LicenseManagerAlternatives
Best Anystack alternatives in 2026
9 alternatives to Anystack, compared on features, SDKs and price, from their public pages.
LicenseManager is our product, and is listed first. Prices and features come from each vendor's public pricing page and documentation, checked on 2026-10-25. Report an error.
Reasons to look elsewhere
- A platform fee from 4% to 15% on sales through its checkout
- Not a merchant of record: you handle sales tax, with Stripe Tax
What Anystack does well
- Checkout, licensing and auto-updates in one tool
- Auto-updates for Electron through Squirrel or Electron Builder
- GitHub repository access for license holders
9 alternatives to Anystack
LicenseManager
Our productLicensing service
License keys for desktop apps, created from Stripe payments and validated with one request.
- Free tier
- Up to 100 active licenses
- Paid plans from
- €29 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Licenses active in the last 90 days
Best for: Indie developers and small teams selling desktop apps with Stripe, who want licensing without building a backend.
Over Anystack:
- Cheaper at every volume we tested. LicenseManager costs less than Anystack in all 12 scenarios we computed. For example, with 10 licenses sold per month at €49: Anystack is 6.2x more expensive than LicenseManager: you'd save €73.50 per month with LicenseManager.
- A flat price. Anystack takes at least 4% per sale on sales through its hosted checkout, LicenseManager takes none: your cost doesn't grow with your price.
Polar
Merchant of record with license keys
An open source merchant of record for developers, with license keys as a benefit.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 5% + $0.50 per sale
- Paid plans from
- $20 / month
- Fee per sale
- 3.4% + $0.30 to 5% + $0.50
- Billed on
- Sales only
Best for: Developers selling subscriptions or digital products who want tax handled and an open source platform.
Over Anystack:
- Lower price. Polar costs less than Anystack in all 12 scenarios we computed. With 10 sales a month at €49: Anystack is 2.7x more expensive than Polar, a difference of €55.16 per month.
- Merchant of record. Unlike Anystack, Polar is the merchant of record and handles sales tax and VAT.
LicenseSpring
Licensing service
A software licensing platform with SDKs for desktop, mobile and game engines.
- Free tier
- Up to 100 active licenses
- Paid plans from
- $199 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Active licenses
Best for: Companies licensing native or game-engine software, that need floating or air-gapped licensing.
What it does better than Anystack:
- A flat price. Anystack takes at least 4% per sale on sales through its hosted checkout, LicenseSpring takes none: your cost doesn't grow with your price.
- More SDKs. Official LicenseSpring SDKs exist for C# (.NET), C++, Java, Go, Unity, Swift, and Android, with no Anystack equivalent.
Lemon Squeezy
Merchant of record with license keys
A merchant of record for digital products, with license keys included.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 5% + $0.50 per sale
- Paid plans from
- -
- Fee per sale
- 5% + $0.50
- Billed on
- Sales only
Best for: Sellers who want tax handled for them and only need basic license keys.
What it does better than Anystack:
- Cheaper at every volume we tested. Lemon Squeezy is cheaper than Anystack in each of the 12 scenarios we computed. With 10 licenses sold a month at €49 each: Anystack is 2.7x more expensive than Lemon Squeezy: you'd save €55.16 per month with Lemon Squeezy.
- Merchant of record. Lemon Squeezy is the merchant of record and handles sales tax and VAT. Anystack leaves sales tax and VAT to you.
Moonbase
Merchant of record with license keys
A merchant of record with licensing, built for audio plugins and desktop software.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 5% + €1 per sale
- Paid plans from
- -
- Fee per sale
- 5% + €1
- Billed on
- Sales only
Best for: Audio plugin makers (JUCE) and desktop developers who want a store and licensing from the EU.
Over Anystack:
- Merchant of record. Moonbase is the merchant of record and handles sales tax and VAT, while Anystack leaves sales tax and VAT to you.
- More SDKs. Official Moonbase SDKs exist for JUCE, C# (.NET), C++, and Rust, with no Anystack equivalent.
