Licensing & Activation
One license key controls your edition, features, and limits.
MaestroHub is sold in two editions, Foundation and Enterprise. Your license determines which one is active.
What Your License Controls
Edition Features
The Unified Namespace, the Audit Trail, access control, SSO, API Clients, and External UNS Brokers require Foundation. Advanced access control and multi-tenancy require Enterprise.
Resource Limits
A license can cap how many pipelines, connections, users, and organizations you create. No license limits pipeline executions or how long topic history is kept.
Infrastructure
Foundation runs as a single node. Enterprise unlocks Kubernetes with external databases and brokers.
For a full comparison, see the Editions page.
Free Trial
Try MaestroHub free — no license key needed.
When you start MaestroHub without a license, it runs a 2-hour trial of the Evaluation edition. The trial has every Enterprise feature: the Unified Namespace, the Audit Trail, access control, advanced access control, SSO, API Clients, External UNS Brokers, and multi-tenancy with up to 3 organizations. Pipeline executions are not limited.
What are the trial's limits? You can create up to 10 pipelines, 20 connections, and 5 users. The Approvals add-on (human in the loop) is not part of the trial.
What happens after 2 hours? Automated and scheduled pipelines pause, and the trial's features switch off. Nothing is lost — your data, pipelines, dashboards, connections, and user accounts all stay where they are, and you can still sign in.
How do I continue? You have three options:
- Click Extend 2 hours in the trial banner at the top of the page. A platform administrator can do this at any time during the trial or after it ends, as many times as needed. It starts a fresh 2-hour trial without a restart, and paused pipelines resume.
- Restart the MaestroHub service. Each start without a license begins a fresh 2-hour trial, and your data carries over.
- Apply a license key to activate permanently.
Extending and restarting work only on an instance that has never had a license. Once a license has been applied, the trial is no longer available: if that license expires or is removed, apply a valid license to continue.
License States
Every MaestroHub instance is always in one of three states:
Active
You have a valid license. Everything works — pipelines run on schedule, all edition features are available, no interruptions.
Trial
You started MaestroHub without a license. The Evaluation edition is available for 2 hours. Extend the trial from the banner, restart for a fresh trial, or apply a license.
Expired
The trial ran out or your license is no longer valid. Scheduled pipelines pause, but your data is safe. Apply a license to continue; an instance that has never had a license can also extend the trial or restart.
You can check the current state on the Admin › License page, via the X-License-Status API header, or through the in-app banner that appears when attention is needed.
Applying a License
Single Instance
Upload a license key while MaestroHub is running — no restart required.
- Sign in to the MaestroHub UI.
- Open Admin › License.
- Paste the signed license string and submit.
- The status updates instantly. Automation resumes immediately.
Fleet via Fleet Manager
Enterprise customers managing multiple instances use Fleet Manager to distribute licenses centrally:
- Upload your master license to Fleet Manager.
- Fleet Manager automatically splits it into per-instance entitlements.
- Each instance receives its license via the next heartbeat — no manual activation per factory.
One license for your entire fleet, regardless of how many instances you operate.
FAQ
Can I upgrade from Foundation to Enterprise without downtime?
Yes. Go to the License page, paste your new license key, and submit. The edition changes instantly — no restart, no data migration, no downtime. Your pipelines, dashboards, and connections stay exactly as they are.
I forgot to apply a license and my trial expired. Did I lose my work?
No. Everything you built during the trial — pipelines, dashboards, connections, user accounts — is still there. Automated pipeline execution stops and the trial's features switch off until you continue. Click Extend 2 hours in the banner or restart MaestroHub for a fresh 2-hour trial, or apply a license key to resume permanently.
How does seat counting work with multiple instances?
If you run MaestroHub in multiple factories via Fleet Manager, seats are counted by total organizations across all instances. Every organization on every instance counts as one seat. For example, if your Berlin instance has 3 organizations, Munich has 2, and HQ has 5, that is 10 seats total.
Need help? Email support@maestrohub.com.