LIC

Licensing & Tiers

Free, Enthusiast, and Professional feature tiers

How TabDSP Licensing Works

TabDSP uses a three-tier system. The Free tier gives you a professional graphic EQ with real-time spectrum analysis, linear phase mode, M/S processing, and RMS metering. Upgrading to Enthusiast or Professional unlocks additional modules and features.

All audio processing happens locally in your browser regardless of tier. Upgrading unlocks more tools — it does not change the quality of the tools you already have.

Feature Comparison

Feature Free Enthusiast Professional
8-Band Graphic EQ Included Included Included
Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer Included Included Included
Linear Phase EQ Mode Included Included Included
Mid/Side Processing Included Included Included
RMS Metering Included Included Included
Input & Output Gain Included Included Included
Single-Band Compressor - Included Included
Module Reordering - Included Included
Multiband Compressor - - Included
True Peak Limiter - - Included
LUFS Metering - - Included
LUFS Stack (M/S/I meters, Target Validator, Histogram) - - Included
LRA (Loudness Range measurement) - - Included
All Presets All (locked features bypassed) Enthusiast presets All presets
Free Tier Is Genuinely Useful

The Free tier is not a crippled demo. The 8-band graphic EQ with real-time spectrum analysis, linear phase mode, and M/S processing is a powerful tool on its own. Many users will find it covers their needs entirely.

Preset Availability

All presets are available on every tier. If a preset uses features from a higher tier (compressor, multiband, limiter), those modules remain bypassed — the preset's EQ settings apply normally. Locked presets show a lock icon in the preset list.

Get a License

Upgrade to unlock additional modules and features. All purchases include 6 device activations and are processed securely through Lemon Squeezy.

Enthusiast

For listeners who want more control

  • Everything in Free
  • Single-Band Compressor
  • Module Reordering
  • Enthusiast presets
Get Enthusiast

Professional

The full studio toolkit

  • Everything in Enthusiast
  • Multiband Compressor
  • True Peak Limiter
  • LUFS Metering & LUFS Stack
  • LRA (Loudness Range)
  • All presets unlocked
Get Professional
Secure Checkout

All payments are processed securely by Lemon Squeezy, a trusted merchant of record. Each license key can be activated on up to 6 devices. Both subscription (monthly/annual) and perpetual (lifetime) options are available.

License Types

Both Enthusiast and Professional tiers are available as:

  • Subscription (Monthly or Annual): Access for the duration of your subscription. Cancel anytime.
  • Perpetual (Lifetime): One-time purchase. Yours forever, no recurring payments.
▶ Gear Head Details

Subscription licenses have an expiration date and are re-validated every 24 hours via background check. If the subscription lapses or cannot be validated within the 7-day offline grace period, the extension reverts to Free tier.

Perpetual licenses have no expiration date. They are re-validated periodically (every 30+ days) with a 90-day offline grace period. Even if you lose internet for months, your license remains active.

Grandfathered licenses are permanently active with no validation or expiration. See the Grandfather Clause section below.

Device Limiting

Each license key can be activated on up to 6 devices. Your current activation count is displayed in the license panel within the extension.

If you reach the limit, you can deactivate the license on a device you no longer use (via the extension's license panel) to free up a slot.

Activating a License

After purchasing a license, you'll receive a license key in the format XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXXX. To activate it:

  1. Open the TabDSP popup by clicking the extension icon
  2. Click the tier badge in the header area (it shows your current tier, e.g., "FREE")
  3. The License Panel will appear
  4. Enter your license key in the input field
  5. Click Activate
  6. The extension will validate your key with the license server and unlock your tier

Once activated, your tier badge will update to show ENTHUSIAST or PROFESSIONAL, and the corresponding modules will be unlocked immediately.

Deactivating a License

To deactivate your license (e.g., when switching devices):

  1. Open the TabDSP popup
  2. Click the tier badge to open the License Panel
  3. Click Deactivate
  4. Your activation slot is freed, and the extension reverts to Free tier on this device

Automatic deactivation on uninstall: When you uninstall TabDSP, your browser opens a deactivation page that automatically frees your activation slot. No manual action needed.

Offline Behavior

TabDSP works fully offline. Your licensed features remain active during offline grace periods:

  • Subscription licenses: 7-day grace period. If you're offline for more than 7 days, the extension reverts to Free tier until it can re-validate.
  • Perpetual licenses: 90-day grace period. You can be offline for months without losing access.

Once you reconnect, the extension re-validates automatically and restores your tier.

Grandfather Clause

If you had TabDSP installed before the tier system was introduced, you are automatically granted a permanent Professional tier license at no cost. This is our way of thanking early adopters.

Grandfathered licenses:

  • Never expire
  • Require no license key
  • Are not subject to validation or device limits
  • Are applied automatically when the extension updates to a version with the tier system
▶ Gear Head Details

The grandfather clause is triggered by the onInstalled event handler in background.js. On extension update (not fresh install), if tabdsp_license_v1 doesn't exist but tabdsp_global_v1 does (indicating the user had settings from a pre-tier version), the handler writes a permanent Professional license with licenseType: "grandfathered". Grandfathered licenses bypass all server validation and deactivation API calls.

What Locked Features Look Like

When a module is locked by your current tier, it appears with a lock indicator on its module block in the header. Clicking a locked module or trying to use its keyboard shortcut will display an upgrade prompt with information about which tier unlocks that feature.

Presets that use features from a higher tier are marked with a lock icon in the preset list, so you can see at a glance which presets require an upgrade.