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Managing Pluton Pro License

This guide walks you through activating and deactivating licenses on your Pluton server and connected agents, and through managing the device slots on your subscription.

Activating License in Pluton PRO Server/Hub​

Activating the license on a Pluton PRO instance depends on the installation type.

Docker Instance​

On a Docker instance, set the LICENSE_KEY environment variable to your license key. Pluton PRO activates the license on startup, so you do not activate it from the UI. See Deploy Pluton PRO with Docker to install Pluton PRO and set the license key.

Desktop Instance​

On Windows and macOS desktop installs, the installer does not ask for a license key. You enter the key once from the web interface after the first launch.

  1. Open your Pluton PRO instance in the browser at http://localhost:5173.
  2. Log in with your admin credentials.
  3. A warning bar shows at the top of the app with an "Activate License" button. Click it.
  4. In the "Activate License" dialog, enter your license key in the "Enter License Key" field. The key starts with PLT-.
  5. Click "Activate License".
  6. Pluton confirms the activation and reloads the page. The PRO features are now active.

Server Instance​

On Linux server installs, you provide the license key during installation, so the key is already stored on the server. You still activate it once from the web interface to register this server against your account and take a hub slot.

  1. Open your Pluton PRO instance in the browser at your server address, for example http://your-server-ip:5173.
  2. Log in with your admin credentials.
  3. A warning bar shows at the top of the app with an "Activate License" button. Click it.
  4. In the "Activate License" dialog, enter the same license key you used during installation in the "Enter License Key" field.
  5. Click "Activate License".
  6. Pluton confirms the activation and reloads the page. The PRO features are now active.

Deactivating License in Pluton PRO Server/Hub​

To detach the license from a Pluton PRO server or hub instance and free the hub slot, you deactivate it from your Pluton account panel, not from the Pluton PRO instance.

Deactivate Pluton Pro License

  1. Log in to the Pluton Account Panel.
  2. Go to Subscriptions and click your subscription plan to open the detail view.
  3. Open the "Manage License" tab. Pluton selects this tab by default.
  4. Find the hub card at the top of the tab. It shows the hostname, the operating system, and the activation date of the connected instance.
  5. Click the "Deactivate Hub License" button.
  6. In the "Deactivate License" dialog, click "Yes, Deactivate".
  7. Pluton confirms the deactivation. The hub slot is now free, and "Hub Activated" in the summary changes to "No".

Note: When you remove a license activation from a connected Pluton PRO server, the PRO features of that Pluton PRO server instance stop working. Only the basic features continue to work as before.

Activating License in Pluton Agents​

A Pluton Agent does not use its own license key. It shares the license key of the Pluton PRO hub it connects to. When you add a device in the hub, Pluton builds a configuration file (pluton-agent.json) that already contains the hub license key. The agent activates itself against your account on first start and takes one device slot from your license.

Before you install an agent, make sure your license has a free device slot. Activating the license on an agent depends on the installation type.

Desktop Instance​

On Windows and Linux Desktop, you activate the license through the agent installer, which reads the configuration file from the hub.

  1. In the hub, go to Devices and click "Add Device".
  2. Enter the device details and click "Create Device".
  3. Download the pluton-agent.json configuration file for the new device.
  4. Run the agent installer on the device and import pluton-agent.json when prompted. The installer fills in the hub license key and the other credentials for you.
  5. Finish the installation. The agent starts, activates the license, and takes one device slot.
  6. Back in the hub, confirm the device shows as "Online". If it does not, click the "Verify Agent Installation" button.

For the full per-platform steps, see the device installation guides.

Server Instance​

On Linux Server, you activate the license through the install command, which carries the hub license key.

  1. In the hub, go to Devices and click "Add Device".
  2. Enter the device details and click "Create Device".
  3. Open the install panel and select the "Linux Server" tab.
  4. Copy the install command, which already includes the license key, or download the pluton-agent.json configuration file.
  5. Run the command on the server. The agent installs, starts, activates the license, and takes one device slot.
  6. Back in the hub, confirm the device shows as "Online". If it does not, click the "Verify Agent Installation" button.

For the full per-platform steps, see the device installation guides.

Deactivating License in Pluton Agents​

To detach the license from one device and free its device slot, you remove the device from your Pluton account panel.

