License and trial
PATerminal is free to try for 30 days with every feature. After that, a license keeps the advanced features on; the basics keep working for free and your data is never deleted.
Written for PATerminal v1.8.3
The free trial
The trial starts on first launch and needs no account, key, or card. Banners remind you when 7, 3, and 1 days are left. Settings → License always shows how many days remain.
What happens when it ends
| Keeps working for free | Needs a license |
|---|---|
| Sessions, groups, notes, pins, and colors | A third pane and beyond in a session |
| Up to two panes per session | Broadcast input |
| The path bar and folder browser | Pair mode |
| Viewing everything you already have | Quick phrases |
| History and prompt history | |
| The Git window and the pane bar's Git controls |
Locked features show a 🔒 and open the purchase page. Existing sessions with more panes are still restored intact. Thirty days after the trial ends, a one-time 7-day re-trial is offered (Start a 7-day re-trial).
Activate a license
- Buy a plan on the pricing page. Your key arrives by email from Polar.
- In PATerminal, click 🔑 at the bottom of the sidebar (or Settings → License).
- Paste the key and press Register.
Devices
One license covers one person on up to three devices, macOS and Windows mixed. If you hit the limit, PATerminal lists the Registered devices so you can remove one and continue (Remove and continue). To retire a device yourself, open Settings → License on it and press Remove key.
Offline use
The license is re-checked every 7 days, with a 30-day grace period. Being offline just skips the check — a failed or missing check never takes features away mid-work. License validation sends only your key, a device label, and the app version; nothing you type ever leaves your computer.
Building from source
The source is public on GitHub. Under the EULA, an individual may build and modify it for personal, non-commercial use; self-built copies have no trial and no lock. They don't get signing, automatic updates, or support.
Still stuck?
Check the FAQ, or email us with your OS, PATerminal version, and what you tried. We reply to every message.