comes with 3 seats, meaning you can activate it on three computers at one time. You can use our License Portal to view and remove activations on your key, freeing up activations in use on old or inoperable computers so you can activate on new ones.
If you already have a key, you can purchase additional seats here . If you would like to purchase a new key with more seats than the default of 3, or are interested in a Floating license setup, see our Educational and Volume Licensing page.
If you sell your laser and wish to sell your license along with it, that is permitted. Please note that it is not permitted to sell part of your license to someone else.
Have questions? Read our FAQ or contact us at Support@LightBurnSoftware.com
Additional License Information¶
License Management Guide¶
How to access the license portal, manage your license key, and activate your license offline.
Educational and Volume Licensing¶
Information on licensing options that work well for large numbers of users.
System Locked and Floating License Setup¶
Directions for advanced licensing setup options, mostly used in schools or other shared spaces.
Enterprise Security FAQs¶
Answers to questions we frequently receive from corporate or educational IT departments prior to purchasing.
LightBurn End User License Agreement¶
A copy of the LightBurn EULA, available without downloading the software.