TOPdesk licensing is the set of terms under which TOPdesk supplies its service management software, which is intended for standard ICT, facility management and HR purposes.[1] The general terms of TOPdesk HQ are governed by the laws of the Netherlands.[1] TOPdesk sells the software as a subscription in two deployment forms, TOPdesk SaaS and TOPdesk On Premises. Under both, the customer receives a right of use to standardized software. The customer may configure the software but may not change its code.[1] The right of use can be limited in available content and in number of users, and the purchasing agreement sets its scope.[1] In practice, the unit counted is the operator, the person who handles calls and other tasks. TOPdesk charges for every operator that holds at least one paid permission.[4] Its public price list calls the same person an agent and prices per agent per month.[3] Callers, the end users who log in to the Self-Service Portal, are not priced in the public plans.[6][3] Contracts with TOPdesk HQ fall under the TOPdesk General Terms and Conditions 2021. TOPdesk USA uses separate SaaS and On-Premises terms.[2] For the general models, see named user licensing and subscription and consumption licensing.
Editions
TOPdesk’s public price list sells TOPdesk SaaS in three plans. Each plan adds modules and AI features to the one below it.[3]
| Plan | Contents (vendor description) | Price basis |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Incident Management, Asset Management, unlimited assets, tickets and end users, Self-Service Portal, Knowledge Base, Dashboard & Reporting[3] | Per agent per month |
| Engaged | Essential plus Change Management, Contract and SLA Management, Operations Management, Problem Management and three AI features[3] | Per agent per month |
| Excellent | Engaged plus Project Management, Webshop, Annual Health Check, Benchmark Reporting, further AI assistants, TOPdesk Robin and AI Triage[3] | Per agent per month |
Reservations Management, visitor registration and some other functions are sold as add-ons. Live chat and a virtual support agent are add-ons for the Engaged and Excellent plans.[3] The public prices fall with volume in three bands (1 to 10, 11 to 25 and 26 to 50 agents). They are recorded as catalog SKUs, for example Essential plan, agents 1-10 (EUR). TOPdesk publishes no part numbers. Plan contents and prices are covered in TOPdesk SaaS plans and pricing.
The on-premises form is the TOPdesk Virtual Appliance, which the customer runs in its own hypervisor.[12] The retrieved price list covers SaaS only. It publishes no on-premises plans or prices.[3]
Metrics
| TOPdesk term | Catalog row | Where it applies | What TOPdesk says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator with a paid permission | Operator (paid licence) | SaaS and Virtual Appliance | Organisations are charged for operators that are assigned at least one paid permission.[4] |
| Agent | Agent | Public SaaS plans | Anyone who can open and adjust tickets. Users who only view dashboards are free.[3] |
| Light agent | Light agent (view rights) | All plans | Unlimited light agents with view rights.[3] |
| Licensed agent | Licensed agent | General Terms 2021 | A TOPdesk user who can have admin permissions and can be assigned to tasks.[1] |
| Authorized User | Authorized User (TOPdesk USA SaaS), Authorized User (TOPdesk USA On-Premises) | TOPdesk USA agreements | Access is limited to the number of Authorized Users specified on Exhibit 1.[9] |
| Caller (person) | Caller | Self-Service Portal users | The caller that the service desk supports.[6] Not priced. The Fair Use Policy uses callers to size storage.[8] |
| Storage block | Storage block (25 GB) | SaaS storage above the fair use limit | 25 GB blocks at €25 per block per month.[8] |
| Consultancy day | Consultancy day | Implementation and advice | The customer pays for the consultancy days actually used.[1] |
The operator and caller model is explained in TOPdesk operator and caller licensing.
Counting / floors
Paid and free permissions (as retrieved 2026-09-27). Each permission in a TOPdesk permission group is either free or paid. Free permissions mostly let an operator see information. Paid permissions mostly let an operator change data or the environment. Paid permissions are marked with a money icon.[4] An operator with one paid permission needs a paid licence, whether the permission group is linked directly or inherited from an operator group.[5] Catalog proof: An operator with at least one paid permission needs a paid licence; Operators with only free permissions are not charged.
Accounts that are never paid. Three kinds of operator card are not shown as paid: TOPdesk’s own Consultancy and Support accounts in SaaS, operator cards with Allowed to log in disabled, and API accounts.[4] An API account can be used only for automations, integrations and OData reporting. It is always a free account, but it still needs permissions.[7] Catalog proof: TOPdesk support accounts, login-disabled operators and API accounts are never paid; API accounts are free accounts but still need permissions.
Contract comparison. SaaS customers see paid operators in use against the contracted number in the Operator licence overview. Its graph turns red when the contracted number is exceeded. A change to the contracted number takes two working days to appear.[5] Catalog proof: The Operator licence overview flags paid operators above the contracted number.
Floors. The retrieved terms publish no minimum number of operators. The public price calculator accepts 5 to 50 agents. TOPdesk recommends at least 5 and asks buyers of more than 50 to contact it.[3] Catalog proof: Public pricing covers 5 to 50 agents.
Callers and storage. Callers are not counted for price. The public plans include unlimited assets, tickets and end users.[3] The SaaS Fair Use Policy sizes attachment storage by the contract’s callers and operators, from 25 GB for up to 2,500 callers and 50 operators to 500 GB for up to 50,000 callers and 525 operators.[8] Catalog proof: SaaS storage limits are set by caller and operator bands.
