HouseGRC

Licences and activation

The trial

A new installation runs every feature for 30 days, for up to 5 users. Settings ▸ Licence shows how many days are left. When the trial ends HouseGRC becomes read-only: everyone can still sign in, view, search and export, but nothing can be created or changed until a licence is added. Backups keep running, and administrators can still reset passwords and multi-factor sign-in and deactivate accounts.

Activating a licence

After you buy, the key is shown on screen, offered as a .lic file and emailed to you. Then:

  1. Sign in as an administrator.
  2. Open Settings ▸ Licence.
  3. Paste the key, or upload the .lic file, and choose Activate.

The key is checked inside your installation; HouseGRC does not contact us, so it works on isolated networks too. The page shows who the licence is for, the plan, the number of users and the date updates end. A key that does not cover the version you run is refused, with the reason.

From the server's command line, the same is:

docker compose exec -T -u app housegrc python -m housegrc.cli licence activate - < your-licence.lic
docker compose exec -u app housegrc python -m housegrc.cli licence show

Users

Your plan sets how many people can have an active account at once: everyone who can sign in counts, whatever their role. Deactivated accounts do not count, and vendors who answer a questionnaire through its link do not need an account. When the limit is reached, HouseGRC will not activate another account until one is deactivated or the licence is replaced with a larger one. A key for fewer users than are active is still accepted: everything keeps working, and new accounts wait until enough are deactivated.

Installations

A licence covers one production installation and one test or staging installation. Use the same key in both.

Renewal and the end of a licence

Licences never renew by themselves. To renew, buy a new licence and activate its key; it replaces the old one.

If you do not renew, you keep the right to use every version released while your licence was active. A version released after it ended becomes read-only with the old key, so upgrade only to versions your licence covers (the licence page shows the date). Older versions are available on request.

Moving or replacing a key

Moving to a new server keeps the licence: it is stored in the database. To replace a key, activate the new one; to remove one, choose Remove licence on the same page.