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FAQ

Qt Commercial Licensing

  • 1. What is a subscription license?

    Customers can purchase subscription licenses for various time periods, and are entitled to use the software during the agreed upon time period. The subscription payment includes software licenses, access to support services, and new versions of the software as they are released. When the subscription expires, the customer does not have access to use or distribute commercial software developed with Qt.

     

  • 1.0. When do I need a Qt for Application Development and when a Qt for Device Creation license?
    • If you create a device, you need Qt for Device Creation License. When you build a hardware that incorporates, integrates, or links to parts of Qt’s software libraries, it is a device. Also, when the main intended use case of a hardware product depends on Qt’s products and there are no other means for using the hardware for its main intended use case, the hardware is considered a device.
    • The Qt for Application Development license is sufficient to create applications that run on desktop PCs, mobile phones, or tablets. These kinds of computers are typically used also for reading email, browsing the Internet and so on. A Qt-based application is only one of many applications on these computers. The main use case of these computers is not dedicated to the use of your Qt-based application.
    Contact us to learn more.
  • 2.11. My license has expired; can I continue to get new versions or updates if I do not renew the license?

    No. You must have an active license in order to get new versions/updates and receive support from The Qt Company.

  • 2.12. I have licenses for the whole development team; can I renew it only for some members of my team?

    All the developers that develop with Qt will need to have an active license. If the whole team develops with Qt, then they all need to have a valid license.

  • 2.13. If I have started development of a project using the open source version (LGPL), can I later purchase a commercial version of Qt and move my code under that license?

    This is not permitted without written consent from The Qt Company. If you have already started the development with an open-source version of Qt, please contact The Qt Company to resolve the issue. If you are unsure of which license or version to use when you start development, we recommend you contact The Qt Company to advise you on the best choice based on your development needs.

  • 2.15. Do the Qt commercial licenses allow for easy publishing to the Apple App Store?

    Yes. The Qt commercial licenses allow publishing to the Apple AppStore or other stores (including those that require static linking).

  • 2.16. Which commercial Qt version grants rights to modify libraries?

    All commercially licensed Qt versions allow modification of Qt libraries.

    If you need technical support related to building Qt from source codes, at the minimum, Standard Support offered by The Qt Company is needed. Standard Support is included to our term licenses. If you need technical support for your modified Qt libraries, Premium Support offered by the Qt Company is required.

  • 2.17. Do the commercial Qt license agreements grant the right to do static linking of Qt libraries with applications?

    Yes.

  • 2.18. Can I distribute Qt binaries in conjunction with my desktop / mobile application?

    Yes. Distribution of Qt libraries in binary form in conjunction with the developed application is allowed under the Qt for Application Development license agreements. A separate agreement is not needed. The platforms for which you have the right to distribute are listed in your license certificate (in your Qt Account).

  • 2.2. What is a term license?

    With a term license of Qt for Application Development or Qt for Device Creation, you pay a recurring fee during the time you develop with Qt and distribute the developed applications. You receive all updates and will be able to access online systems. After the term ends, you are no longer entitled to develop with Qt or further distribute the applications developed with Qt. Applications already distributed can be used, but not maintained.

  • 2.20. What does a ‘joint hardware and software distribution’ mean in practice?

    If you are making an embedded device with Qt, you most likely will have ‘joint hardware and software distribution’ as described in the Qt License Agreement. This is subject to a distribution fee, please contact us for more information.

  • 2.21. Does Qt commercial licensing allow for source code distribution of Qt libraries or tools?

    No, it does not. Qt libraries may be distributed in binary form only with the application.

  • 2.7. Can some developers in our team working on the same project use open-source version of Qt and some developers use Commercial version of Qt?
    No. Each developer must have their own assigned Qt license. Mixing Qt commercial licenses with Qt open-source licenses in one project/product is not permitted.
  • Can a commercial license be assigned to another person?

    Yes. A License Manager, that needs to be assigned for each organization using Qt, can assign licenses from one user to another in Qt’s customer portal. Note that the License Manager can reassign a license only once within six months. Qt’s Support Center can nominate the License Manager from any of the license holders within the company.

  • Can I continue to distribute my application after my developer license has expired?

    If you purchased your licenses under the Qt License Agreement 4.4 (released in Feb 2022) or later, you can continue to distribute your applications after your subscription has expired. Distribution of devices is subject to having acquired the corresponding Distribution Licenses. However, you are not allowed to make any changes to the software including bug fixes or security updates using Qt’s tools.

    With older Qt License Agreements, there are more limitations on distributing the applications or using already purchased Distribution Licenses beyond the expiration of your license.

    If you are unsure, you can check your License Agreement version from your Qt Account customer portal or contact Qt Sales.

  • Can I continue to distribute my application with my device after my license has expired?

    Yes, if you have unused distribution licenses, you may continue distributing the applications with your device, if you have licensed Qt under Qt License Agreement version 4.4 (released in Feb 2022) or later. Otherwise, you have 6 months to utilize your Distribution Licenses after the end of your developer license term.
    You are however not allowed to access Qt updates or use Qt tools or libraries to further develop or maintain the applications for the device. We recommend that for maintenance and security reasons you maintain at least one Qt developer license.

  • Can I continue to use Qt tools or libraries after the subscription has expired?

    No. If you are a subscription license holder, your rights to continue using the tools, APIs and libraries or access to any updates will expire when the subscription expires, or the subscription is cancelled. You will not have the rights to future development.

  • Can I distribute Qt binaries in conjunction with my desktop or mobile application?

