N-able licensing is the set of terms under which N-able sells its IT management, data protection and security software, mainly to managed service providers (MSPs) and in-house IT departments. The portfolio includes the N-central and N-sight RMM remote monitoring and management platforms, Cove Data Protection backup, Take Control remote access, Mail Assure email security, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) and managed detection and response (MDR) services.[1] N-able’s current website names the RMM platforms N-central UEM and N-sight UEM, while its documentation still uses N-central and N-sight RMM.[11][14]
Two contracts carry the licence grant. The Software Services Agreement (SSA) covers Application Services delivered over the internet, agents, N-hanced Services and Support. The End User License Agreement (EULA) covers downloadable Software. Both were last updated on 2026-07-31, both are made with N-able Technologies Ltd., and both incorporate the Data Processing Addendum, the Software Support and Maintenance Terms and Conditions, the Sales Order and N-able’s invoices.[1][2][3] The Sales Order sits at the top of the order of precedence. Terms in a customer purchase order are void.[2] Catalog proof: Sales Order prevails; customer purchase-order terms are void.
The grant is a subscription right. Under the SSA, N-able grants “a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license for the applicable Term” to use the Application Services, Software and Documentation internally.[1] The EULA grants the same kind of subscription licence. It also keeps a section titled “Perpetual License Legacies” for Software that was sold on a perpetual basis.[2] Catalog proof: SSA licence is limited, revocable and for the Term; Perpetual License Legacies.
Editions
N-able publishes no price list. Its legal documents and product documentation show how each line is counted.
| Product line | How N-able documents counting | Deeper article |
|---|---|---|
| N-central | Professional Mode licence per individual device; Essential Mode for reduced features[5] | N-central, N-sight and Take Control licensing |
| N-sight RMM | Billed devices per customer, grouped by feature, committed versus deployed[6] | same |
| Take Control, Take Control Plus | Concurrent technician logins, with registered-device and end-user allowances[8] | same |
| Cove Data Protection | Server and workstation licences with pooled fair use storage; Microsoft 365 per unique user[7] | Cove Data Protection licensing |
| Mail Assure | Filtered or archived mailboxes[9] | EDR, MDR and Mail Assure licensing |
| EDR, Managed EDR, Adlumin MDR | EDR governed by the SentinelOne Services Addendum; MDR packages sold as Managed ITDR, MDR Standard and MDR Advanced[2] | same |
Metrics
The contracts define the general units. A Device is “(whether physical or virtual) a server, system, workstation, computer, mobile device, or end point” on which the Services are used or the Software is installed.[1] A User is an authorized individual. For an MSP, Users may include its Clients.[1] Usage is “the quantity of the Software or Services used during the relevant subscription period”.[1] Under the EULA, each Software licence may be used “on any single Device, unless the Documentation clearly states otherwise”.[2]
The product documentation then names the concrete units.
| Unit | Catalog row | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Device, Professional or Essential mode | N-central Professional Mode device license, N-central Essential Mode device license | N-central |
| Billed device, server or workstation agent | N-sight RMM billed device | N-sight RMM |
| Server, workstation, Documents device | Cove server license, Cove workstation license, Cove Documents device | Cove Data Protection |
| Unique Microsoft 365 user | Cove Microsoft 365 user license | Cove for Microsoft 365 |
| Storage measures | Cove Selected Size, Cove Used Storage | Cove fair use |
| Concurrent technician login | Take Control license, Take Control Plus license, Take Control end-user license | Take Control |
| Mailbox | Mail Assure mailbox | Mail Assure |
Counting / floors
Quantity Commitment and overage (SSA and EULA, 2026-07-31). The Quantity Commitment is the quantity under “Qty” on the Sales Order. If Usage exceeds it, or if other Software or Services are enabled through N-able platforms, the excess is charged at the Charged Price or, failing that, at current list price.[1] At renewal, the new commitment equals the old one plus 80% of Usage above it.[2] Mid-term changes may be made only once a year and “cannot reduce your fees”.[2] The mechanics are covered in N-able Quantity Commitment and usage billing. Catalog proof: Usage above the Quantity Commitment is charged at the Charged Price or list price; Renewal Quantity Commitment adds 80% of excess Usage; Changes once per year and never below current fees.
