The Minitab Software Subscription Agreement (SSA) is the contract under which Minitab, LLC grants subscriptions to most of its software. The legal page lists it for Minitab Statistical Software, Minitab Engage, Minitab Workspace, Minitab Education Hub, Minitab Simul8, Salford Predictive Modeler, Minitab Connect, Real-Time SPC and Prolink, with separate documents where a product needs them.[4] The current text is dated 24 June 2026. Under it, Minitab grants the customer and its Authorized Users a “non-sublicensable, non-transferable, non-assignable, worldwide, non-exclusive right” to use the software listed on the invoice during the Subscription Term.[1] The agreement is not a sale of the software, and the customer may not sell or resell it.[1]
Editions
Minitab publishes three variants of the 2026-06-24 text.
| Variant | Identifier | How it is formed | Distinctive terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-Product | MTB SSA V-LP 06.24.2026 | Accepted by accessing or using the software | Does not apply where a separate written SSA was signed[1] |
| Executable | MTB SSA V-EX 06.24.2026 | Signed; the invoice is “an integral part of this Agreement”[2] | Terms otherwise largely the same as the In-Product text |
| Connect and Real-Time SPC | MTB SSA Connect.RTSPC V-EX 06.24.2026 | Order Form signed by both parties[3] | Required Professional Services; renewal by new Order Form[3] |
The legal page states that the published agreements apply “UNLESS you have another agreement directly with Minitab that controls your use”.[4] Catalog: Published agreements apply unless a direct agreement exists. The SSA also incorporates other published documents by reference: the Documentation (permitted installation, access and use), System Requirements, Privacy Notice, Support Policy, Service Level Agreement Terms and an AI Transparency Notice. Minitab may update these, with notice and a right to terminate for material adverse changes.[1]
Metrics
Named User-Based. If a subscription is designated “Named User-Based”, the number of Authorized Users is limited to the maximum number of individual users purchased, each identified by a unique user ID.[1] Catalog: Named User (Authorized User); Named User-Based subscriptions are capped at purchased users.
Authorized Users. Section 2.1 defines an Authorized User as “a uniquely named individual and natural person” who is one of the following:[1]
- the customer’s employee;
- an employee of an Authorized Entity, meaning an entity in which the customer owns more than 50% of the voting equity;
- an employee of a Contractor performing services for the customer or an Authorized Entity;
- a student, faculty member or teacher, for Academic Purposes.
Use is limited to the internal business purposes of the customer or an Authorized Entity, or to Academic Purposes.[1] Catalog: Who may be an Authorized User.
Academic Purposes means use in a course at a degree-granting accredited institution. The user must be an enrolled student taking a course that requires the software, or a faculty member or teacher giving that instruction.[1] On this definition, academic research outside a course is not listed as an academic use. Minitab’s payment terms add that continuing-education and certification programs do not qualify for academic pricing.[5] Catalog: Academic Purposes are limited to degree courses.
The SSA itself does not define a concurrent-user metric. Multi-user seats are set by the licence file and the installation guide, as described in Minitab multi-user licensing and License Manager.
Counting / floors
User credentials (s.2.4). Each Authorized User must have their own unique user ID and password unless single sign-on is used. IDs that are an alias, or that carry an administrative or departmental prefix, are not permitted, except for the License Administrator. A License Administrator must also assign themselves a licence to be an Authorized User. Credentials must not be shared, and access must end promptly when a user leaves or credentials are compromised.[1] Catalog: Unique credentials; no shared or departmental IDs.
Reassignment (s.2.5(g)). Credentials may not be reassigned within any 90-day period, except after a personnel change, internal position change, corporate reorganisation or similar change.[1] Rotating one named subscription among several part-time users is therefore not allowed. Catalog: Named users may be reassigned once per 90 days.
Adding users (s.4.1). The invoice states the maximum number of Authorized Users and the Subscription Term. Users can be added during the term by paying additional fees for the time remaining. Payment obligations are non-cancelable and fees are non-refundable unless the agreement says otherwise.[1] Catalog: Users can be added mid-term at pro-rated fees; fees non-refundable.
