Affinity V2 – Universal Licence – differences between Stores?

[rob66]

I want to buy the Universal License vor Affinity V2. Are there any differences when purchasing from App Store instead of Serif?

Universal License is an in-app purchase from the App Store – do I then get a licence key for installing the software also on a Windows PC in my mostly-Apple-houshold?

I very much apprechiate the new licensing model, but is my son`s gaming PC included? My daughter's MacBook? The Serif Licence states only *my* computers could be used by familiy members (non-commercial). On the other side, a purchase on the App Store allows usage by up to 5 familiy members on all *their* machines. Do I overlook something?

Thank you for more insight. :)

[StevenS]

Hi @rob66, welcome to the Affinity forum.

Please see the below FAQ, if you have any further questions after reading, please let us know.

https://affinity.serif.com/learn/in-app-licence-activation/

[TAMZ DEZIGNZ LLC]

9 hours ago, rob66 said:

I want to buy the Universal License vor Affinity V2. Are there any differences when purchasing from App Store instead of Serif?

On the other side, a purchase on the App Store allows usage by up to 5 familiy members on all *their* machines. Do I overlook something?

Thank you for more insight.

An excellent point.... I have an iMac and a Macbook as well as iPad Pro...  if what I'm reading is correct, I couldn't use on both my iMac and Macbook..... unless I purchase through the app store.... which gives no trial first right?  Or maybe it does, I dunno but since the family sharing feature works on the appstore (or did they block it) that would be the way to go even if it was just for our own multiple devices.  Thanks for pointing that out.  I just downloaded the trial versions from Serif but now I'm rethinking this to switch to the app store.

[TrevorML]

From my reading of what @StevenS gave the link for there appears to be no difference between the Serif or AppStore purchases… both give the 30 day trial and then you can upgrade either for the app or to the Universal License version… with purchases from both stores you have to activate the license by logging into your Affinity account or making one and once done your license is valid for either the single app or the universal license depending upon which one you purchased. 
So it seems that the only real difference is how you would like to update the app/apps… automatically via the AppStore or manually unless it is now automatically done from Affinity/Serif. 

[TAMZ DEZIGNZ LLC]

However...... If purchased on the App Store... it doesn't actually say whether or not it is honored for family sharing. I'm thinking it won't be since there wouldn't be a sparate validation number?  This is kinda a big deal when you have multiple devices in the house so I wish it was specified.  It just says "Some in-app purchase may be sharable" Be nice to know if they are or aren't ya know? 

[mkberg0917]

The end user license agreement (Speaking of the Mac version) sounds as though you may download and use the software on all of your devices. I could be interpreting that section wrong but it sounds like you only need to purchase one copy to use on any computers you own.

Quote

The licence granted to you is limited, non-transferable and non-exclusive. Except to the extent any rights cannot be excluded by law, you are permitted:

(i) if you are a private individual, to download, install, use and run for personal use, one (1) copy of the Serif Software directly on each computer running macOS (“Mac Computer”) that you personally own or control.

 

[TrevorML]

5 hours ago, TAMZ DEZIGNZ LLC said:

However...... If purchased on the App Store... it doesn't actually say whether or not it is honored for family sharing. I'm thinking it won't be since there wouldn't be a sparate validation number?  This is kinda a big deal when you have multiple devices in the house so I wish it was specified.  It just says "Some in-app purchase may be sharable" Be nice to know if they are or aren't ya know? 

from the FAQs…

• How many devices can I install Affinity apps on?

• As a private individual you can install Affinity apps on as many devices as you own which run the operating system you have purchased a licence for (of course in the case of a Universal Licence that means you can install on any iPads, Macs or Windows PCs you own). Other people (for example, members of your household) are also allowed to use the apps on those devices. However, only you are allowed to use the apps for commercial use—if any members of your household need to make commercial use of the apps as well they will need to purchase their own licence.

[erutan]

There's a difference between someone using Affinity on a device I own (my partner logging into a guest account on my M1 Pro) vs App Store Family Sharing (my partner installing it on her M1 Air via App Store Family Sharing). It seems the TOS doesn't seem to allow the latter anymore, in spirit it would be all computers that are linked to a specific Apple ID (and/or Windows one owned the same person).

If purchased outside of the App Store the licenses would be less explicitly tied to a specific Apple ID, though afaik there's still API hooks to check (Gamecenter, iCloud, etc) for that if they're serious about it. I can get why Affinity would want to limit family sharing as they've established a strong user base with the v1 products and it is professional grade software.

