The Free version and the AceMoney Studio license

AceMoney Studio on macOS, Windows and Linux is free to download and use. This page explains the Free version and how to buy, activate and move an AceMoney Studio license. The phone and tablet app, coming from version 1.2, has its own unlock; see AceMoney Studio on your phone and tablet.

What is free

Without a license and without any account you get:

3 accounts you can edit, with the Register, transfers, splits, attachments, reconciliation, tags, payees, banks, categories and budgets.
The Home dashboard (including its Budget goals and Projected cash flow — next 3 months cards), Reports and charts (except the investment reports, see below), scheduled transactions and reminders, search, currencies and exchange rates, bill splitting, mileage (manual trips, and the Reports tab inside Mileage), import and export.
Bank feeds through SimpleFIN (SimpleFIN charges its own yearly fee).
The document password, backups, Document Doctor, themes and every other setting.
One portfolio (one set of books per document) and one savings or debt-payoff goal.

The Free version keeps 3 accounts you can edit, counted across every document on this computer. Any other account stays visible, with its Register, balance, dashboard figures and exports, but it is read-only: you cannot add, change or delete its transactions, transfer into it, reconcile it or post scheduled transactions to it. Nothing is deleted.

The 3 editable accounts are the first 3 the app sees. Keep editable… on the Accounts page lets you choose which, once every 30 days.
You can still move a read-only account to the trash. Bringing it back needs a free editable slot.
Opening or importing an AceMoney Classic file brings every account in with its transactions and leaves the accounts past 3 read-only.
A bank file with several accounts, a SimpleFIN feed and an AceMoney Cloud bank feed stop at the limit: they do not create editable accounts past 3, and the Unlock AceMoney Studio dialog appears. What was created stays, and new transactions for a read-only account wait until you unlock.
The sample data is read-only and does not use up your 3.
Unlocking makes every account editable at once and opens Investments, with nothing lost.

When you try to add a fourth editable account, the dialog Unlock AceMoney Studio appears: “The free version of AceMoney Studio keeps 3 accounts you can edit. Investments are included when you unlock. Unlocking adds unlimited accounts, once, for a single one-time price.” Its buttons are Enter a license key…, Buy AceMoney Studio and Not now.

What the AceMoney Studio license unlocks

Unlimited accounts, all editable.
Investments: the Portfolio page with holdings, quotes and investment transactions, and the investment reports in Reports (Performance by investments, and from version 1.2 Realised gains). In the Free version these show Investments is part of AceMoney Studio with an Unlock AceMoney Studio button. Your investment data stays in the document and comes back the moment you unlock.
Several portfolios in one document (personal, business, a family member), with the Consolidated scope in Reports. In the Free version, New portfolio… shows Multiple portfolios need the unlocked app, with Maybe later.
Unlimited goals (the Free version allows one).

The license is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. It never needs an account, works offline, and is for computers only. It does not include the Mileage plan, and it does not unlock AceMoney Studio Mobile.

Buy an AceMoney Studio license

The license is sold on the website; see the pricing page for the current price. In the app, Buy AceMoney Studio in the Unlock AceMoney Studio dialog opens the same page in your browser. Owners of an AceMoney Classic license can get the founder price at www.mechcad.net/upgrade/.

After you pay, you receive an e-mail with your license key, which starts with AMS- followed by five groups of four characters. Keep that e-mail: the key and the address you bought with are what you need to activate. If it has not arrived within a few minutes, check your spam folder, then contact support with your order reference.

Activate with your key and purchase e-mail

Open Settings and choose the Account tab.
Under Desktop license, find the Activate license card (“Paste the AMS- key and the email you purchased with.”).
Paste your key into License key and type the address you bought with into Purchase email address.
Press Activate. The button reads Activating… while the app checks the key.

Activation needs an internet connection once. After that the app works offline. The Subscription card then shows Perpetual license, and the account, portfolio and goal limits are gone. Nothing in your document changes.

You do not need to sign in. Sign in and Claim a Cloud license… on the same tab are for AceMoney Cloud, a separate subscription (see AceMoney Cloud).

