Rockwell Automation licensing is the set of terms under which Rockwell Automation, Inc. and its Affiliates license industrial automation software. This includes the Studio 5000 design environment, the FactoryTalk families for design, operations and maintenance, ThinManager, and cloud services delivered through FactoryTalk Hub. One contract covers all of them: the Software and Cloud Services Agreement (SCSA). Its Article 1 holds the common terms, Article 2 applies to Cloud Services, Article 3 to On-Premise Software installed at the customer’s facilities, and Article 4 adds product-specific terms.[1] The Order Form names the Software, the Term of Use and the Use Type. Where an Order Form conflicts with the agreement, the Order Form governs.[1] On-premise products are enforced technically through FactoryTalk Activation. Activations are node-locked to a hardware binding, or served concurrently from an activation server on the network.[6] Most products can be bought as an annual subscription or as a perpetual licence with maintenance.[4] For the general models, see concurrent and device licensing and subscription and consumption licensing.
Editions
Rockwell Automation groups its subscription software into three FactoryTalk bundles. FactoryTalk DesignSuite includes Connected Components Workbench, FactoryTalk Logix Echo, Studio 5000 Application Code Manager, the Studio 5000 environment and the Studio 5000 License Portal. FactoryTalk OperationSuite includes FactoryTalk Batch, Historian SE, Linx Gateway, Metrics, Transaction Manager, View SE, View ME and ThinManager. FactoryTalk MaintenanceSuite includes FactoryTalk AssetCentre.[3] Each product then has its own editions or capacity packages.
| Product family | How editions or packages are cut (vendor description) | Primary unit |
|---|---|---|
| Studio 5000 Logix Designer | Professional, Full, Standard Networx, Standard, Lite, Mini and Service editions, scaled by controller support and editors[5] | Concurrent licence[5] |
| FactoryTalk Design Studio | Basic (no cost), Core (paid subscription, includes Studio 5000 Professional Edition), 90-day Trial[12] | Core entitlement |
| FactoryTalk View SE / ME | SE server bundles with 5, 10 or 25 clients; SE Station and Station Lite; ME Station by 15 to 500 displays[8] | Clients; displays |
| FactoryTalk Historian SE | Tiered packages from 250 to 50,000 tags; additive tag licensing[9] | Tags |
| FactoryTalk AssetCentre | Base package (10 assets) and Standard package (100 assets), plus capabilities and asset add-ons[10] | Assets |
| FactoryTalk Optix | Studio Standard (free) and Studio Pro (subscription); Runtime entitlements sized in feature tokens[11] | Users; feature tokens |
| ThinManager | V-FLEX single or bulk connection licences; annual subscription; redundancy licences[13] | Connection licence |
Edition detail for design software is in Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk Design Studio licensing. The operations and maintenance products are covered in Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk operations and maintenance software licensing. Sample AssetCentre catalog numbers are recorded as SKUs, for example 9515C-FTACT11. In AssetCentre catalog numbers, 9515C denotes a subscription and 9515M a perpetual licence.[10]
Metrics
The SCSA defines Use Type as the metric family for locally installed Software. The options are Named Use, Device Use, Site Use, Capacity-Based Use, Capability Use or a subscription licence. For Cloud Services the Use Type is subscription access. Use Types may be used alone or in combination.[1] Article 3 also defines Concurrent Use, although the §1.2.25 list does not name it.[1]
| SCSA term | Catalog row | What Rockwell Automation says |
|---|---|---|
| Named Use | Named Use | Use only by the identified individual person.[1] |
| Concurrent Use | Concurrent Use | Simultaneous users may not exceed the number of valid software activations in the Order Form.[1] |
| Device Use | Device Use | Use on a Device, which is any physical or virtual environment, node, server or computer that runs or accesses the Software.[1] |
| Site Use | Site Use | Unlimited employees and authorized contractors at a Designated Location.[1] |
| Capacity-Based Use | Capacity-Based Use | Use based on a Capacity, such as equipment, I/O, session, tag, screen or processor counts.[1] |
| Capability Use | Capability Use | A right required for each Feature (add-on functionality).[1] |
The product ordering guides express capacity in their own units. These are recorded as separate catalog rows: Historian SE tag, AssetCentre asset, FactoryTalk View display, FactoryTalk View SE client, FactoryTalk Optix feature token, FactoryTalk Remote Access Manager concurrent user and FactoryTalk Design Studio Core entitlement. The activation mechanisms have their own rows: Concurrent activation and Node-locked activation.
Counting / floors
Order Form limits (SCSA Rev. April 2026). The customer may not use the Software beyond the metrics and usage limits in the Order Form, including authorized users. It may not use hardware, software or programming techniques to pool connections, reroute information or reduce the number of required licences.[1] Catalog proof: Pooling connections or rerouting to reduce licences is prohibited; Use Type is stated in the Order Form and may be combined.
Concurrent counting. Studio 5000 Logix Designer licences are concurrent. By default they entitle activations for the version current at purchase and back to version 20.05.[5] When several editions sit on one activation server, Studio 5000 picks the highest edition available. With Lite, Standard and Professional licences on the server, it selects Professional.[5] Catalog proof: Concurrent Use is capped by valid activations in the Order Form; Studio 5000 selects the highest edition available on the activation server.
Capacity counting. Historian SE tag licensing is additive. Activations can be used on one server or split across several, and a new server can hold at most 60,000 tags.[9] AssetCentre asset capacity is the number of physical devices managed. Files and folders in the archive do not count.[10] Catalog proof: Historian SE tag licensing is additive and can be split across servers; AssetCentre asset capacity counts managed physical devices, not files.
