Foxit licensing is the set of terms under which Foxit sells its PDF and document software: the desktop, web and mobile editions of Foxit PDF Editor, the PDF Editor+ bundle, Foxit eSign, the Foxit AI Assistant and Foxit Workspace, alongside the free Foxit PDF Reader. Desktop software is governed by the Foxit Software Inc. License Agreement for Software Applications, published as the PDF Editor end user licence agreement (EULA) and dated 2025-06-27.[1] The EULA states that the Product “is licensed and not sold” and grants a non-exclusive, nontransferable, non-sublicensable licence.[1] Above it sits the Foxit General Terms of Service, effective 2025-06-27, which covers websites, web-based services and software products. Where the two conflict, the product-specific Additional Terms (eSign, Editor Desktop, Cloud Service, Workspace, AI User Guidelines and APIs) govern.[2]
Foxit sells PDF Editor in two ways. Subscriptions are priced per user per year. Perpetual licences are a one-time purchase for one end user on a permitted number of computers.[3][15] For the general models, see named user licensing and concurrent and device licensing.
Editions
| Offering | Licence type | Unit and list price (USD, foxit.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Foxit PDF Editor | Annual subscription, paid in full or billed monthly | $129.99 per user per year[3] |
| Foxit PDF Editor+ | Annual subscription | $159.99 per user per year; adds mobile apps, Smart Redact and eSign with 150 envelopes a year[3] |
| Foxit PDF Editor 14 (perpetual) | Perpetual, one-time | $209.99 per user[3] |
| Foxit eSign Essentials and eSign Business | Per user subscription | Essentials: one dedicated user, 250 envelopes a year; Business: unlimited envelopes, five licences minimum[11] |
| Foxit AI Assistant | Add-on subscription | $49.99 a year, 2,000 AI credits a month[3] |
| Foxit PDF Reader | Free | For personal and business use[14] |
The pricing page says monthly billing is available from $10.99. Every subscription includes Foxit DMS and 300 free AI credits a month.[3] Foxit’s perpetual support policy refers to “Foxit PDF Editor/Editor Pro v14”, so the perpetual line also has a Pro edition alongside the standard one.[5] The detail of each licence type is in Foxit PDF Editor subscription and perpetual licensing.
Metrics
| Foxit term | Catalog row | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| per user/year | Subscription user | Each person holding a subscription for PDF Editor, PDF Editor+, eSign or the AI Assistant[3] |
| Permitted Number of Computers | Permitted Number of Computers | Activations of a perpetual, term or subscription licence on computers or virtual machines[1] |
| Shared Device License | Shared Device License | Classroom and lab devices at educational or research institutions, under subscription only[1] |
| Envelope | Envelope | One send of one or more documents to one or more signers in Foxit eSign[7] |
| AI credit | AI credit | AI Assistant and Workspace consumption: 300 free credits a month per account, 2,000 a month per paid licence[12] |
The EULA does not give a number for the “Permitted Number”. The order or plan sets it, and Admin Console lets an administrator set a lower maximum number of devices for each user (see below).[1][7]
Counting / floors
Perpetual and term licences. Under a Single-Use Perpetual License, one authorized end user may install the Product on one computer or virtual machine for that user only.[1] The licence allows activation on up to the Permitted Number of computers.[1] A Single-Use Term License has the same terms for a fixed period, after which the Product must be uninstalled unless renewed.[1] Catalog: Single-Use Perpetual License: one end user, one computer or VM; Perpetual licence activates on up to the Permitted Number of computers; Single-Use Term License must be uninstalled at the end of the term.
Subscriptions. A subscription may be used only on the Permitted Number of Compatible Computers, and only while it is paid up.[1] Subscriptions are activated by signing in to the Foxit account linked to the subscription.[9] The General Terms of Service forbid sharing account information or using another person’s account.[2] In practice this makes the subscription a named-user entitlement with a per-user device allowance. Catalog: Subscription licence valid only on the Permitted Number of computers while paid up; Foxit accounts may not be shared.
Floors. PDF Editor has no published minimum quantity. eSign Business requires five or more licences.[11] Volume pricing starts at 30 licences on the PDF Editor pricing page, with discounts of up to 30%. The eSign pricing page describes volume licensing as for 16 or more licences.[3][11] Catalog: Volume licensing: 30+ licences (PDF Editor page), up to 30% discount; perpetual and subscription.
Virtualization & partitioning
Foxit has no processor or core metric. The EULA allows a single-user licence on a virtual machine, but such a VM “shall not be copied or shared” without Foxit’s written consent.[1] A Single-Use Perpetual License cannot be used in a multi-user environment such as a terminal server. The customer needs a multi-user or site licence from Foxit instead.[1] Remote access to paid products, including PDF Editor, needs Foxit’s express written consent.[1] Neither the multi-user licence nor the site licence is described in a public document. Both are negotiated with Foxit. Catalog: Single-use licences may not run on terminal servers or other multi-user environments; Remote access to paid products needs Foxit written consent. See virtualization and partitioning.