Deactivate Pluton Agent License

  1. Log in to the Pluton Account Panel.
  2. Go to Subscriptions and click your subscription plan to open the detail view.
  3. Open the "Manage License" tab. Pluton selects this tab by default.
  4. Find the "Devices" heading below the hub card. It lists every device that you activated with this license, with its hostname, operating system, and activation date. The heading also shows how many of your device slots are in use.
  5. Click the trash icon on the device that you want to remove.
  6. In the "Remove Device" dialog, click "Yes, Remove".
  7. Pluton confirms the removal. The device slot is now free, and the count in the "Devices" heading decreases by one.

Note: Removing a license activation frees the device slot, but it does not stop an agent that is already installed on that device. To stop that device from backing up, uninstall the Pluton Agent from it. Any backups already created stay in your storage and are not deleted.

Managing Device Activation Slots​

Every subscription includes 5 device slots. To connect more devices, you add slots to your subscription as an addon. Each additional slot costs $12 per year on Pluton PRO and $24 per year on Pluton BIZ. You can also remove slots that you no longer need, down to the 5 included slots.

Deactivate Pluton Agent License

Your subscription must be active to change the slot count. The lowest count is 5 slots and the highest is 1000.

  1. Log in to the Pluton Account Panel.
  2. Go to Subscriptions and click your subscription plan to open the detail view.
  3. Open the "Manage License" tab. Pluton selects this tab by default.
  4. Click the "Manage Device Slots" button next to the "Devices" heading.
  5. In the "Manage Device Slots" dialog, enter the new total number of slots. This is the total count, not the number of slots that you add or remove.
  6. Wait while Pluton calculates the prorated amount. The dialog then shows your current slot count, the new slot count, the amount due today or the account credit, and the date and amount of your next billing.
  7. Confirm the change:
    • To add slots, click "Pay [amount] Now". Pluton charges the prorated amount to your payment method on file. The charge covers the added slots until your next billing date.
    • To remove slots, click "Downgrade to [number] Slots". Pluton gives you a prorated credit and applies it to your next billing.
  8. Pluton confirms the update. Click "Done" to close the dialog.

Note: Your payment provider applies the new limit, so the new slot count does not show immediately. Wait a few moments, then reload the page.

Frequently Asked Questions​

What happens when my Pluton PRO license expires?​

Your data stays safe. Pluton PRO does not delete any backups or settings when the license expires. You can still log in, view your backups and storages, and your existing scheduled backups and restores keep running.

Pluton PRO shows a warning bar at the top of the app, and these PRO actions stay blocked until you renew and activate the license again:

  • Creating Backup plan type other than the periodic backup plans.
  • Adding a new device or agent, and verifying or updating an agent.
  • Comparing, viewing, or downloading specific files from inside a backup.
  • Viewing or downloading files from a connected storage.

To restore full access, renew your license and activate it again from the warning bar. See Activating License in Pluton PRO Server/Hub.

Is there a grace period after the license expires?​

No. Pluton PRO does not have a grace period. The PRO actions above are blocked as soon as the license expires or becomes invalid. To avoid any interruption, renew the license before the expiry date.

What happens to my backup plans when an agent license expires or is removed?​

Your existing backup plans on the device keep running on their schedule. Pluton does not pause or stop them when the license expires or when you remove the device activation, and it does not delete anything on the device or in your storage. The agent keeps its configuration and backup data, and the backups already created stay available.

To stop a device from backing up, uninstall the Pluton Agent from it. Renew your license to keep your devices covered and to keep managing them from the hub. Adding, verifying, or updating agents from the hub needs an active license.

Do I lose my backups if the license expires or I remove a device?​

No. Pluton never deletes your backups when a license expires, becomes invalid, or when you remove a license activation. Your backup data stays in your storage and your agent configuration stays on the device. You only lose access to the PRO actions listed above until you renew.

How many device slots do I get, and what does an extra slot cost?​

Every subscription includes 5 device slots. Each additional slot costs $12 per year on Pluton PRO and $24 per year on Pluton BIZ. Pluton bills the extra slots on the same cycle as your subscription, and it prorates the first charge for the time left until your next billing date. The "Manage Device Slots" dialog shows the exact amount before you confirm. See Managing Device Activation Slots.

Your Pluton PRO server or hub instance does not use a device slot. It uses a separate hub slot.

What happens if I remove more device slots than I have free?​

Pluton does not deactivate any device. Your devices keep their activation and keep backing up, even if you now have more active devices than slots. However, you cannot activate a new device until the number of active devices is below the new limit. If you try, Pluton refuses the activation with a "Device limit reached" message.

To free a slot, remove a device as described in Deactivating License in Pluton Agents, or add slots again.