Important: As of February 2023, Capture One has made changes to how licenses work. Read more about these changes here.
Capture One offers two license types:
- Perpetual license (one-time payment, lifetime access to a specific version)
- Subscription license (ongoing payments, access to latest versions)
Perpetual license
Pay once and own a license for life. The license activates the purchased version and any older versions.
Ensure your device meets the minimum system requirements to maintain compatibility.
Check your Max eligible version in your user account under Plans & Services Management.
When you purchase a perpetual license, for example Capture One 16.6, you'll receive all related service updates like 16.6.x, including bug fixes and improvements. However, new features and functionality are delivered in major versions only.
Capture One follows a "ship when ready" release model to provide new features more frequently. This may result in multiple major versions being released in a single year.
Upgrades to major versions are optional and are offered at a discount through the Capture One Loyalty Program. You decide whether to upgrade or continue using your current version.
If you prefer having the latest features as soon as they are released, a subscription plan would be the better choice.
Subscription license
Subscription licenses require monthly or annual payments. While active, they grant access to the latest Capture One version and allow activation of older versions.
Note: An internet connection is required to validate and maintain your subscription license, but continuous connection is not necessary. Validation occurs once every 30 days.
Subscription plans
| Subscription plan | Description |
|---|---|
| Annual prepaid | One yearly payment upfront. Renewal charges occur on the same date each year via your Order History. |
| Monthly | Pay month-to-month for maximum flexibility. |
Cancelling your subscription
Cancel your subscription through your Capture One account. See detailed instructions here.
Note: You’ll retain access until the end of your current billing cycle. After that, your license key will be disabled and access will end.
The number of activations per license
Capture One licenses are cross-platform compatible (macOS and Windows) and allow activation on a set number of machines. The activation limit depends on your license type.
For more information, see How many computers can I install Capture One on?
Backward compatibility
Capture One licenses are backwards compatible, meaning they can activate older versions as well.
For example, a Capture One 23 license can be used to activate older versions on devices that require them. Download older versions from here.
Important: Backward compatibility depends on whether your license is managed by FastSpring.
FastSpring licensing started with Capture One 11.3.2. You can check if your license is FastSpring-managed by viewing your Order History.
- Capture One Pro subscriptions: from version 11.3.2 onward
- Sony & Fujifilm subscriptions: from version 12 onward
- Nikon subscriptions: from version 20 (13.1.0) onward
- Legacy subscriptions (pre-Nov 2018): from version 8 onward (no longer sold)
Terms & Conditions
You can view the Terms and Conditions of your license purchases in your Capture One account under Plans & Services Management.