Cloud / BYOL
Foxit eSign, Foxit Workspace, Foxit DMS and the AI Assistant are cloud services that Foxit runs. The customer does not deploy them. Admin Console can run either in the cloud, hosted on AWS by Foxit, or on-premise in the customer’s own environment.[8] No bring-your-own-licence terms for public cloud infrastructure were found. A PDF Editor licence installed on a cloud-hosted virtual desktop follows the same virtual machine and terminal server rules as on-premise.
Programs
- Volume Licensing. One purchase order and one renewal date for PDF Editor, PDF Editor+ and eSign. It applies to perpetual and subscription licensing and can be bought direct or through a partner.[4]
- Education. Discounted pricing for schools, colleges and universities. Individual discounts need a school-provided email address.[13] Education licences are for educational and research use only.[1]
- Maintenance. Support and minor releases, for the current major version and the one before it.[1] For perpetual versions Foxit applies an N/N-1 support policy, effective 2025-08-05.[5]
- Admin Console. The licence and user management portal. See Foxit Admin Console, activation and deployment.
- Free trial. Trials may lack some features and can be cancelled by Foxit without cause.[2] PDF Editor+ has a 14-day trial.[3]
Activation and licence management
Foxit enforces its licences through activation, not through self-reporting. A perpetual release is activated with a registration key. A subscription release is activated by signing in with a Foxit account.[9] To move a licence, a subscriber activates a new device, which automatically deactivates the old one. A perpetual user chooses Help > Deactivate.[10]
In Admin Console, administrators assign licences to users. They can set an expiry date and a maximum number of devices for each assignment. If no value is set, the user may activate on up to the maximum number of devices allowed by the product plan.[7] The console reports total, assigned and activated licences, which is the usual starting point for an effective licence position.[7] Catalog: Subscription activates by Foxit account sign-in; perpetual by registration key; Deactivation frees an activation for another device; Admin Console can cap devices per assigned user.
Foxit’s documents disagree on what Admin Console costs. The product page calls it a free feature within PDF Editor, eSign and AI Assistant plans.[8] The pricing FAQ lists it among items “sold separately”.[3] The EULA says Admin Console obtained with perpetual licences before 2024-06-20 continues at no charge, and that later purchases incur a yearly subscription charge.[1] Catalog: Admin Console described as free within PDF Editor, eSign and AI Assistant plans; Admin Console with perpetual licences: yearly charge for purchases after 2024-06-20.
Contract terms
Transfer and resale. The Product may not be rented, leased or lent. Its component parts may not be split across computers. It may not be resold without Foxit’s prior written permission.[1] Assignment of the agreement needs Foxit’s express prior written consent.[1] The General Terms of Service also prohibit hosting Products for third parties without consent.[2] Catalog: No resale, rental or lending; components may not be split across computers; No rental, lending, transfer or hosting for third parties without consent.
Renewal, price changes and refunds. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. A yearly subscription paid monthly carries a 12-month commitment.[1] Foxit may change prices but must give notice, with an option to cancel, before the renewal at which the new rate applies.[2] Products bought directly from Foxit may be returned within 14 days. A refund is the purchase price less a 5% handling fee.[6] Catalog: Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled; Foxit may change subscription prices with notice before renewal; 14-day refund window less a 5% handling fee.
Termination. Under the EULA, either party may terminate at any time and for any reason. When the agreement ends, the customer must uninstall the Product and destroy all copies.[1] Customers in the European Economic Area have three months’ termination by notice and German governing law. Elsewhere the agreement is governed by California law, with courts in San Jose.[1]
Audits and compliance
The EULA compliance clause is short but broad. On prior request from Foxit or its authorized representative, a business, company or organization must, within 30 days, fully document and certify that its use of all Foxit Products conforms to its licences. Foxit may also inspect the customer’s records, systems and worksite. If the inspection finds non-compliance, the customer must buy the additional licences, support or maintenance needed and pay the reasonable fee for the inspection.[1] The General Terms of Service contain the same certification and inspection right for Products and Services, but without the fee-shifting sentence.[2] The clause sets no minimum notice period, no limit on how often Foxit may ask, and no threshold for shifting the inspection fee. Catalog: Business customers must certify compliance within 30 days and allow inspection. For the general discipline, see software license audit and license compliance.
Activation data is the main evidence in such a review. The EULA says Foxit collects the MAC address to run activation.[1] Admin Console lists each assigned user’s MAC addresses and assignment time.[7] Perpetual keys installed outside Admin Console are harder to reconcile. Keeping order records together with the keys deployed through installers is the practical control.
Out of scope
- Foxit PDF SDK and developer SDK licensing, which are sold under separate developer agreements. Only the public API Service Agreement is covered, in Foxit eSign, AI Assistant and services licensing.
- Enterprise automation servers (Rendition Server, Maestro Server OCR, Smart Redact Server, PDF Compressor), for which no public licensing terms were retrieved.
- Multi-user and site licences for terminal servers, which the EULA mentions but does not define publicly.
- Signed enterprise agreements, reseller terms and regional price lists, which override or vary the web terms.
- Foxit eSign and AI Assistant prices beyond those stated in page text.