docs-v2/content/docs/self-host/enterprise-edition/faq.mdx

---
title: "Enterprise Edition FAQ"
description: "Common questions about Enterprise Edition licensing, editions, and limits"
---

<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="What features does Enterprise Edition include?">
  See [Features](/self-host/enterprise-edition/features). The Self-Hosted table on the pricing page is the list of what each plan includes.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What are Paid Features?">
  Paid Features are the capabilities unlocked by Enterprise Edition with a valid license key. Who pays depends on revenue: [personal use](/self-host/enterprise-edition/personal-use) is free under the threshold, and [commercial use](/self-host/enterprise-edition/commercial-use) is paid above it. The feature list is on the [features page](/self-host/enterprise-edition/features).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I use Enterprise Edition for personal projects?">
  Yes. Individuals and small organizations under the $100,000 USD revenue threshold can use Enterprise Edition for personal projects at no cost. [Apply for a free license](/self-host/enterprise-edition/personal-use).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Why would a business pay for self-hosted Enterprise Edition?">
  Paid tiers raise limits and unlock the capabilities listed in the [feature comparison](/self-host/enterprise-edition/features). [Commercial use](/self-host/enterprise-edition/commercial-use) covers how to buy a Starter, Scale, or custom license.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Is self-hosted Enterprise Edition the same as Pangolin Cloud?">
  Self-hosted Enterprise Edition runs on your own infrastructure with a license key on the `ee` Docker image. [Pangolin Cloud](https://app.pangolin.net/auth/signup) is a managed hosting option with its own tab on the [pricing page](https://pangolin.net/pricing#Self-Hosted). Both offer advanced features. The deployment model is different.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Is Enterprise Edition opt-in?">
  Yes. You can keep using Community Edition. Enterprise Edition means switching to the `ee` Docker image and activating a license key. See [Activate a license](/self-host/enterprise-edition/activate).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I switch between editions?">
  Switching is a container swap. Update the Docker image in your `docker-compose.yml` and restart the stack.

  - To Enterprise: `fosrl/pangolin:ee-latest` (or a pinned `ee-<version>` tag), then activate your license key at `/admin/license`
  - To Community: `fosrl/pangolin:latest` (or a pinned community tag)

  Community and Enterprise Edition share the same database schema, so there is no data migration. Enterprise-only features are disabled on the Community image.

  <Tip>
  Back up your database and configuration before switching editions.
  </Tip>
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I downgrade from Enterprise to Community Edition?">
  Yes. Change the Docker image from `fosrl/pangolin:ee-latest` to `fosrl/pangolin:latest` (or the matching community version tag), then restart:

  ```bash
  sudo docker compose down && sudo docker compose up -d
  ```

  The database schema is the same, so existing data stays. Enterprise-only features are disabled on the Community image.

  <Tip>
  Back up your database and configuration before switching.
  </Tip>
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What happens if my license expires?">
  Enterprise features are disabled. Renew the license to turn them back on. This is separate from going over a [user or site limit](/self-host/enterprise-edition/limits), which can show the same red banner while the key itself is still valid.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="The banner says my license is invalid, but the key shows as valid. What does that mean?">
  The red banner reads:

  > Invalid or expired license keys detected. Follow license terms to continue using all features.

  If the key row is valid and the host shows **Unlicensed**, the usual cause is too many registered users, sites, or machine clients. Read [License limits](/self-host/enterprise-edition/limits) before you clear or re-register the key. Re-registering does not fix a capacity violation.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Do machine clients count toward the user limit?">
  No. Machine clients that authenticate with an ID and secret are not tied to a user account, so they do not count toward the user quantity. They have their own machine client limit on the license (on published tiers it matches the site ceiling). Devices attached to a person do not count separately either; the registered account does. Details are on [License limits](/self-host/enterprise-edition/limits).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Do archived or blocked users count?">
  Yes, until you delete the account. Archiving or blocking a device leaves the account in place, and that account still counts.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Does a user in more than one organization count once?">
  Once. The limit is accounts on the server, not memberships.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="How many license keys do I need?">
  One key per Pangolin server. A server is one database. You cannot share a single key across multiple servers.

  You can put more than one key on the same server. Capacity adds together. See [License limits](/self-host/enterprise-edition/limits).
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Can I get a trial license?">
  Businesses that need a paid license can request a free limited trial from [sales@pangolin.net](mailto:sales@pangolin.net). Include your organization details and which features you want to evaluate.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="What if I'm unsure about my license type?">
  Email [sales@pangolin.net](mailto:sales@pangolin.net) with your organization details.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Are there special terms for educational institutions, non-profits, or government organizations?">
  No. Educational institutions, non-profits, and government organizations follow the same license terms as everyone else and are not considered personal use. There are no separate exceptions. We do offer discounted pricing for some non-profits and government organizations.

  <Info>
  If you have questions about how your organization's revenue is calculated, contact [sales@pangolin.net](mailto:sales@pangolin.net).
  </Info>
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>