SurfSense DocsLicense
What's free, what a license adds, and how to add, renew or recover one
SurfSense is free and open source under the Apache License 2.0. The whole app, and every update, is free with no account and no expiry.
A SurfSense license adds two things:
- SurfSense's paid plugins. These read public sites for the agent, such as Google Search, YouTube and a web crawler. Adding sources from the web in Sources uses them too. The plugins page lists them.
- Priority support.
Nothing else needs a license. Chat, the agent, Studio, voice, local and remote models, third-party plugins and updates all work without one. See pricing for plans.
Free trial
You can try the paid plugins free for 14 days, with no card. Enter your email on the downloads page and the trial license arrives by email as a file. One trial per email address.
In the app, Start a free trial in Settings › License opens pricing in your browser.
Add your license
Your license is a file called surfsense.lic, sent to the email you bought it with. You can also download it from the page you land on after paying.
Save surfsense.lic from the email.
In SurfSense, open Settings › License and choose Add license.
Choose Choose license file, or paste the file's text under Or paste the file, then Add.
Settings › License then shows your plan, your email, and Expires with the date. The sidebar shows License active.
To swap in a new file, use Replace license. To take the license off this computer, use Remove license.
Checked on your computer
SurfSense checks the license file on your computer, with no network. Adding it sends nothing anywhere.
When you use a paid plugin, your license key goes with each request to plugins.surfsense.com, so the plugin service can check it. That host has to be allowed in Settings › Network first. See privacy.
When it expires
When a license runs out, the paid plugins stop. Everything else keeps working: the app, your data and your updates are never locked.
- In the last 14 days, Settings › License shows Expiring soon.
- After it ends, Settings › License shows Expired with Renew license, and the sidebar shows License expired.
A renewal is a new license file. Add it with Replace license.
Lost your file?
Go to surfsense.com/license and enter the email the license was issued to. SurfSense emails every license registered to that address. For your security the page says the same thing whether or not it found one.
If you can no longer reach that inbox, or mistyped it when buying, the same page says how to get help. A license bought for a team is sent only to the address that bought it, so ask that person to forward it.
Messages you may see
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| This is not a SurfSense license file. | Check you chose surfsense.lic, or pasted all of it. |
| This license file was not issued by SurfSense, or it was altered. | Get a fresh copy from surfsense.com/license. |
| This license file has expired; request a fresh copy at surfsense.com/license. | Get a fresh copy from surfsense.com/license. |
| This license file uses an algorithm this version cannot check. | Update SurfSense. |
| Clock is off | Your computer's clock is behind the last time SurfSense ran. Set the right time and the license works again. |
| License not recognized or License revoked on a plugin | The plugin service refused the key. Check that Settings › License shows the license you expect. A refunded license is revoked. |
Last updated on November 2, 2026