For graphics & photos I mostly use Lightroom, Sketch, and Pixelmator Pro (simpler & faster than AF Photo for casual tasks) though I own all the Affinity v1 products on Mac & iPad and use them occasionally. My partner will use them a bit more than me, but still occasional use. A universal license for the v2 makes a ton of sense if they can be shared for us! We use them more semi-professionally or professionally adjacent however.

Clarification on "Some in-app purchase may be sharable" seems like reasonable request @StevenS.

[StevenS]

It is my belief that any of the Affinity apps that are download directly from the App Store can be shared with family via Apple's Family Sharing feature.

Is this correct @Patrick Connor?

[Patrick Connor]

It's my belief that is how they have been set up too

[rob66]

As I understand, if you buy in the App Store you can specify up to 5 family members who can use your purchase on their (Apple) devices. I don't know yet, if the licensing rules for purchases directly from Serif apply when installing an App Store purchased Software on a non-Apple PC?

Licence from Serif states every device "that you personally own or control." Theortically, I could control every device in my household, even if I don't know the password. Is it meant this way?

So this would set a Serif-purchase (nearly) on par with an App Store-purchase, but with more money for the developer. I guess, that Serif is very generous with this license – as long, as the software is not used commercially by members of your household.

[walt.farrell]

6 hours ago, rob66 said:

Theortically, I could control every device in my household, even if I don't know the password. Is it meant this way?

If you own them, you might mae that argument. But if you don't own them, and don't know the password, how do you "control" them?

[rob66]

I learned, that physical access to a computer means almost 100% control over this computer.

No, really. In a family, there is no hard border between ownership of devices. So I think, Serif means all computers in a household, including the daughter's iPad.

How do you interpret this license, which are the differences between "own" and "control"?

Edited November 11, 2022 by rob66
corrected spelling

[walt.farrell]

2 hours ago, rob66 said:

How do you interpret this license, which are the differences between "own" and "control"?

If I purchased the computer, I own it.

If someone else purchased it, they own it.

If I have an Administror password for the machine, I control it. If I do not have that password, someone else controls it.

[rob66]

Then, buying a licence in the App Store gives you more freedom, because your family members can use the software on their own computer(s).

Buying the license at Serif allows members of your household to use the software on their own device –> only if they give you the admin-password to their device?

Really?

Perhaps a moderator can comment on this topic.

[Patrick Connor]

22 hours ago, rob66 said:

Then, buying a licence in the App Store gives you more freedom, because your family members can use the software on their own computer(s).

Buying the license at Serif allows members of your household to use the software on their own device –> only if they give you the admin-password to their device?

Really?

Perhaps a moderator can comment on this topic.

Although family sharing has always been more generous than the Serif license, we had it for version one and have it for version 2 also

[TAMZ DEZIGNZ LLC]

On 11/11/2022 at 9:18 AM, Patrick Connor said:

It's my belief that is how they have been set up too

 

33 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

Although family sharing has always been more generous than the Serif license, we had it for version one and have it for version 2 also

Ok that’s good to know!  In the App Store says may be eligible, but doesn’t say it will be so thank you!  

[TomM1]

There was an issue where AP from the Serif store was more friendly to certain plugins than the version from the app store.

[walt.farrell]

There were also some sandboxing issues (number of fonts or other files you could have open, possibly other system limits?) applied to V1 apps by macOS for apps from the Mac App Store. I don't know if that's still true with V2, nor how much of a concern that is to most users.

But it shouldn't affect where you buy from, as you would be able to download afterwards from Serif if you needed to switch, as long as you linked your App Store purchase to your Affinity account.

[Patrick Connor]

Furthermore once you have a license you can install BOTH macOS versions on the same device without issue 

[Bruno Belo]

30 minutes ago, Patrick Connor said:

Furthermore once you have a license you can install BOTH macOS versions on the same device without issue 

So i can purchase on windows store a version universal license, and come to affinity store to download a desktop version to install over the Microsoft store? 

[Patrick Connor]

Nope, on Windows you can only have one of them installed at the same time. It's a restriction caused because they have the exact same name, and MSIX installers have to be uniquely named on any machine. So you can uninstall the Microsoft Store version and install the Affinity Store version sign in the the Affinity ID you registered the license to and therefore swap from one to the other. The reverse is also true (uninstall Affinity Store version and install the Microsoft Store one).

That is WHY the Microsoft Store version is a free download, as you may have a product or universal license bought on another store 

Mac's have no problems with two applications having the same name, and that's why I said you can have both installed on macOS 

[erutan]

On 11/13/2022 at 4:00 AM, Patrick Connor said:

Although family sharing has always been more generous than the Serif license, we had it for version one and have it for version 2 also

So as per another thread on Family Sharing, it exists outside of the Serif license as an exception/extension of it?