General restrictions (s.2.5). The customer may not copy, resell, rent, sublicense or make the software available to third parties, or use it in a service bureau or outsourcing offering. It may not use the software in a service for a third party’s benefit, reverse engineer it, circumvent authentication, or access it over a public network without a password-protected secure portal.[1] Catalog: No service bureau, outsourcing or third-party access.
Virtualization & partitioning
Section 1.8 says, in full, that use of locally installed software in virtualized environments “will be at Your own risk”.[1] The SSA neither prohibits virtualization nor adds a separate count for it. Counting therefore follows the metric in use: named users for portal subscriptions, and seats, workstations and product keys for desktop licences. Catalog: Locally installed software in virtual environments is at the customer's risk.
Cloud / BYOL
For software that stores customer content, the content is kept during the Subscription Term. It is deleted 30 days after expiry or termination unless agreed otherwise. Retrieval after expiry must be requested in writing and may carry fees.[1] Customers may not upload HIPAA-regulated health information or special-category personal data, and the Data Processing Agreement with Standard Contractual Clauses applies to personal data.[1] Catalog: Customer content deleted 30 days after expiry.
Programs
Trial versions (s.1.9). Trials are provided as is. They may have limited features and may only be used to review, demonstrate and evaluate the software. Development, production, distribution and commercial use are prohibited, and Minitab may require deletion at the end of the trial.[1] The trial licence lasts 14 days from activation.[7] Catalog: Trial versions are for evaluation only.
Required Professional Services. Under the Connect and Real-Time SPC variant, the subscription requires “a minimum level of Professional Services for configuration”, bought under a separate Statement of Work. Renewal requires a new Order Form executed by both parties before the term expires.[3] Catalog: Required Professional Services.
Authorized Partners (s.12). If the software is bought through an authorized reseller, pricing and payment terms are those agreed with the reseller, and Minitab’s obligations are limited to the SSA and the Documentation.[1] Value-added reseller partners give first-level technical support to their customers.[6]
Contract terms
| Clause | Term (In-Product SSA) |
|---|---|
| Term and renewal (s.3.1 to 3.3) | Term set on the invoice. Continued access needs payment, a purchase order, a signed quote or other accepted confirmation before expiry. New releases are included during the term while the customer complies.[1] |
| Termination (s.3.4, 3.5) | Either party may terminate for a material breach not cured within 30 days. Minitab may suspend access immediately for breach of the general restrictions.[1] |
| Late payment (s.4.2) | 2% of the subscription fee or USD 750, whichever is higher[1] |
| Verification (s.4.4) | Records and written certification on request. Audit at Minitab’s expense during the term and one year after.[1] |
| Warranty (s.8) | Substantial conformity with the Documentation. Claims within 30 days of discovery. Remedy is correction or pro-rata refund.[1] |
| Liability (s.10) | Capped at fees paid for the 12 months before the claim. For a prepaid 36-month term, prorated to one third of the prepaid amount per 12 months.[1] |
| Assignment (s.13.2) | No transfer without consent, except on asset sale, merger, change of control or operation of law, with notice, where the acquirer is not a competitor[1] |
| Governing law (s.13.6) | Pennsylvania; exclusive venue in Pennsylvania courts; CISG excluded[1] |
Verification in detail. If verification reveals unlicensed use, the customer must buy enough licences at Minitab’s then-current pricing to cover the use “from the date the unlicensed usage began”. If material unlicensed use is found, for example a shortage of 5% or more, the customer must also reimburse Minitab’s verification costs and buy the licences within 30 days. If an audit finds no material unlicensed use, Minitab will not verify the same entity again for at least one year, and it may use the information only to enforce its rights.[1] The same clause appears in the Executable and Connect/Real-Time SPC variants.[2][3] Catalog: Audit during the term and one year after; 5% shortfall shifts costs. See software license audit.
Out of scope
This article does not cover the Salford Predictive Modeler EULA, the Prolink subscription agreement, the Professional Services Terms or the Data Processing Agreement, which are separate documents on Minitab’s legal page.[4]