LicenseManagerComparison
Keygen vs Moonbase
Choosing between Keygen and Moonbase? Here's what each one offers and what it costs.
This page is written by the team behind LicenseManager, an alternative to both. Prices and features come from each vendor's public pricing page and documentation, checked on 2026-10-25. Report an error.
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.
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.
What you'd pay
Enter your price and monthly sales to compare Keygen, Moonbase and LicenseManager.
That's €2,450 of sales per month.
- With Keygen, you'd pay €28.92 less per month: Moonbase is 19% more expensive.
- With LicenseManager, you'd pay €56.14 less per month: Keygen is 56% more expensive.
- You'd save €85.06 per month with LicenseManager. Moonbase is 85% 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.
Keygen's advantages
No fee per sale
Moonbase takes at least 5% + €1 per sale, Keygen takes none: your cost doesn't grow with your price.
Self-hosting
Keygen can be self-hosted, while Moonbase is cloud only. Keygen CE (free) and Keygen EE (paid).
Lower cost in most cases
In 10 of 12 scenarios we computed, Keygen is the cheaper one. When 10 licenses sold per month at €19: Moonbase is 2.9x more expensive than Keygen, a difference of €13.44 per month.
Free tier
Keygen has a free plan with no fee on sales, up to 100 active licenses. Moonbase has no free tier without fees.
Other features
Keygen also has usage metering and open source, which Moonbase doesn't.
Official SDKs
Keygen has official SDKs for Go, which Moonbase doesn't.
When to choose Moonbase
Merchant of record
Unlike Keygen, Moonbase is the merchant of record and handles sales tax and VAT.
Official SDKs
For JUCE, C# (.NET), JavaScript, C++, and Rust, Moonbase has an official SDK and Keygen doesn't.
Subscription licenses
Moonbase keeps licenses valid while a subscription is paid, and stops them when it ends. Keygen leaves renewing licenses with subscription payments to your own code. Recurring price variations, with a grace period on failed payments.
Built-in checkout
Moonbase includes a hosted checkout, while Keygen has no checkout of its own.
Lower cost in some cases
Moonbase costs less than Keygen in 2 of 12 scenarios we computed. For example, with 30 licenses sold a month at €19 each: you'd save €44.83 per month with Moonbase. Keygen is 73% more expensive.
Features compared
| Feature | Keygen | Moonbase |
|---|---|---|
| Offline validationThe app can check a license without reaching the vendor's servers, usually with a signed file or token. | Yes | YesOffline activations, counted once per device |
| 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 | Yes |
| Perpetual licensesLicenses that never expire. | Yes | Yes |
| Updates for a limited timeCustomers keep the versions released while their license was valid, after it ends. | Yes | Not documented |
| Customer portalA page where customers find their keys and manage their devices on their own. | Not documented | YesCustomers manage activations and downloads |
| Subscription licensesLicenses that renew with each recurring payment and stop when the subscription ends, without code on your side. | NoYou renew and suspend licenses from your own Stripe webhook handler, or Zapier | YesRecurring price variations, with a grace period on failed payments |
| Stripe integrationLicenses are created from Stripe payments with no code on your side. | NoThrough Zapier, or your own webhook handler | NoPayments are processed by Moonbase |
| Merchant of recordThe vendor sells on your behalf and handles sales tax and VAT for you. | No | Yes |
| Built-in checkoutA hosted checkout page sold with the tool. | No | Yes |
| AnalyticsDashboards of licenses, usage or revenue. | Yes | Not documented |
| Test modeA separate environment or sandbox to build the integration. | YesCustom environments | Not documented |
| Audit logA history of what happened to each license. | Yes | Not documented |
| File hosting and downloadsThe vendor hosts your installers or packages. | YesDocker, npm, RubyGems, PyPI, Tauri, Electron and binaries | Yes |
| Outgoing webhooksYour server is notified of license events. | Yes | Not documented |
| Floating licensesA pool of seats shared by several machines, checked out and released. | Yes | Not documented |
| Usage meteringLicenses that count consumption, like API credits. | Yes | No |
| SSO for your teamSign in to the dashboard with SAML or another identity provider. | YesSAML on Ent tiers | Not documented |
| Self-hostingRun the licensing server on your own infrastructure. | YesKeygen CE (free) and Keygen EE (paid) | No |
| Open sourceThe service's source code is public. | Yes | No |
SDKs and languages
| Technology | Keygen | Moonbase |
|---|---|---|
| JavaScript | REST API | Node.js SDKLicensing SDK |
| Go | keygen-goLicensing SDK | REST API |
| C# (.NET) | REST API | .NET SDKLicensing SDK |
| C++ | REST API | C++ SDKLicensing SDK |
| Rust | REST API | Rust SDKLicensing SDK |
| JUCE | REST API | JUCE moduleLicensing SDK |
| REST APIUsable from any language | Yes | Yes |
Plans and limits
Keygen
| Plan | Per month | Active licenses (last 90 days) | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dev | $0 | 100 | 1 |
| Std 1 | $99 | 1,000 | 5 |
| Std 2 | $299 | 10,000 | Unlimited |
| Std 3 | $599 | 25,000 | Unlimited |
| Std 4 | $999 | 100,000 | Unlimited |
| Std 5 | $1,999 | 250,000 | Unlimited |
| Ent 1 | $2,999 | 250,000 | Unlimited |
| Ent 2 | $6,999 | 500,000 | Unlimited |
| Ent 3 | $9,999 | 1,000,000 | Unlimited |
- Active licensed users are licenses with API activity in the last 90 days.
- Paid tiers have soft limits.
- Keygen CE can be self-hosted for free, Keygen EE under a paid license.
- Whitelabel API domain: $995 per year per domain.
Moonbase
| Plan | Per month | Fee per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go | €0 | 5% + €1 |
- +1% for cards issued outside the EEA, +1.5% for PayPal, +1% for USD sales.
- First 10,000 license validations per month free, then €5 per 10,000.
- €5 per payout, €20 per chargeback.
Verdict
Keygen is a good fit for teams that need advanced licensing models, like floating or metered licenses, or want to self-host. Choose Moonbase for audio plugin makers (JUCE) and desktop developers who want a store and licensing from the EU. On price, Keygen is the cheaper one in 10 of the 12 scenarios we computed.
What sets Keygen apart here: no fee per sale, self-hosting, and lower cost in most cases.
An alternative to Keygen and Moonbase
At 50 sales a month at €49, LicenseManager costs €99.69 per month, below Keygen and Moonbase.
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.
Stripe integration
LicenseManager creates licenses from Stripe payments without code. Keygen has no native Stripe integration. Each Stripe payment or subscription creates a license and emails the key.
More SDKs
LicenseManager has official SDKs for Electron, Tauri, Swift, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Java, C# (.NET), and PHP, which Keygen doesn't.
Other comparisons
Start with LicenseManager's free plan
The Free plan includes every feature, for up to 100 active licenses. No credit card needed.