July 2026 – Effectively the end of the DirectAdmin Legacy License

[DirectAdmin Sales]

@darkus You could just deposit funds to your account and choose Balance as payment method, rather than credit card. Many do this to avoid subscriptions (like those who want to pay once for a year). Also, you can enable a low balance warning that gives a full month notice.

 

[sysdev]

Only because from my understanding is that if I convert the license to monthly payment, and then i forget to update my CC in a year from now when it expires and i am on vacation or sick or anything other, then my server would cease to work or atleast my control panel/access to my server would cease? That would be a total disaster and too much risk. For me, the essence of DA is to give us the power over a server, not to hand power of my server to a subscription plan. If i am missunderstanding the subscription, then that is totally my fault.

I dont know if you use software like phpstorm/idea products or Apple Developer program for iOS apps is similar. you pay a fee and that gets you what is available at the time. If you stop paying then what you already pay for doesnt break, it just continues in its old form. That is what the lifetime license is like to me right now, which is perfectly acceptable. The same concept translated to DA would mean no more new installations with that license unless your license is paid for and up to date at the time of install

The difference between DA with phpstorm or Apple is with the later two I can just pay for another year and move myself forward with my license and get the new updates or make a new installation or whatnot. There is no subscription required. With DA I cannot do that, I have to switch to the risky subsdcription model (unless my original understanding is incorrect, then please ignore

If I recall correctly (I have phpstorm and pycharm licenses but pay little attention to them licensewise), only the first year is full price. Even if you only have to pay once, this still is attractive to keep a subscription going.

 

[Richard G]

and then i forget to update my CC in a year from now when it expires and i am on vacation or sick or anything other, then my server would cease to work or atleast my control panel/access to my server would cease?

No the server would keep working, at least the services like websites and mail etc.. You might loose access to the panel when you don't pay, but that is easily restored after paying again.

What I mean with the pause option is the following. At this moment you have a lifetime license. If you don't need to use your license (especially if you have more than 1) for let's say a couple of months. Then after these monts you install your license and go further.
If you have converted your license to the 15/month modern version, that is no option. If you don't pay the license monthly, then it will become a normal 29/month license.
Probably if you proof that you've been ill and not able to pay for a month (which I can hardly imagine) they might restore the 15/month for you. But payment can be done automatically so hardly a reason not to be able to pay for a whole month in that month.
Edit: Just seen the reply of DA sales... so even other payment options are available.
Anyway, that is what I ment with "pause option".

For me, the essence of DA is to give us the power over a server, not to hand power of my server to a subscription plan.

Such thing is only possible with lifetime licenses which are not sold anymore, with good reason. Almost all software is going to subscribtion plans.
You can keep using your current license, but it's legacy so at a certain point you're using EOL OS and EOL software (like MariaDB).

You can't compare with other software, otherwise I could compare with Xenforo too or something like that. Unfortunately there are only few professional panels and they all stopped lifetime licenses. And their fees to keep them up to date (if even possible) are way more expensive.
Every company makes different choices when ending their lifetime structure for different reasons.

As customers we have to choose what we will do.

 

[darkus]

@darkus You could just deposit funds to your account and choose Balance as payment method, rather than credit card. Many do this to avoid subscriptions (like those who want to pay once for a year). Also, you can enable a low balance warning that gives a full month notice.

Interesting idea, maybe this is a good solution. is there a limit to how much i can preload the balance? I would actually love to fill it with say 5 years worth

Also do you know if i fill the balance, would it automatically remove from my balance or do i have to login every month and tell it to pay from balance (would prefer automatic)

thank you!

 

[darkus]

If I recall correctly (I have phpstorm and pycharm licenses but pay little attention to them licensewise), only the first year is full price. Even if you only have to pay once, this still is attractive to keep a subscription going.

Yes thats true, but besides the price discount, the convenience is bar none. Sometimes i go 6-8 months after forgetting to renew before i remeber to do it and im happy to do it to support the software and people while getting a new update that i dont necesarily need. its a good example of solid software with a solid base of users. i would bet DA has solid fans but I can see how some data centers could also try to rip off the DA people and their work, so i was just trying to think of a good middle ground to make everyone happy. I like the idea/phpstorm and Apple models

 

[darkus]

No the server would keep working, at least the services like websites and mail etc.. You might loose access to the panel when you don't pay, but that is easily restored after paying again.

What I mean with the pause option is the following. At this moment you have a lifetime license. If you don't need to use your license (especially if you have more than 1) for let's say a couple of months. Then after these monts you install your license and go further.
If you have converted your license to the 15/month modern version, that is no option. If you don't pay the license monthly, then it will become a normal 29/month license.
Probably if you proof that you've been ill and not able to pay for a month (which I can hardly imagine) they might restore the 15/month for you. But payment can be done automatically so hardly a reason not to be able to pay for a whole month in that month.
Edit: Just seen the reply of DA sales... so even other payment options are available.
Anyway, that is what I ment with "pause option".


Such thing is only possible with lifetime licenses which are not sold anymore, with good reason. Almost all software is going to subscribtion plans.
You can keep using your current license, but it's legacy so at a certain point you're using EOL OS and EOL software (like MariaDB).

You can't compare with other software, otherwise I could compare with Xenforo too or something like that. Unfortunately there are only few professional panels and they all stopped lifetime licenses. And their fees to keep them up to date (if even possible) are way more expensive.
Every company makes different choices when ending their lifetime structure for different reasons.

As customers we have to choose what we will do.

Absolutely agree with all you said. Just wanted to throw some ideas out there for the DA team in the chance it wasnt considered. Of course if their current model is working well for them then I am just a minority then it will be ok. I can find solutions as there always is one when it comes to computers in general, luckily

 

[DirectAdmin Sales]

Interesting idea, maybe this is a good solution. is there a limit to how much i can preload the balance? I would actually love to fill it with say 5 years worth

Also do you know if i fill the balance, would it automatically remove from my balance or do i have to login every month and tell it to pay from balance (would prefer automatic)

No monthly login needed. If you deposited that much, you could set it & forget it for 5 years.

 

[darkus]

No monthly login needed. If you deposited that much, you could set it & forget it for 5 years.

This might be the way, thank you!