LicenseManagerCompare
Anystack vs LicenseManager
A side-by-side look at Anystack and LicenseManager: what each one does, which SDKs they ship, and what they cost at your volume.
This page is written by the LicenseManager team. Prices and features come from each vendor's public pricing page and documentation, checked on 2026-10-25. Report an error.
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.
Anystack
Sales, licensing and distribution platform
A platform to sell, license and distribute software, with a checkout on your Stripe account.
- Free tier
- No monthly fee, 15% per sale
- Paid plans from
- $39 / month
- Fee per sale
- 4% to 15%
- Billed on
- Active licenses
Best for: Developers who want checkout, licensing and auto-updates for Electron or PHP packages in one tool.
Price comparison
Monthly cost of Anystack and LicenseManager for your sales, from their published prices.
€2,970 in monthly sales.
- You'd save €218 per month with LicenseManager. Anystack is 3x more expensive.
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.
Where LicenseManager fits better
Lower cost
LicenseManager costs less than Anystack in all 12 scenarios we computed. For example, with 10 licenses sold per month at €49: you'd save €73.50 per month with LicenseManager. Anystack is 6.2x more expensive.
No fee per sale
LicenseManager 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
For Swift, Go, Java, and C# (.NET), LicenseManager has an official SDK and Anystack doesn't.
Subscription licenses
LicenseManager keeps licenses valid while a subscription is paid, and stops them when it ends, while Anystack leaves renewing licenses with subscription payments to your own code. Recurring Stripe prices, valid while paid, every update included.
Free to start
LicenseManager has a free plan with no fee on sales, up to 100 active licenses. Anystack has no free tier without fees.
Cheaper first paid plan
The first paid plan is €29 per month on LicenseManager, and $39 on Anystack.
When Anystack is the better choice
Built-in checkout
Anystack includes a hosted checkout, while LicenseManager has no checkout of its own.
File hosting and downloads
Anystack hosts your installers and downloads. LicenseManager doesn't host your files. Electron, Electron Builder, Composer, npm and PyPI updates.
SDK coverage
For WordPress, Anystack has an official SDK and LicenseManager doesn't.
Feature comparison
Features the vendor doesn't document are marked as such, not as missing.
| Feature | LicenseManager | Anystack |
|---|---|---|
| Offline validationThe app can check a license without reaching the vendor's servers, usually with a signed file or token. | YesEd25519-signed tokens, checked offline | Not documented |
| Machine activation limitsA license can be limited to a number of devices, enforced by the service. | Yes | Yes |
| TrialsTime-limited licenses to let users try the app. | Yes | Not documented |
| Perpetual licensesLicenses that never expire. | Yes | Yes |
| Updates for a limited timeCustomers keep the versions released while their license was valid, after it ends. | YesCustomers keep the last version released in their period | YesAccess limited to the latest release at expiry |
| Customer portalA page where customers find their keys and manage their devices on their own. | YesCustomers find their keys, free machines, cancel for a refund and manage their subscription | YesCustomers activate and revoke their own devices |
| Money back guaranteeCustomers cancel a license on their own during a set period: it stops working and their payment is refunded. | YesSet in days on each offer, refunded through your Stripe account | Not documented |
| Subscription licensesLicenses that renew with each recurring payment and stop when the subscription ends, without code on your side. | YesRecurring Stripe prices, valid while paid, every update included | NoRecurring packages are announced as coming soon |
| Stripe integrationLicenses are created from Stripe payments with no code on your side. | YesEach Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key | Yes |
| Merchant of recordThe vendor sells on your behalf and handles sales tax and VAT for you. | No | No |
| Built-in checkoutA hosted checkout page sold with the tool. | NoUses your Stripe checkout or payment links | Yes |
| AnalyticsDashboards of licenses, usage or revenue. | YesActive machines, versions, platforms, revenue, MRR and churn | Not documented |
| Test modeA separate environment or sandbox to build the integration. | Yes | Not documented |
| Audit logA history of what happened to each license. | YesEvents on every license | Not documented |
| File hosting and downloadsThe vendor hosts your installers or packages. | No | YesElectron, Electron Builder, Composer, npm and PyPI updates |
| Outgoing webhooksYour server is notified of license events. | No | Not documented |
| Floating licensesA pool of seats shared by several machines, checked out and released. | No | Not documented |
| Usage meteringLicenses that count consumption, like API credits. | No | Not documented |
| SSO for your teamSign in to the dashboard with SAML or another identity provider. | No | Not documented |
| Self-hostingRun the licensing server on your own infrastructure. | No | No |
| Open sourceThe service's source code is public. | No | No |
SDKs and languages
Licensing SDKs handle validation in your app. API clients wrap the REST API.
| Technology | LicenseManager | Anystack |
|---|---|---|
| Electron | @licenseman/electronLicensing SDK | Electron integrationLicensing SDK |
| JavaScript | TypeScript SDKAPI client | Node.js integrationLicensing SDK |
| Python | Python SDKAPI client | Python integrationLicensing SDK |
| Go | Go SDKAPI client | REST API |
| Java | Java SDKAPI client | REST API |
| C# (.NET) | C# SDKAPI client | REST API |
| PHP | PHP SDKAPI client | PHP integrationLicensing SDK |
| Ruby | Ruby SDKAPI client | Ruby integrationLicensing SDK |
| Swift | licensemanager-swiftLicensing SDK | REST API |
| Tauri | tauri-plugin-licensemanagerLicensing SDK | Tauri integrationLicensing SDK |
| WordPress | REST API | WordPress integrationLicensing SDK |
| REST APIUsable from any language | YesWith an OpenAPI document | Yes |
Every plan
LicenseManager
| Plan | Per month | Active licenses (last 90 days) | API requests / month | Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | 100 | 10,000 | 3 |
| Startup | €29 | 1,000 | 100,000 | 10 |
| Standard | €99 | 5,000 | 1,000,000 | Unlimited |
| Custom | Custom | Unlimited | Unlimited | - |
- Every feature is on every plan, plans only differ by their limits.
- No fee on sales: payments go to your own Stripe account.
- Over a limit, a 7-day grace period starts and the app keeps working.
Anystack
| Plan | Per month | Fee per sale | Active licenses | Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exclusive | $0 | 15% | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Growth | $39 | 10% | 500 | 5 |
| Pro | $79 | 7% | 2,500 | 10 |
| Managed | $149 | 4% | 5,000 | 25 |
| Custom | Custom | - | Unlimited | - |
- The platform fee applies only to sales through Anystack's hosted checkout.
- Payments go to your own Stripe account, Stripe fees apply.
- Yearly billing gets one month free.
Summary
Choose LicenseManager for indie developers and small teams selling desktop apps with Stripe, who want licensing without building a backend. Choose Anystack for developers who want checkout, licensing and auto-updates for Electron or PHP packages in one tool. In 12 of 12 price scenarios, LicenseManager costs less than Anystack.
In short, LicenseManager stands out for lower cost, no fee per sale, and official SDKs.
Other comparisons
Start with LicenseManager's free plan
Every feature on every plan, and 100 active licenses on the Free plan.