TOPdesk On-Premises is the form of TOPdesk that a customer runs in its own infrastructure instead of in TOPdesk’s SaaS. The 2021 General Terms treat it as a subscription. Both a subscription to TOPdesk SaaS and a subscription to On Premises give the customer a right of use to TOPdesk’s software. The right of use ends when the contract ends, whatever the cause.[11] There is no perpetual licence in the retrieved terms. On-premises TOPdesk has had two product lines. The first, TOPdesk Classic, was an installation whose last version was TOPdesk 2020 Release 3.[1] The second, the TOPdesk Virtual Appliance (VA), is a prebuilt appliance imported into the customer’s hypervisor. It was first released at the beginning of 2019.[5][9] The operator counting described in TOPdesk operator and caller licensing applies to the Virtual Appliance too.[14]
Editions
| Line | Status (as retrieved 2026-09-27) | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| TOPdesk Classic (On-Premises “OP Classic”) | Ended. The last Classic version is TOPdesk 2020 Release 3. Migration manuals move Classic installations to the Virtual Appliance. | [1][2] |
| TOPdesk Virtual Appliance | Current. Documentation is published per release from VA 2023 Release 2 to VA 2026 Release 3. | [13] |
| TOPdesk SaaS | Current. Hosted by TOPdesk and updated weekly. | [16] |
TOPdesk’s public price list covers only the SaaS plans.[15] None of the retrieved documents says whether the Virtual Appliance is sold with the same Essential, Engaged and Excellent plans, or on which terms it is offered to new customers.
Metrics
On premises, the same paid operator logic applies as in SaaS. The Virtual Appliance’s Active Operators Overview shows which operator cards the organisation must pay for, based on paid permissions. TOPdesk support accounts, login-disabled operators and API accounts are excepted.[14] The TOPdesk USA On-Premises terms use the Authorized User, an employee authorised by the customer to use the Licensed Materials. They limit use to the Licensed Software Use set out in Exhibit 1.[12]
Counting / floors
Licence files and activation
A Virtual Appliance does not read its entitlement from the TOPdesk cloud the way SaaS does. The customer places the TOPdesk licences in the licence subfolder of the appliance’s mounted shared folder and removes any old licences, so the set stays consistent. The licences are then activated in the Administrator Console and TOPdesk is restarted.[10] If the appliance has no internet connection, the Administrator Console shows a request code. The customer pastes it into the TOPdesk Activation Server from a machine with internet access, after logging in with My TOPdesk credentials, and copies back the activation key.[10] The 2021 General Terms allow TOPdesk to take technical measures to protect the agreed limits on content, number of users and duration, and forbid bypassing them.[11] Catalog proof: Virtual Appliance licences are licence files activated against the TOPdesk Activation Server; Technical licence controls may not be bypassed.
Copies and environments
The 2021 General Terms do not limit the number of installations. The purchasing agreement sets the scope.[11] The TOPdesk USA On-Premises terms license one copy of the Licensed Materials, installed at the facility on Exhibit 1 on a system meeting its requirements. One additional copy may be made for back-up and archival, unless the statement of work says otherwise.[12] TOPdesk’s migration documentation strongly recommends migrating an acceptance environment first.[2] Whether an acceptance or test appliance needs its own licence is set by the purchasing agreement, and the retrieved documents do not state it. Catalog proof: US On-Premises licence covers one installed copy at the named facility.
Virtualization & partitioning
The Virtual Appliance runs as a virtual machine. For VA 2026 Release 1, TOPdesk lists VMware ESXi 8 and Microsoft Hyper-V as tested hypervisors, and VMware vSphere ESXi 6.7 or earlier as not compatible. For VMware products, it supports the versions that have VMware general support.[8] The database is a customer-provided MS SQL Server, versions 2016 to 2022 for that release. TOPdesk advises against the Express Edition because of its database size limits and backup automation. The correct Java version is included in each appliance.[8] VA 2026 Release 2 added support for MS SQL 2025. It is the last version to support MS SQL 2016, which is dropped from 2026 Release 3.[7] The appliance also needs an SMB 3.0 file share of at least 3 GB, a static IP address and, by default, two internal Kubernetes subnets.[9] TOPdesk’s licence is not tied to virtual cores or hosts. The hypervisor and SQL Server licences are the customer’s own, under the rules described in virtualization and partitioning. Catalog proof: The Virtual Appliance runs on supported hypervisors and MS SQL Server editions.