LimeLM
Licensing service
wyDay's licensing service, built around the TurboActivate and TurboFloat native libraries.
- Free tier
- Up to 10 activations in total
- Paid plans from
- $17 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Total activations
Best for: Native Windows, macOS and Linux apps, in languages like C++, C# or Delphi.
What it does better than Anystack:
- Lower cost. LimeLM is cheaper than Anystack in each of the 12 scenarios we computed. When 10 licenses sold a month at €99 each: Anystack is 3.9x more expensive than LimeLM, a difference of €118 per month.
- No fee per sale. With LimeLM, a higher license price doesn't mean higher fees. Anystack takes at least 4% per sale on sales through its hosted checkout.
Keygen
Licensing service
A licensing and distribution API, available as a cloud service or self-hosted.
- Free tier
- Up to 100 active licenses
- Paid plans from
- $99 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Licenses active in the last 90 days
Best for: Teams that need advanced licensing models, like floating or metered licenses, or want to self-host.
Compared with Anystack:
- Never more expensive. Keygen costs less than Anystack in 11 of 12 scenarios we computed. They cost the same in the 1 others. When 10 licenses sold a month at €49 each: Anystack is 6.2x more expensive than Keygen, a difference of €73.50 per month.
- No fee per sale. Keygen charges a monthly price and takes nothing on your sales. Anystack takes at least 4% on each sale on sales through its hosted checkout.
Cryptolens
Licensing service
A licensing service from Sweden, now sold under the Devolens brand.
- Free tier
- Up to 10 active licenses
- Paid plans from
- €299 / month
- Fee per sale
- None
- Billed on
- Active licenses
Best for: Companies that need EU data residency, a reseller portal or on-premise license servers.
Over Anystack:
- No fee per sale. Cryptolens charges a monthly price and takes nothing on your sales. Anystack takes at least 4% on each sale on sales through its hosted checkout.
- Official SDKs. Official Cryptolens SDKs exist for C# (.NET), Java, C++, and Go, with no Anystack equivalent.
Gumroad
Merchant of record with license keys
A store for creators selling digital products, with optional license keys.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 10% + $0.50 per sale
- Paid plans from
- -
- Fee per sale
- 10% + $0.50
- Billed on
- Sales only
Best for: Creators selling small apps, plugins or assets, who want the simplest setup.
Over Anystack:
- Merchant of record. Unlike Anystack, Gumroad is the merchant of record and handles sales tax and VAT.
- Open source. Gumroad is open source, while Anystack is closed source.
What you'd pay
Enter your license price and monthly sales to compare Anystack with every alternative.
€2,970 in monthly sales.
- Anystack is 3x more expensive than LicenseManager: you'd save €218 per month with LicenseManager.
Per month, excluding VAT. Assumes one-time purchases and customers using your app for 4 months, with Stripe's fees for the tools that aren't a merchant of record.
Pricing
| Tool | Free tier | Paid plans from | Fee per sale | Billed on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anystack | No monthly fee, 15% per sale | $39 / month | 4% to 15% | Active licenses |
| LicenseManager | Up to 100 active licenses | €29 / month | None | Licenses active in the last 90 days |
| Polar | No monthly fee, 5% + $0.50 per sale | $20 / month | 3.4% + $0.30 to 5% + $0.50 | Sales only |
| LicenseSpring | Up to 100 active licenses | $199 / month | None | Active licenses |
| Lemon Squeezy | No monthly fee, 5% + $0.50 per sale | - | 5% + $0.50 | Sales only |
| Moonbase | No monthly fee, 5% + €1 per sale | - | 5% + €1 | Sales only |
| LimeLM | Up to 10 activations in total | $17 / month | None | Total activations |
| Keygen | Up to 100 active licenses | $99 / month | None | Licenses active in the last 90 days |
| Cryptolens | Up to 10 active licenses | €299 / month | None | Active licenses |
| Gumroad | No monthly fee, 10% + $0.50 per sale | - | 10% + $0.50 | Sales only |
Features compared
Anystack next to its 4 closest alternatives.
