Perpetual licence vs subscription (SaaS): what it means and which is better value for a small business
A perpetual licence means a program bought once, installed with you, with the data with you. We compare the cost with a subscription over 3 and 5 years, with real figures from the 2026 CRM market, say when each model wins and what to check in a contract.
“Perpetual licence” appears more and more often in business software offers and in the guides of digitalisation programmes. This article explains briefly what it means, how it compares with a subscription (SaaS) over three and five years, when each model wins and what to check in a perpetual-licence contract. The figures are real, from the 2026 CRM market. Updated September 2026.
What a perpetual licence means
A perpetual licence is the right to use a program for an unlimited time, bought with a single payment. The program is installed on the company’s computer or server (on-premise), the data stays with you, and the right to use it does not expire if you pay nothing more. Usually, updates of the purchased version are included, while new major versions are bought separately or through an optional maintenance plan.
A subscription (SaaS, “software as a service”) is the opposite: you pay monthly or yearly, usually per user, for as long as you use the program; the application runs on the vendor’s servers, access is through the browser, and when you stop paying the access disappears too.
The three- and five-year calculation: a CRM example
The basic plans of subscription CRMs have public prices between €12 and €25 per user per month. At RON 5 per euro, for one user:
| Subscription CRM | Perpetual-licence CRM (CZR CRM) | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | RON 2,160 – 4,500 | RON 990 |
| 5 years | RON 3,600 – 7,500 | RON 990 |
| Yearly, after that | RON 720 – 1,500 | RON 0 |
For three users the subscription reaches RON 6,480–13,500 over three years; for five users, RON 10,800–22,500. The perpetual licence is multiplied by the number of computers or replaced by a network edition, also a one-time payment. To the subscription you must add the annual price increases, usual with large vendors, and the fact that important features (automations, reports, permissions) are often on the higher plans, at €40–70 per user.
When the perpetual licence wins
- Stable processes: the company knows what it needs and does not change programs every two years.
- Office-based users, on company computers, where an installed application is actually faster than one in the browser.
- Data you want to keep with you: client lists, negotiated prices, company documents.
- An investment budget rather than a monthly expense: funded projects, planned purchases, companies that prefer to own.
- A horizon beyond two years: the longer you use the program, the more the one-time payment pays off.
When the subscription wins
- Mobile teams working from phones, from several cities or from home, on any device.
- Fast-changing needs: the company grows or shrinks and the number of users varies from month to month.
- Features that need the vendor’s infrastructure: email marketing at scale, integrations with hundreds of services, weekly updates.
- Nobody to administer a server or backups; with a subscription they are included.
The perpetual licence in digitalisation projects
In the SME digitalisation programmes so far, software with a perpetual licence and its implementation have usually been eligible costs, as investments, while monthly subscriptions were eligible only for limited periods or not at all. The final confirmation comes from each call’s guide and from your consultant, but the mechanism explains why ERP and CRM vendors with perpetual licences are sought after in such projects: the company keeps the program after the funding ends. CZR ERP and CZR CRM are delivered with implementation, training and the documentation the funder requires.
What to check in a perpetual-licence contract
- What the one-time payment includes: version updates, support, number of installations.
- What costs extra: major versions, network edition, implementation, data migration.
- What happens if the vendor disappears: does the program keep working? Do you have source code or an escrow deposit for custom software?
- Data export: open format (CSV, SQL), at any time, at no cost.
- Moving the licence to another computer: yourself, from a portal, or only through the vendor?
- Backup: it is your responsibility; check that the program makes it simple.
A concrete example
CZR CRM costs RON 990, once, for a licence on one computer, with version updates included, a free 30-day trial and licence transfer to another computer from the client portal. A subscription CRM for the same user costs between RON 2,160 and 4,500 over three years. The difference is not an argument against subscriptions in general; it is an argument for doing the three-year calculation before choosing.
Frequently asked questions
Does a perpetual licence include updates?
Usually, updates of the purchased version are included (fixes, small improvements). Major versions may be offered for a fee. Check in the contract what “version” means with your vendor.
Can I install the program on several computers?
It depends on the licence: usually one licence per computer and, for teams, a network edition or additional licences. Moving to another computer should be possible without buying again.
What happens to the data if I cancel the subscription?
With a subscription, access ends at the end of the paid period; serious vendors offer an export beforehand. With a perpetual licence, the program and the data stay with you whatever you do next.
Is a perpetual licence eligible in digitalisation projects?
In the programmes so far, yes, as an investment, together with the implementation. The final confirmation comes from the call’s guide and from your consultant.