Licensing

PlanCAD uses an account-based license system. Your license is tied to your email address and stored locally as a signed token. No internet connection is required after activation.

Plans

PlanCAD offers three plan levels:

Feature	Free	Trial	Complete
Projects	1	Unlimited	Unlimited
Layers per project	10	Unlimited	Unlimited
PlanExpo integration	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pedestrian heatmap	Yes	Yes	Yes
Devices	1	2	2
Time limit	None	Trial period	License period

Free plan

The Free plan is the default when no activation token is present, or when a token cannot be verified. It supports one project and up to ten layers within that project. All drawing tools are available.

Trial plan

The Trial plan gives you full access to PlanCAD for the duration of your trial period. When the trial expires, PlanCAD automatically reverts to the Free plan limits. The remaining days in your trial are shown in the account section of the menu bar.

Complete plan

The Complete plan removes all project and layer limits. It is tied to a license key and an expiry date. If your license expires, PlanCAD reverts to the Free plan until the license is renewed.

Device Limit

A Complete or Trial license may be active on up to two devices simultaneously. If you need to activate on a third device, you must first deactivate one of the existing devices through your account portal before activating on the new one.

The Free plan is device-independent — it requires no activation and has no device limit.

Activation

Activation links your email address to a plan and stores a signed JWT token on your device. The token is verified locally on every launch using an embedded public key; no network call is needed after the initial activation.

Activating with an email code

This is the standard activation path for new users and for users upgrading from Free to Trial.

1. Launch PlanCAD. If no valid token is found, the Activation screen appears automatically. You can also open it from Help > Activate.
2. Enter your first name, last name, and email address, then click Send activation code.
3. PlanCAD sends a request to the activation server. A 6-character code is emailed to you.
4. Enter the code in the confirmation field and click Verify.
5. PlanCAD stores the signed token and applies your plan immediately. No restart is required.

The code is case-insensitive and expires after a short time. If you do not receive it within a few minutes, check your spam folder and request a new code by going back and resubmitting the form.

Activating with a license key

If you purchased a Complete plan and received a license key directly (for example, through a volume purchase or a reseller), you can activate without going through the email-code flow.

1. On the Activation screen, click I have a license key.
2. Enter your email address and your license key, then click Activate.
3. PlanCAD validates the key against the activation server, stores the signed token, and activates the Complete plan.

Your license key is a reusable identifier — keep it in a safe place. It is needed again if you activate on a second device or after deactivating and reactivating.

Trial Period

The trial period starts from the date your trial token is issued and ends at the trialExpiresAt timestamp embedded in the token. PlanCAD displays the number of days remaining in the account badge when you are on a Trial plan.

When the trial expires:

• PlanCAD continues to work under Free plan limits.
• Existing projects with more than one project file or more than ten layers remain readable but cannot be edited until you upgrade or reduce the project count and layer count to within the Free limits.
• Your token remains stored; you do not need to re-enter your email unless you upgrade.

To extend your trial or upgrade to Complete, contact PlanCAD support or purchase a license key through the website.

License Expiration

Complete plan licenses have an expiry date (licenseExpiresAt) embedded in the token. PlanCAD checks this date on every launch.

When a Complete license expires:

• PlanCAD reverts to the Free plan limits automatically.
• No data is lost; all your project files remain intact.
• You can renew your license by obtaining a new license key and activating it with I have a license key. Renewal replaces the stored token with an updated one.

Upgrading

To upgrade from Free or Trial to Complete:

1. Purchase a license key from the PlanCAD website.
2. Open Help > Activate (or launch PlanCAD if the activation screen appears).
3. Click I have a license key, enter your email and license key, and click Activate.

Your existing projects and settings are preserved. The new plan takes effect immediately.

Switching Devices

Your license can be active on up to two devices. To move your license to a different machine:

1. On the device you want to stop using, open Help > Account > Sign out to clear the local token and free up the device slot.
2. On the new device, go through the standard activation process — either email code or license key.

If you cannot sign out of the old device (e.g. the machine is no longer accessible), contact PlanCAD support to reset the device count on your account.

Signing Out

To remove your license from the current device, open Help > Account > Sign out. This clears the local token and access credentials. PlanCAD reverts to the Free plan on that device. Your account and license remain valid for use on other devices.