| Feature | Anystack | LicenseManager | Polar | LicenseSpring | Lemon Squeezy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offline validationThe app can check a license without reaching the vendor's servers, usually with a signed file or token. | Not documented | YesEd25519-signed tokens, checked offline | NoKeys are validated with an API call | YesAir-gapped workflows on Enterprise | NoThe License API validates online |
| Machine activation limitsA license can be limited to a number of devices, enforced by the service. | Yes | Yes | YesOptional activation limits | Yes | YesActivation limit per product variant |
| TrialsTime-limited licenses to let users try the app. | Not documented | Yes | Yes | Yes | YesFree trials on subscriptions |
| Perpetual licensesLicenses that never expire. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Updates for a limited timeCustomers keep the versions released while their license was valid, after it ends. | YesAccess limited to the latest release at expiry | YesCustomers keep the last version released in their period | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Customer portalA page where customers find their keys and manage their devices on their own. | YesCustomers activate and revoke their own devices | YesCustomers find their keys, free machines, cancel for a refund and manage their subscription | Yes | YesUser portal | Yes |
| Money back guaranteeCustomers cancel a license on their own during a set period: it stops working and their payment is refunded. | Not documented | YesSet in days on each offer, refunded through your Stripe account | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Subscription licensesLicenses that renew with each recurring payment and stop when the subscription ends, without code on your side. | NoRecurring packages are announced as coming soon | YesRecurring Stripe prices, valid while paid, every update included | YesLicense keys revoked when the subscription ends | YesRecurring Stripe prices create subscription licenses | YesKeys stay active while the subscription is, and expire with it |
| Stripe integrationLicenses are created from Stripe payments with no code on your side. | Yes | YesEach Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key | NoPayments are processed by Polar | Yes | NoPayments are processed by Lemon Squeezy |
| Merchant of recordThe vendor sells on your behalf and handles sales tax and VAT for you. | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Built-in checkoutA hosted checkout page sold with the tool. | Yes | NoUses your Stripe checkout or payment links | Yes | No | Yes |
| AnalyticsDashboards of licenses, usage or revenue. | Not documented | YesActive machines, versions, platforms, revenue, MRR and churn | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Test modeA separate environment or sandbox to build the integration. | Not documented | Yes | YesSandbox environment | YesDev environments | Yes |
| Audit logA history of what happened to each license. | Not documented | YesEvents on every license | Not documented | YesFrom Business Plus | Not documented |
| File hosting and downloadsThe vendor hosts your installers or packages. | YesElectron, Electron Builder, Composer, npm and PyPI updates | No | Yes | Not documented | Yes |
| Outgoing webhooksYour server is notified of license events. | Not documented | No | Yes | Not documented | Yes |
| Floating licensesA pool of seats shared by several machines, checked out and released. | Not documented | No | No | YesCloud and on-premise floating server | No |
| Usage meteringLicenses that count consumption, like API credits. | Not documented | No | YesUsage quotas on license keys | YesFrom Business Plus | Yes |
| SSO for your teamSign in to the dashboard with SAML or another identity provider. | Not documented | No | Not documented | Yes | Not documented |
| Self-hostingRun the licensing server on your own infrastructure. | No | No | Not documented | No | No |
| Open sourceThe service's source code is public. | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Methodology
See also
- Anystack vs LicenseManager
- Best Keygen alternatives in 2026
- Best LicenseSpring alternatives in 2026
- Best Cryptolens alternatives in 2026
- Best LimeLM alternatives in 2026
- Best Lemon Squeezy alternatives in 2026
- Best Polar alternatives in 2026
- Best Gumroad alternatives in 2026
- Best Moonbase alternatives in 2026
Start with LicenseManager's free plan
Every feature on every plan, and 100 active licenses on the Free plan.