Product floors. N-central licences are applied for at least 15 days from when they are first applied. Moving a licence to another device does not free it before then.[5] Take Control charges “for the highest number of licenses used in a given month”.[16] Cove fair use adds a fixed storage allowance per server and workstation licence. Usage above the pooled allowance is invoiced automatically.[7] Catalog proof: N-central licences apply for a minimum of 15 days; Take Control charges the monthly peak and bars downgrades below commitment; Cove usage above fair use limits is invoiced automatically.
Virtualization & partitioning
N-able counts managed or protected objects, not processors or hosts. The Device definition includes physical and virtual machines equally, so each virtual server or desktop that runs an agent is a Device of its own.[1] The Cove Data Protection Plan grants its larger allowance to “each physical or virtual server license”.[17] The retrieved documents contain no core, socket or hard-partitioning rule of the kind described in virtualization and partitioning. Catalog proof: Virtual machines count as Devices.
Cloud / BYOL
Most N-able products are hosted by N-able and sold as Application Services, so bring-your-own-licence does not arise for them. N-central can also run on a customer-operated server, which has an initial 30-day activation period with reduced licence limits until it is activated.[15] The Billing API documentation refers to an N-central hosted offering, NCOD, on a “Flex licensing model”. It does not publish the terms of that model.[12] Cove’s cloud storage “is included in your price”, with fair use policies applying.[13] Catalog proof: Billing API usage data only for NCOD customers on Flex licensing.
Programs
- Month-to-month Term and Fixed Term subscription. A month-to-month Term is one month and renews monthly. One- to three-year Terms renew automatically for one year unless cancelled through N-ableMe at least 30 days before the Subscription End Date.[1]
- Renewal price increase cap. Renewal pricing may rise by up to 5% plus the prior year’s US CPI increase, plus the value of features added during the term.[2]
- Quantity Commitment relief for Client loss. N-able may grant this relief once per Term when an MSP loses a Client that represents at least 10% of relevant revenue.[2]
- Evaluation License and Internal Use License. These are non-production and internal-use grants, provided “AS IS”.[1]
- Software Support and N-hanced Support. Preferred and Premium support under the Support and Maintenance Terms.[4] Release retirement follows the End of Support Policy.[10]
- Cove Data Protection Fair Use Policy and Cove Data Protection Plan. Storage allowances for Cove.[7]
The contract terms are covered in N-able Software Services Agreement and EULA.
MSPs and internal IT
The same agreements serve both customer types. Several clauses apply only to MSPs. An MSP must provide all sales, problem resolution and support services to its Clients, bill them itself, and operate “under Your own name as an MSP”.[1] The customer may not “license, sell, resell, rent, lease, transfer, sublicense, distribute” rights to the Services.[1] The MSP therefore delivers its own service to Clients, using licences it holds itself. An organisation served by an MSP holds no N-able entitlement of its own; its endpoints are counted in the MSP’s Usage. Catalog proof: No resale, sublicensing or transfer.
Audits and compliance
N-able “may monitor use of the Services and Software by all Users at any time”. On reasonable notice during business hours, it may review the customer’s books and records, including electronically, to verify compliance with use limitations.[1] The clause has no cost-shifting threshold. Circumventing usage limits or attempting to avoid recurring fees immediately terminates the licence.[1] Most differences therefore appear as overage on monthly invoices, and invoice errors must be raised within 90 days.[2] Catalog proof: N-able may monitor use and review books and records; Circumventing usage limits or recurring fees terminates the licence; Invoice errors must be raised within 90 days. For the general discipline see software license audit and true-up.
Out of scope
- Signed Sales Orders, negotiated MSP agreements and distributor or reseller terms, which are not public.
- Prices. N-able publishes no list prices; overage defaults to the Charged Price on the Sales Order or N-able’s current list price.[1]
- Passportal, DNS Filtering, MSP Manager and Risk Intelligence licensing, for which no licensing documents were retrieved beyond their billing screens.
- The SentinelOne Services Addendum itself, which governs N-able EDR; see SentinelOne licensing.