How many computers can use one license

One license covers two computers at a time (two “seats”). Each activated computer takes one seat. The License card on the Account tab shows Perpetual license · up to 2 seats, This device: with the computer’s name, and the buttons Deactivate this seat and View all seats on this license. Activating again on the same computer after a reinstall does not need a free seat.

Move the license to a new computer

On the old computer, open Settings ▸ Account and press Deactivate this seat. Studio there returns to the Free version; the data stays.
On the new computer, activate with your key and purchase e-mail as above.

If the old computer is gone or will not start:

On a computer with Studio, open Settings ▸ Account and press View all seats on this license.
Find the old computer’s row (its name, its operating system and Activated with the date) and press Release. The row then reads Released.
Activate on the new computer.

Managing seats online needs you to sign in. You can rename the current computer’s seat with Rename this device (field Device name, then Save).

Each license can be activated a limited number of times over its life, and re-activations count. If you reach it, the app says This license has reached its activation limit — contact support to continue. This is a counter, not an accusation: support raises it for you.

Updates included with your license

Your purchase includes every update released in the 12 months after it. The app installs them itself; see Keep AceMoney Studio up to date.

When those 12 months end, nothing stops: the version you have keeps working with no time limit, and your license stays activated. The only limit is activating a version released after your period, which says This license doesn’t cover updates as recent as this build — renew to activate the latest version. An optional yearly updates renewal is planned but not on sale yet; see the pricing page.

What happens if the license is refunded or withdrawn

The app keeps working as before for 30 days, then returns to the Free version. Nothing is deleted: every account, portfolio and goal stays, but accounts past the first 3 become read-only again, and Investments asks for the unlock.

Refunds

To ask for a refund of a website purchase, open a Request a refund ticket on the support portal with your order reference. Purchases made in the App Store or Google Play are refunded by Apple or Google under their own rules, not by MechCAD.

Common questions

Does the license unlock the phone app?

No. The license for computers and the in-app unlock of AceMoney Studio Mobile (coming from version 1.2) are separate purchases, and neither gives credit towards the other.

Is the license a subscription?

No. It is a one-time purchase that never expires. The activated card is titled Subscription, but it shows Perpetual license; only the updates period is time-limited.

Do I need an account to use or activate Studio?

No. Activation uses your license key and purchase e-mail only, and the Free version needs nothing at all. Releasing a seat from another computer is the one step that needs a sign-in.

Can I use the license on a Mac and a Windows PC?

Yes. One license has two seats, and the same key and purchase e-mail activate Studio on macOS, Windows and Linux.

I lost my license key. How do I get it back?

Contact support from the address you bought with and give your order reference; support re-sends it. Never post a key publicly.

I have an AceMoney Classic serial number. Can I use it?

No. Studio needs the key that starts with AMS-. If you paste a Classic serial number, Studio says so and points you to the founder price at www.mechcad.net/upgrade/.

Does Receipts Pro, the Mileage plan or AceMoney Cloud unlock Studio?

No. Only an AceMoney Studio license unlocks Studio on a computer. A bundle of Studio and AceMoney Cloud is on the pricing page.

Troubleshooting

“Couldn’t reach the licensing server — check your connection and try again.” Activation needs the internet once. Check the connection, a firewall or proxy, then press Activate again.

“No license matches — check the key for typos.” Paste the key from the e-mail rather than typing it.

“That purchase email doesn’t match this license key.” Use the exact address you bought with.

“All seats on this license are in use…” Press View all seats on this license and Release the computer you no longer use, then activate again.

“This license has been revoked or refunded.” If you think this is a mistake, contact support with your purchase e-mail and the last four characters of the key.

“This computer isn’t activated.” The license was activated on another computer, or this one has changed. Activate it again here; it uses a seat.

“Sign in (Settings → Account) to manage this online, then try again.” Viewing or releasing seats needs a sign-in.

The license activated, but the 4th account is still blocked. Check that the Subscription card shows Perpetual license. If it shows a notice instead, activate again as it says.

More license messages are on Fix common problems in AceMoney Studio.