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Licenses and devices

Coming at launch. How Personal and Studio licenses will work, managing the computers on your license, moving to a new Mac, and Studio seats.

Coming at launch

Buying and activating a license is coming at launch. Today's test builds of Arkeep show "Development build" in the License section of Settings, and every feature works without a key. This page explains how licenses will work once Arkeep is on sale.

Arkeep will have no accounts and no passwords. Your license key will do that job.

Prices

Arkeep is a one-time purchase with a year of updates included. It isn't a subscription. Current prices are always at arkeep.app/pricing.

Personal Studio
Price $99 one-time $249 one-time
Launch price $79 founders rate for the first 100 buyers No launch discount
Who it covers 1 person, 2 computers and their phone 5 seats, each one person with 2 computers and their phone
Updates A year included A year included
Renewing updates after a year (optional) $29 a year $79 a year, plus $10 for each extra seat
Extra seats Upgrade to Studio instead $29 each, one-time

There's no limit on how many archive drives Arkeep indexes. The iPhone app is included free with every license.

Payment is handled by Stripe. Your receipt comes from Link, the checkout Stripe runs for Arkeep, and your license key comes in a separate email from Arkeep.

How a license will work

  1. When you buy Arkeep, you'll get an email with your license key.
  2. Click the link in the email to open Arkeep with your key filled in, or paste the key into Arkeep yourself.
  3. Arkeep will send your license key, a random device ID and your Mac's name to the Arkeep license server one time. If your license has a free slot, the server sends back a signed approval that Arkeep keeps and checks offline from then on.

The device ID will be random, not made from your Mac's hardware details, so it says nothing about you or your Mac.

After that:

  • Arkeep will work offline. About every 30 days, when you're online, it will quietly confirm your license is still valid.
  • If the license server can't be reached, Arkeep will keep working, with a 60-day grace period before it shows any reminder.
  • Arkeep will never lock you out in the middle of a check or a copy.
  • If the license server ever shuts down, every Mac that's already activated will keep working on the approval it already has.

The License section in Settings

Settings will have a License section that shows:

  • your license type (Personal or Studio), whether your updates are active, and when they renew;
  • every device on your license, with its name, its type and when it was last seen;
  • a Remove button beside each device, which frees its slot right away;
  • Deactivate This Device, for when you sell or give away this Mac;
  • buttons to renew updates, add seats, upgrade to Studio or open your account page.

Activating a third computer

A Personal license covers 2 computers. If you activate a third, Arkeep will tell you the license is already on 2 computers and give you a button to remove one. Your phone never uses a computer slot.

Moving to a new Mac

Your history moves separately from your license. The history part works today. The license part is coming at launch.

  1. Back up your history. On the old Mac, open Settings, go to Backups and click Save a Copy…. Save it to a drive you'll plug into the new Mac. See Backup history and search.
  2. Free up the old Mac's slot. Coming at launch In Settings, under License, click Deactivate This Device.
  3. Install Arkeep on the new Mac and activate it with the same key.
  4. Restore your history. On the new Mac, open Settings, go to Backups, click Restore From Backup… and choose your backup. You'll need your recovery key. See Updates and your backup key.

If you can't open the old Mac

Coming at launch If your old Mac is lost, stolen or won't start, you'll manage your license from your browser at arkeep.app/account. There's no password. You'll sign in with a one-time link sent to the email you bought with. From there you'll be able to:

  • remove a device from your license;
  • find a lost license key;
  • see your receipts.

Studio seats

Coming at launch

A Studio license will be one purchase that holds 5 seats. Each seat is one person, and covers that person's 2 computers and their phone. There will still be no accounts: a seat is tied to an email address only so the right person gets their key.

  1. The studio owner buys Studio and gets an owner key. The owner key is also the owner's own seat.
  2. In the License section, the owner types a team member's email and clicks Invite. That person gets their own seat key by email.
  3. The team member activates Arkeep with their seat key. Their devices show up in the owner's License section, under their name.
  4. When someone leaves the team, the owner clicks Remove Seat. That person's devices deactivate the next time they check in, and the seat is free for someone new.

Each seat works on its own. Each person's index stays on their own computer, so team members won't see each other's archives.

Adding seats and upgrading

Coming at launch

  • Extra seats: a studio will be able to add seats beyond 5 at any time, one at a time, with Add Seats in the License section or on your account page. Each extra seat is $29 one-time, and adds $10 to the yearly update renewal.
  • Upgrading: a Personal license will be able to upgrade to Studio at any time by paying the difference.

Your year of updates

Every license includes a year of updates. After that, renewing is optional: $29 a year for Personal, or $79 a year for Studio plus $10 for each extra seat. If you don't renew, Arkeep keeps working on the last version you received, for as long as you like. See Updates and your backup key.

Refunds

If Arkeep isn't right for you, you can get a full refund within 14 days of buying it, no questions asked. Email support@arkeep.app. See the Refund Policy.

Questions about billing? See the FAQ, or email support@arkeep.app.