Cloud / BYOL
The retrieved 2021 General Terms contain no specific clause on hosting On Premises software with a third party. The TOPdesk USA On-Premises terms allow the customer to host internally or through the Service Provider listed on Exhibit 1. That provider must agree in writing to host only for the customer, respect the use restrictions and name TOPdesk as a third-party beneficiary.[12] Where the software is hosted by the customer or a Service Provider, the customer must give TOPdesk access, including remote access, for support and maintenance.[12] Moving from the Virtual Appliance to TOPdesk SaaS is a change of subscription, not a licence transfer. The retrieved documents describe no conversion credit. Catalog proof: US On-Premises software may be hosted by a Service Provider named on Exhibit 1.
Programs
End of TOPdesk Classic
Before migrating, a Classic installation must first be updated to the latest Classic version, TOPdesk 2020 Release 3.[2] The customer then deploys the Virtual Appliance image for TOPdesk 2020 Release 3. This is not the most recent VA version, but it matches the last Classic version. After testing, the customer updates to the latest VA version.[1] For the cut-over, the customer turns off the Classic production environment, backs up the database and connects the appliance to it. Once TOPdesk works, the Classic service is stopped, and eventually the whole Classic installation can be removed.[3] If the appliance does not work as expected, a documented rollback returns to TOPdesk Classic.[4] No Classic release after 2020 Release 3 appears in the retrieved documentation. Catalog proof: TOPdesk Classic ended with TOPdesk 2020 Release 3.
Virtual Appliance release lifecycle
The Virtual Appliance is released several times a year. The documentation portal lists VA 2023 Releases 2 and 3, 2024 Releases 1 to 4, 2025 Releases 1 to 4 and 2026 Releases 1 to 3.[13] A major release in the second quarter of 2023 required a new deployment instead of an in-place update. It was needed first of all because of the end-of-life of CentOS, the appliance’s operating system. It also rebuilt the update system and reduced differences between SaaS and the VA.[5] Updates from VA 2023 Release 1 and older therefore require a redeployment.[6] Some releases are milestones that cannot be skipped. For example, 2026 Release 2 can be installed only on top of the 2026 Release 1 milestone, and TOPdesk will not start until the milestone database migrations are complete.[7] Catalog proof: The 2023 R2 major release required redeploying the Virtual Appliance; Virtual Appliance milestone releases cannot be skipped.
Maintenance and support entitlement
Under the 2021 General Terms, maintenance is part of the On Premises subscription. TOPdesk provides the latest version during the term at no additional cost.[11] The customer is not obliged to install it. Staying on an older version can affect security, compatibility and TOPdesk’s ability to support the software, and repair of defects under article 22 does not apply to older On Premises versions.[11] TOPdesk informs customers at least six months before a functionality goes end-of-life. If an essential function changes so that the software becomes unfit for its agreed purpose, the customer may terminate without penalty.[11] Back-ups of On Premises software are the customer’s responsibility.[11] The On Premises subscription therefore bundles right of use, updates and repair into one fee, with repair limited to current versions. This is commentary on the cited terms. The general concept is covered in software maintenance and support. Catalog proof: On Premises maintenance is included, but older versions get no defect repair; Functionality end-of-life is announced at least six months ahead; On Premises customers are responsible for their own back-ups.
Custom solutions
After upgrading to VA 2026 Release 2, customers using the custom solutions Asset Audit, Asset Audit Mobile or Feedback Solution must install the 2026 R2-compatible installation packages.[7] Their licensing is not described in the retrieved documents.
Audits and compliance
The audit and overuse clauses of the 2021 General Terms apply to On Premises as well as SaaS: cooperation with an audit, a reasonable time to cure an excess of users, then a possible unilateral increase at TOPdesk’s usual rate.[11] Under the TOPdesk USA On-Premises terms, TOPdesk may request an accounting of use, audit on five days’ written notice or request a certification. On expiry or termination, the customer must purge all copies of the Licensed Materials.[12] Catalog proof: Exceeding the agreed users leads to a cure period, then a unilateral increase; TOPdesk USA may audit use and bill excess within 30 days.
Out of scope
- The TOPdesk Classic end-of-life announcement on TOPdesk’s customer blog, which could not be retrieved. Its dates are not recorded here.
- Prices and plans for on-premises subscriptions, which are not published.
- Licences for the hypervisor, Windows file share and MS SQL Server, which are third-party products.
- The TOPdesk end-user mobile app and other clients.