Licences and editions

Wiki / Operations

Choose an edition

Set GDB_LICENSE_MODE=personal or developer in your Compose environment for a free edition. Without a key or explicit mode, the server uses Developer. A fresh instance needs no key, registration or online activation for Developer. Commercial deployments require a Commercial licence; the server cannot infer whether a keyless workload is being used commercially.

For Personal, add a compose.override.yaml beside the Docker quickstart file:

services:
  db:
    cpus: 1
    environment:
      GDB_LICENSE_MODE: personal

Run docker compose up -d db to apply the change. Personal requires at most one allocated CPU. Both free editions support reads, writes, Cypher, GDS and APOC.

Personal and Developer permit one active user database plus system. GDB_INITIAL_DATABASE selects the active database at startup. Other persisted user databases stay offline and untouched; restart with a different selection to switch. Creating an additional active database returns a licence restriction. Commercial supports multiple active user databases. This limit is implemented in the new server build; already published older image tags retain their previous behaviour until upgraded.

Commercial term totals are $400 for one year, $740 for two years, $1,000 for three years, or $1,500 for five years, per core, per instance, in USD. Longer-term amounts cover the entire selected term.

The current licence metric is allocated logical CPUs, rather than all physical cores on a host. A fractional CPU quota rounds up: 1.5 allocated CPUs requires two licensed cores. Set a container CPU limit that matches your purchased capacity.

Free 30-day Commercial evaluation

Use an evaluation to test multiple active user databases and native server backup/restore before buying. Cypher, GDS, APOC and indexes remain available as usual.

• Who qualifies: a signed-in account with a verified email address that has never received an evaluation. Previous administrator-issued evaluations count.
• Limit: one evaluation per account, for one instance and its selected allocated CPU count. Expiry, reissue and upgrading do not reset this limit.
• Duration: exactly 30 days from generating the key, not from installing it. Self-service evaluations have no additional grace period.
• Cost: free. No payment details, subscription or automatic charge.
• Use: development and testing only, including evaluation within a business. Use a test instance rather than a business production database.

Generate your key

1. Start a test instance using the Docker quickstart. It starts in free Developer mode without a key.
2. In Explorer or your database client, run CALL gdb.license();. Copy the instance ID and allocated CPU count. Use the allocation reported by Galactus, not the total cores on the physical host.
3. Register on the Galactus DB website, verify your email, and sign in.
4. Open Your account → Try Commercial free for 30 days. Enter your licensee or organisation, instance ID and allocated CPU count. Check these before submitting: the key is bound to this instance and allocation.
5. Read and accept the evaluation conditions, then select Generate evaluation key. Your 30 days start immediately.
6. Select Download licence on the new evaluation card. The card shows the exact expiry date and time in UTC. Follow Install a Commercial licence below; evaluation keys use the same installation steps and commercial mode.

If your account already received an evaluation, the form is replaced with a message. You can download the existing key again. Reissue key replaces its token without changing the instance, CPU count or expiry. Contact support if you entered the wrong details or need an administrator-reviewed extension.

At expiry and when upgrading

At expiry, writes and restore stop. Reads and entitled native backup exports remain available so you can retrieve your data. Removing the evaluation key does not return that data directory to free Developer mode. To keep writing to it, install a paid Commercial key.

To upgrade without moving your data:

1. On the evaluation card, select Upgrade to paid Commercial.
2. The purchase form fills in the existing licensee, instance ID, CPU count and licence ID. Keep those values unchanged and choose a paid term. This upgrade is a one-off purchase, with no automatic renewal. Contact support for a change in allocation or instance.
3. Complete checkout. Once payment is confirmed, download the replacement key from the same licence card. The paid term extends from the later of your evaluation term end or the payment date, with the paid licence's 14-day grace.
4. Replace the installed licence file and recreate the database container using the command below. Your existing database remains in place. The website does not install the replacement key automatically.
5. Run CALL gdb.license(); again to confirm the status and new expiry.

Administrator-issued evaluations can have a different duration and grace period; the dates on their licence cards are authoritative.

Manage your licences

Sign in to Your account on the Galactus DB website. Your account lists your licences, instance IDs, core counts and expiry dates. From there you can purchase, download, renew or reissue a licence.

A licence identifies the product, licensee, instance, core count and expiry. Use CALL gdb.license() to read the instance ID and CPU allocation from your running database before purchasing. Keep that ID with the data directory; for an instance you have not started yet, choose a stable GDB_INSTANCE_ID and use it both in your purchase and your database configuration. Renewals extend the licence term; reissues replace the key without extending its expiry.

Install a Commercial licence

Download your licence and save it as galactus.license beside your Compose file. Add a compose.override.yaml with the following settings, using the exact instance ID and core count on your licence:

services:
  db:
    cpus: 2
    environment:
      GDB_LICENSE_MODE: commercial
      GDB_INSTANCE_ID: your-instance-id
      GDB_LICENSE_FILE: /run/licenses/galactus.license
    volumes:
      - ./galactus.license:/run/licenses/galactus.license:ro

The licence file must be readable by the container's UID/GID 10001. Alternatively, supply the licence token in GDB_LICENSE. If GDB_LICENSE_FILE is set, the server reads that file.

Recreate the database container to load the settings:

docker compose up -d --force-recreate db

Check the active licence in Explorer or a driver:

CALL gdb.license();

Renewal and expiry

Choose automatic renewal for a new 1-, 2- or 3-year subscription, or a one-off purchase for any term. Five-year purchases require manual renewal. Existing one-off licences are not automatically enrolled. Manage billing in your account lets you update payment details or cancel future renewals; cancellation does not shorten an already paid licence.

New Commercial licences include 14 days after the paid term to install a replacement key. The account displays the term end and signed expiry separately. Automatic renewals keep the original billing schedule; grace never accumulates. A failed payment grants no extension. Customer and administrator notifications cover payment problems, cancellation, approaching expiry and missed renewal. Older tokens retain their original signed expiry until replaced.

Install the renewed or reissued file and recreate the database container to load it. The database does not fetch keys from your website account automatically.

When a Commercial licence expires, reads and exports remain available, including native backup exports under the existing backup entitlement. Writes and restore operations are refused. Open write transactions cannot commit after expiry. Explorer displays the licence error returned by the database. Explorer does not need a separate key; licence enforcement happens on the database server.

An invalid key, wrong instance ID or CPU allocation beyond the licensed count also blocks writes. Check the error and CALL gdb.license() before retrying. Native backup exports are also blocked for invalid keys, wrong instance IDs and over-allocation. Removing the key from a previously licensed data directory does not reset it to a free edition. Keep the licence metadata with that directory.

Verification happens locally with the issuer keys built into the release image. The server does not contact Stripe or the website to activate or renew a key. Installing a newer issue prevents that data directory from accepting an older issue; reissue does not remotely revoke copies already installed elsewhere.

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