Floors. The SCSA sets no minimum purchase quantity. The smallest packages come from the ordering guides: a 250-tag Historian SE Starter server,[9] a 10-asset AssetCentre base package[10] and a 15-display FactoryTalk View ME Station.[8]
Grace period. When activation fails, for example because of a network failure or too few available activations, critical products keep running for a seven-day grace period. Design products may or may not provide one.[7] Catalog proof: Seven-day grace period when activation fails. The grace period is a technical tolerance. It does not extend the licence quantity in the Order Form.
Virtualization & partitioning
The SCSA definition of Device covers “any physical or virtual environment”, so a virtual machine counts in the same way as a physical computer.[1] Copies for installation within the organization are allowed only where licences for those copies were purchased. Copying a Software image needs Rockwell Automation’s prior written consent as well as the licences.[1] Software may be installed for only one architecture and one operating system at a time.[1] The retrieved documents publish no host-based, core-based or hard-partitioning rule. Catalog proof: Device includes physical and virtual environments; Copies only for archival backup or for purchased installations; One architecture and one operating system at a time; no splitting components.
In virtual estates, the activation technology matters in practice. A borrowed CodeMeter or FlexNet activation activates only applications on the same machine, not those on another virtual or physical machine. Rehosting is meant for infrequent events and is limited to three website rehosts per serial number in any 12-month period.[14] See Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk Activation and the cross-vendor background in virtualization and partitioning.
Cloud / BYOL
Cloud Services are the software-as-a-service offerings named in an Order Form. They are used for the Term of Use under Article 2 of the SCSA.[1] FactoryTalk Hub is Rockwell Automation’s central access point for its SaaS offerings. Some Hub products require a purchased licence, called an entitlement, that is allocated to a FactoryTalk Hub organization.[11] Rockwell Automation may monitor Cloud Services use for compliance and may charge for usage above the Order Form level.[1] The retrieved documents contain no bring-your-own-license rule for running on-premise Rockwell Automation software on public-cloud infrastructure. Such deployments fall under the ordinary Device definition and the ban on hosting as an application service provider for third parties.[1] Catalog proof: Cloud Services use may be monitored and overage charged; No hosting as an application service provider for third parties.
Programs
- Software subscription. Access to the software for an annual fee, with ongoing support and software updates included.[11] Rockwell Automation lists these subscription features: managed concurrent activation servers, metered and usage-based billing, and licences added or removed during the year with proration at renewal.[4]
- Perpetual with Maintenance. Use of the software indefinitely after a one-time cost, with the first year of maintenance included. After that, maintenance is a recurring fee if support and updates are wanted.[11]
- Software Support Services. Governed by the Software Support Services Policy. Support renews automatically. Once support has lapsed, reactivating it means buying support backdated to the expiry date.[2]
- Studio 5000 Legacy editions. Activations that enable Logix Designer versions both before and after 20.05.[5]
- Trial Software (30 days unless agreed otherwise) and Academic Use (teaching and research only).[1] FactoryTalk Design Studio has its own 90-day Trial.[12]
- ThinManager V-FLEX volume licensing and ThinManager Software Maintenance.[13]
- Reseller/VAR Product transfer. Lets system integrators hand embedded Software to an end customer.[1]
Contract terms
Grant (Rev. April 2026). The licence is limited, personal, non-transferable and non-exclusive, and is for the customer’s own internal business purposes. It depends on compliance with the agreement, timely payment and any activation process.[1] Permitted Users can be employees, consultants, subcontractors, suppliers, business partners and customers, as long as they use the Software solely to support the customer’s internal business.[1] Catalog proof: Licence is limited, personal, non-transferable and for internal business purposes.
Term, renewal and termination. The Term of Use renews automatically unless either party gives notice at least 90 days before expiry. A customer that terminates early still owes subscription fees for the rest of the subscription term.[1] Catalog proof: Term of Use renews automatically unless 90 days’ notice; Customer termination does not refund fees; subscription fees remain due.
Transfer. Software bought through the Commerce Portal can be transferred with the self-service function in the My Subscription dashboard. Any other assignment needs Rockwell Automation’s prior written consent.[1] Catalog proof: Assignment needs consent except Commerce Portal self-service transfer.
Authorized sources. Software and firmware for a Rockwell Automation product may be downloaded only if the product came from an authorized Rockwell Automation source and has no unauthorized modifications.[1] Catalog proof: Software for a product only if the product came from an authorised source.
The full contract, audit and support analysis is in Rockwell Automation software agreement, audit and support terms.
Audits and compliance
The SCSA gives Rockwell Automation, or its designee, the right to audit the customer’s use of the Software on reasonable notice. The customer must cooperate fully. If the audit reveals any use not in full compliance, the customer reimburses all reasonable audit expenses on top of any other liability.[1] The clause sets no materiality threshold before costs shift. Catalog proof: Rockwell Automation may audit use on reasonable notice; customer pays audit costs if non-compliant. The practical evidence for a licence position is the Order Form and Activation Certificate, together with the activation files and the Available Activations view in FactoryTalk Activation Manager. The general discipline is covered in software license audit and license compliance.
Out of scope
- Hardware, firmware and controller pricing, which are outside this software catalog.
- Plex and Fiix, Rockwell Automation SaaS products that have their own customer care plans.[2]
- Price lists. Rockwell Automation sells through its software portal and authorized distributors, and the retrieved documents publish no list prices.
- Signed enterprise agreements, Enterprise TechConnect contracts and distributor terms, which were not retrieved.
- Autonomous mobile robot products (Otto, Clearpath) and FactoryTalk Analytics VisionAI, which have additional Article 4 terms in the SCSA.