Plans and license

TalkBar plans and their limits, how to activate a license key, and what happens when you reach a limit or your updates end.

TalkBar runs on the Free plan until you activate a license. Paid plans are a one-time purchase, not a subscription: the version you have keeps working, and each license includes 12 months of updates and of the share link service. Your plan, its limits and your license are in Settings → License.

Plans

TalkBar has five plans: Free, Personal, Plus, Pro and Business. Recording, transcription, summaries, Ask TalkBar, notes, knowledge, built-in templates and local exports are part of every plan. The plans differ in these limits:

FreePersonalPlusProBusiness
Sessions (per workspace, not counting Trash)20UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Recording length30 minUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Workspaces112UnlimitedUnlimited
Projects11UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Devices11223
Local profiles11255
Create, edit and import templatesNoNoYesYesYes
Custom skillsNoNoNoYesYes
Public share linksYesYesYesYesYes
Active share links10UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Private share linksNoNoYesYesYes
Share with specific peopleNoNoNoUp to 10 per linkUp to 50 per link
Custom brandingNoAdd-onAdd-onAdd-onIncluded
Priority supportNoNoNoNoYes

Devices is how many computers can use one license at the same time. More sharing details are in Share links.

For prices and to buy a license, see TalkBar pricing. In the app, Settings → License → Upgrade your plan shows what each higher plan adds.

What a paid license includes

  • Perpetual license: you pay once and the licensed version of TalkBar keeps working.
  • 12 months of updates: new versions released during that time.
  • 12 months of the share link service: your plan's sharing features on talkbar.link.

Renewing is optional. It adds another 12 months of updates and of the share link service. When renewal is open, the license shows Renew updates.

Activate a license

You get a license key by email after you buy.

  1. Open Settings → License.
  2. Under License key, click Activate license.
  3. Paste the key from your purchase email and click Continue.
  4. Check the details TalkBar shows (Plan, Licensed to, Updates included until, Interface language), then click Activate license.

TalkBar confirms that this device is now registered with your license and switches to your plan.

You can also open the activation link from Manage License on the license portal; it opens TalkBar and starts the same steps. Lost your key? Click Find my license key.

Some regional licenses cover one interface language. When you activate one, TalkBar offers to switch the app to that language.

After activation

The License key section shows your plan, the key's short ID, and:

DetailWhat it shows
Licensed toThe license owner.
Interface languageThe app languages the license covers.
DevicesHow many of the license's devices are in use.
Updates and share link service included untilThe end of your 12 months of updates and the share link service.
Last checkedWhen TalkBar last confirmed the license with the license service.

Buttons: Check license confirms it now, Manage License opens the license portal, Change license key activates a different key, and Remove license frees this device.

TalkBar checks your license with the license service when it starts and about once a week. Only license and device details are sent, such as the device name, system and TalkBar version.

Move a license to another computer

  1. On the old computer, open Settings → License and click Remove license. TalkBar switches that computer to the Free plan and frees its place on the license. Your data stays.
  2. On the new computer, activate the same key.

If the old computer is gone, remove it from Manage License on the license portal instead.

After an upgrade

When you upgrade to a higher plan, you get a new license key by email. Activate it with Change license key.

When you reach a limit

TalkBar tells you before and when you reach a limit, and points to what you can do.

LimitWhat happens
Sessions (Free)The sidebar shows how many of your 20 sessions you use. At the limit you can't record or import a new session until you move an old one to Trash. A scheduled session that should start automatically becomes a reminder instead. Your existing sessions stay fully available: transcripts, summaries, Ask TalkBar and export.
Recording length (Free)TalkBar shows when the recording will stop. At 30 minutes it stops and saves the session with its summary.
Workspaces, projects, profilesYou can't add another one beyond your plan.
Templates and skillsFree and Personal use the built-in templates; creating, editing and importing templates needs Plus or higher. Custom skills need Pro or higher.
Share linksOn Free, revoke a link to publish another once you have 10. Options your plan doesn't include are shown but can't be selected.

Moving sessions to Trash frees space right away. Sessions in Trash don't count toward the limit.

  • Updates end: TalkBar keeps working with all your plan features. To get newer versions, renew. A TalkBar version released after your updates ended runs on the Free plan until you renew.
  • Share link service ends: sharing uses the Free plan limits. Your other plan features stay. Renew to restore them.

TalkBar reminds you before your updates end.

If TalkBar can't reach the license service

  • A license TalkBar has confirmed keeps working, even if the license service doesn't answer for a long time. TalkBar keeps trying and tells you when it hasn't been able to check.
  • A license activated while TalkBar couldn't reach the service works right away, but must be confirmed within 30 days. After that, TalkBar uses the Free plan until it can confirm the license.
  • If a license is no longer valid for this device (for example, the device was removed on the license portal), TalkBar keeps your plan until it restarts, then uses the Free plan.

Custom branding add-on

Custom branding puts your own name, logo and colors on shared pages and invitation emails. It is included in Business while its share link service is active. For Personal, Plus and Pro it is a yearly add-on: each purchase adds 12 months. Click Add custom branding in Settings → License → Custom branding to buy it, then set it up as described in Share links.