If so then it seems like you can have a universal license with the Serif ToS on all of your devices, and Apple Family Sharing as an extension to that license on either the Mac or iPad (but not both) depending on which store you buy the license from.

I'd rather purchase directly so you get more of the profit, but having Family Sharing on the MAS would be very convenient for my use case.

[SG1000]

Question for moderator (Patrick?)

I've read the other posts, but just want to be sure I fully understand universal license before upgrading to 2 (thank you).

If I purchase a universal license via Apple:

• I have to register my Apple purchase with my serif account (not sure how this works?)
• My family sharing members can use affinity V2 on all their compatible Apple devices through apple family sharing (and not by logging into my affinity account or using my affinity credentials)?
• I can use affinity 2 apps on any Apple compatible devices and windows PCs I own
• My family cannot use Affinity 2 apps on any windows devices they might own (unless they log into the apps with my serif account/credentials)

If I purchase a universal license via Serif direct:

• my family sharing members can use affinity V2 on their compatible Apple devices through apple family sharing
• I can use affinity 2 apps on any Apple compatible devices and windows PCs I own
• My family cannot use Affinity 2 apps on any windows devices they might own (unless they log into the apps with my serif account/credentials)
• QUESTION: To enable Apple family sharing – do I need to link my Apple ID to serif account?
• QUESTION: And will family sharing work seamlessly for my family? Or will they need to log in to my serif account in their apps in any way? 

My preference would be to upgrade via serif so you get more money – as long as it is still possible to easily use family sharing, in case my family want to do the odd thing on their apple devices.

Thanks 

[Patrick Connor]

@SG1000

Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums

 

40 minutes ago, SG1000 said:

Question for moderator (Patrick?)

I've read the other posts, but just want to be sure I fully understand universal license before upgrading to 2 (thank you).

.........

My preference would be to upgrade via serif so you get more money – as long as it is still possible to easily use family sharing, in case my family want to do the odd thing on their apple devices.

Thanks 

Your explanation is prety much exactly what I said (over the weekend) that you should expect. However, customers have said otherwise, and our tests here have confirmed that it is not quite as you have written (or as I said earlier). It is actually like this.

If I purchase a universal license via Apple:

• I have to register my Apple purchase with my serif account (not sure how this works?) 
  • Yes your Serif account is HOW the other applications find out that you bought the universal license. It is the single point of contact that lets the applications know they are licensed through a single Universal license purchase in the Apple App. 
• My family sharing members can use affinity V2 on all their compatible Apple devices through apple family sharing (and not by logging into my affinity account or using my affinity credentials)?
  • Only in trial mode, they will need to sign into your Affinity ID to use the shared In App Purchase (we thought it would work but are having problems so this approach is not working, but a shared Affinity ID does). iPad seems to work as you described though and we are not 100% sure why yet.
• I can use affinity 2 apps on any Apple compatible devices and windows PCs I own
  • Yes that is the generic "any device you own on this OS" offer of V1, now expanded across all supported OS's by the Universal V2 license
• My family cannot use Affinity 2 apps on any windows devices they might own (unless they log into the apps with my serif account/credentials)
  • Correct, but also true of macOS as family sharing is not working as we expected, and we may not be able to get it to work either.

If I purchase a universal license via Serif direct:

• my family sharing members can use affinity V2 on their compatible Apple devices through apple family sharing
  • No, licensing through Affinity ID works, as explained in point 2 above, but apparently not through Family sharing
• I can use affinity 2 apps on any Apple compatible devices and windows PCs I own
  • Yes
• My family cannot use Affinity 2 apps on any windows devices they might own (unless they log into the apps with my serif account/credentials)
  • Only as 30 day trials, so Yes
• QUESTION: To enable Apple family sharing – do I need to link my Apple ID to serif account?
  • No that is not what is happening. Only your In App Purchase of a universal license is passed up, so we have nothing to enable to get the family sharing to work. Family sharing is 100% an Apple thing and nothing to do with the success or otherwise of the universal license via your Affinity ID.
• QUESTION: And will family sharing work seamlessly for my family? Or will they need to log in to my serif account in their apps in any way? 
  • They will need to log in to my serif account Just ONCE, like you, to access the license. After that they do not need to be logged in. Family sharing should have made that bit unnecessary but it has not functioned as expected and we do not know if it can. We may even have to turn Family sharing off for the in app purchases, as it does not work and is causing confusion.

So Upgrading via Serif Or Apple gives you about the same, and your V2 Universal License can be shared around your devices and those of your family members, but only via your Affinity ID that you registered it to.