Virtualization & partitioning
TOPdesk’s metrics count people (operators), not processors or hosts. No virtualization or partitioning rule of the kind described in virtualization and partitioning applies to the TOPdesk licence itself. The Virtual Appliance is imported into a hypervisor. TOPdesk lists VMware ESXi 8 and Microsoft Hyper-V, supports the VMware versions that have VMware general support, and advises against the Express Edition of MS SQL Server.[14] The hypervisor and the database server are customer-provided third-party software with their own licences. Under the TOPdesk USA On-Premises terms, the licence covers one installed copy at the facility named on Exhibit 1, plus one copy for back-up and archival.[10] Catalog proof: The Virtual Appliance runs on supported hypervisors and MS SQL Server editions; US On-Premises licence covers one installed copy at the named facility.
Cloud / BYOL
TOPdesk SaaS is hosted by TOPdesk. The subscription includes software, hosting, updates and support.[3] SaaS environments are updated to the latest version every week.[11] No bring-your-own-license mapping applies to SaaS. For on-premises software, the TOPdesk USA terms let the customer host internally or through a third-party Service Provider listed on Exhibit 1. That provider must agree in writing to host only for the customer and to respect the use restrictions.[10] The 2021 General Terms contain no equivalent hosting clause. Catalog proof: US On-Premises software may be hosted by a Service Provider named on Exhibit 1; SaaS environments are updated weekly.
Programs
- TOPdesk SaaS subscription. A right of use to TOPdesk SaaS. The licence fee is first due on the first day of the month after delivery and is paid yearly in advance unless a schedule is agreed.[1]
- TOPdesk On Premises subscription (Virtual Appliance). Maintenance is part of the subscription, so the customer receives the latest version at no extra cost.[1] Licence files are placed in the appliance’s shared folder and activated in the Administrator Console.[13] The Windows-installed TOPdesk Classic ended with TOPdesk 2020 Release 3.[12] See TOPdesk On-Premises and Virtual Appliance licensing.
- TOPdesk USA SaaS agreement and TOPdesk USA On Premise subscription license. Separate US agreements governed by Florida law. They count Authorized Users listed on Exhibit 1.[9]
- TOPdesk SaaS Fair Use Policy. Covers attachment storage, data traffic and e-mail volume.[8] The 2021 General Terms make it part of SaaS agreements.[1]
- TOPdesk Consultancy. Implementation and advice days, delivered on a best-effort basis. Unused ordered days stay valid for 18 months after signing.[1]
Contract terms
Term and renewal (General Terms 2021). Unless agreed otherwise, a contract runs for one year and then renews tacitly for one year at a time. After the initial term, the customer may terminate monthly with one month’s notice, and TOPdesk with three months’ notice. Discounts apply only to the initial period.[1] Periodic prices may be indexed once a year, at most in line with the CBS consumer price index for Corporate Services.[1] Catalog proof: Contracts run one year and renew tacitly each year; Discounts apply only to the initial contract period; Prices may be indexed once a year to the CBS index.
Term and renewal (TOPdesk USA). The Initial Term set in the quote renews automatically for one-year periods unless notice is given 30 days before the end of the term. Fees are non-cancelable. TOPdesk may raise them at most once a year, with 30 days’ notice.[9] Catalog proof: US agreements renew automatically for one year unless notice is given 30 days ahead; US fees are non-cancelable and may rise once a year on 30 days' notice.
Use rights. The right of use is not exclusive and may not be transferred, pledged or sublicensed. Affiliates may use the software as licensed agents only if the purchasing agreement says so, and they then become parties to it.[1] The US SaaS terms forbid making the Service available to third parties or offering it as a service bureau.[9] The contract terms are covered in TOPdesk terms and subscription conditions.
Audits and compliance
The 2021 General Terms require the customer to cooperate within reason if TOPdesk audits compliance with the licence.[1] The customer must report relevant changes in actual use so the licence can be adjusted. If the agreed number of users is exceeded, TOPdesk contacts the customer and offers a reasonable time to expand the licence or reduce users. If the excess continues, TOPdesk may increase the number of users and adjust the invoice at its usual rate.[1] TOPdesk may also use technical measures to enforce the agreed limits, and the customer may not bypass them.[1] The US agreements let TOPdesk audit use. Fees for use beyond the customer’s rights are payable within 30 days, and the On-Premises terms require five days’ written notice before an audit.[9][10] Catalog proof: Customers must cooperate with a TOPdesk licence audit; Exceeding the agreed users leads to a cure period, then a unilateral increase; TOPdesk USA may audit use and bill excess within 30 days. The general discipline is covered in software license audit and true-up.
The operator and person records themselves are changing. Since February 2026, links for existing operators can no longer be created or changed. In the current phase, every human operator gets a linked person card, while API accounts stay unlinked.[15] Catalog proof: Operators receive linked person cards; API accounts stay unlinked.
Out of scope
- The Asset Management module’s own features for recording other vendors’ software licences. They are product functions, not TOPdesk licence terms.
- Signed purchasing agreements, quotes and Exhibit 1 schedules, which set the actual numbers of operators and modules and were not retrievable.
- On-premises prices, and prices above 50 agents, which TOPdesk quotes individually.
- Local terms of TOPdesk subsidiaries other than TOPdesk HQ and TOPdesk USA, and the Data Processing Agreement.
- Marketplace integrations and third-party software, which are governed by the third party’s terms under §37 of the General Terms.