    Yes. Distribution of Qt libraries in binary form in conjunction with the developed application is allowed.

  • Can I install Qt on one computer for coding and other Qt components on another computer as a build server?

    Yes. You can install the Qt framework and our development tools to up to five computers. Our licenses are per named individual, so all members of your team using Qt need to have a valid license. For example, Qt software running on build server established using your license may not be accessed by a user without license. Misuse may lead to payment entitlement of all applicable license fees retrospectively.

  • Can I lock devices to prevent users from tampering with them when I have a commercial license?

    Yes. Locking of devices, also known as Tivoization, is allowed under the commercial license.

  • Can I mix different commercial license types in one project or product?

    Designer licenses can be mixed freely with developer licenses. In other words, any designer license, Qt Design Studio Professional or Enterprise, can be used with any developer license such as Qt for Application Development Professional/Enterprise or Qt for Device Creation Professional/Enterprise.
    All members of the same product / project team need to have same Qt developer license type; Qt for Application Development Professional/Enterprise or Qt for Device Creation Professional/Enterprise. For example, one part of the team cannot be using a license for Qt for Device Creation Professional and another part Qt for Device Creation Enterprise as it would create difficulties to manage which user can use which feature.
    Likewise, all designers in the design team must have same designer license type, either Qt Design Studio Professional or Qt Design Studio Enterprise.

  • Can I use one license for multiple projects (applications or devices)?

    Yes, you can use your commercial license to design, develop or test multiple products.
    A Qt for Application Development license can be used for creating many different application products on generic desktop and mobile targets. Likewise, a Qt for Device Creation license can be used for all Qt for Application Development use cases as well as for creating multiple products.
    Only the Qt for Device Creation Distribution licenses and Qt Extended Support are dedicated for a specific  product.

  • Do I have to purchase a commercial license for every user in our team?

    If you have chosen the commercial licensing, each Qt user must have their own assigned Qt commercial license. UI Designers, Technical Artists, Software Developers, or Test Automation Engineers might have different kind of Qt licenses, but every single person needs a valid subscription license. It is not permitted to mix Qt commercial licensees with open-source licensees in the design, development and testing of one hardware device or application. The Qt Company has the right to audit the use of commercial Qt products.

  • Do I need to have a distribution license to distribute my application with a hardware device?

    To provide or distribute a Qt-based application on devices under Qt commercial license, distribution licenses are also required. This means if your device incorporates or integrates parts of the Qt software libraries or if the main functionality of the device depends on Qt’s products regardless of whether Qt’s products are distributed or not, then you need a distribution license.

  • Do the commercial Qt license agreements grant the right to do static linking of Qt libraries with applications?

    Yes, unlike some open-source setups, static linking is allowed with a commercial Qt license.

  • Does Qt commercial licensing allow for source code distribution of Qt libraries or tools?

    No, it does not. Qt libraries may be distributed in binary form only with the application.

  • How can I upgrade from one Qt product edition to another one?

    Please contact Qt sales for discussing the best possible upgrade choice.

  • How long is the free evaluation period?
    The commercial evaluation term  is typically 10 days. During that time, you can develop with Qt, but you are not allowed to distribute your applications before you purchase a commercial license. After the free trial period, you need to either purchase a license or cease from using the Qt framework and tools.
  • I have acquired an Qt for MCUs subscription before 2022 - What will happen to my license at the end of the subscription?

    Your subscription will be automatically converted to the corresponding license which contains all the same features during the autorenewal at the end of the term. If you have the Qt for MCUs Essential package, then this will be renewed to the Qt for Device Creation Professional license. If you have the Qt for MCUs Ultimate license, then the license will be converted to an Qt for Device Creation Enterprise license.

  • I have purchased a Qt for Application Development or a Qt for Device Creation subscription before 2022 - What happens at the end of my subscription?

    Your subscription will be automatically converted to the corresponding license which contains all the same features during the autorenewal at the end of the term. For licensees of the Qt for Application Development license, this will be Qt for Application Development Enterprise license. If you have a Qt for Device Creation license, then the license will be converted to an Qt for Device Creation Professional license unless you have acquired components previously licensed for the automotive industry. In that case, your license will be converted to the Qt for Device Creation Enterprise license.

  • I intend to access Qt's APIs through a wrapper, do I still need a license?

    Yes. Wrappers do not block the licenses of the libraries they wrap. Licenses are passed on through the wrapper, hence developers using the wrapper must comply to the wrapped libraries’ licenses.

  • Is there a difference between the commercial license bought online and the commercial license bought via a sales manager?

    The features and functionality and license are the same. The only difference are the payment options.

  • Under the Qt commercial licenses, can I add new functionality and distribute Qt Creator?

    No. Distribution of Qt Creator is prohibited without a separate agreement with The Qt Company.

  • We have started to develop a product with an open source license - How can we upgrade to a commercial Qt license?

    You can convert from developing under open source to commercial terms and conditions by contacting the Qt Company. The commercial license does not by default allow using of code created under open source license, thus you will need to contact the Qt Company to help you with the transition.

  • When do I need a license to use Qt’s framework, tools, or libraries?

    To protect the interest of the creators and maintainers of Qt, every user of Qt must either have a valid commercial license or needs to agree to the open-source terms and conditions. The commercial Qt license gives you the full rights to create and distribute software on your own terms without any open source license obligations. The Qt open-source licensing is ideal for use cases such as open source projects with open-source distribution, student/academic purposes, hobby projects, internal research projects without external distribution, or other projects where all GPL and LGPL obligations can be met.