A perpetual license for a PDF editor is a license that allows you to use the software application indefinitely, without the need to pay for ongoing subscriptions or renewals. A subscription license, on the other hand, is a license that requires you to pay a recurring fee (usually monthly or annually) to continue using the software. There are many advantages to why a perpetual license may be better fit for someone looking to purchase a PDF editor, this article will provide you with those reasons.

One of the first and maybe best reasons a perpetual license is better than a subscription is the cost. A perpetual license can be more cost-effective in the long run compared to a subscription license. With a perpetual license there is no monthly subscription, you pay a one time fee for the software upfront and can use it indefinitely, whereas with a subscription license, you need to keep paying to continue using the software.

Another reason a perpetual license is more beneficial is the idea of ownership. With a perpetual license, in a sense, you own the license and have the freedom to continue using the application as you see fit or as long as the application works for you. With a subscription license, you are essentially renting the software and do not own it. If you stop paying, you can no longer continue using the software and in some cases you may lose access to some of the resources attached to the application such as documents that you may have stored in the vendor cloud storage.

Acquiring a perpetual license also comes with the benefit of flexibility. A perpetual license offers greater flexibility in terms of when and how you use the software. You may be able to install it on multiple devices and use it offline with less restrictions. With a subscription license, you are often limited to a certain number of devices (often only one device running) and require an active internet connection to use the software.

Finally, long term access is another advantage of a perpetual license over a subscription model. A perpetual license will provide access to the software for a lifetime (assuming you installed the application on your desktop or PC), even if the vendor discontinues the product or goes out of business. With a subscription license, you may lose access to the software if the vendor discontinues the product for instance or decide to raise the subscription fee or if you stop paying the subscription fee of course.

In conclusion, a perpetual license offers greater cost savings, some kind of ownership, flexibility, and long-term access compared to a subscription license. PDF Studio is one the few advanced PDF editors left that offers a perpetual license. A single user license for PDF Studio allows users to register the application on up to two computers. We discussed in this article the advantages of a perpetual license, but it’s important to consider your specific needs and usage patterns to determine which licensing model may work best for you.

Other PDF Editors that Offer Perpetual Licenses: Nitro PDF, Kofax, PDF Expert, PDF-XChange, and PDFChef