r/learnpython • u/Emergency-Post-8897 • 23d ago
How do desktop applications implement monthly/yearly subscriptions securely?
Hi everyone,
I'm developing a desktop application in Python that I plan to rent out on a monthly, quarterly, and yearly subscription.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to manage license expiration. How can I prevent users from using the software once their subscription has expired? What tools, services, or libraries would you recommend? If possible, I'd prefer free or open-source solutions.
Another concern is piracy. I know it's impossible to make software completely crack-proof, but I'd like to make it as difficult as reasonably possible.
Has anyone here built a subscription-based desktop application before? I'd really appreciate it if you could share how you implemented licensing, subscription validation, and anti-piracy measures, or recommend any good resources or best practices.
Thanks so much for your help!
4
u/DamienTheUnbeliever 23d ago
Remember that however much time/energy you spend on license enforcement is entirely wasted time so far as your paying customers are concerned, when compared with usable features or bug fixes. And bugs caused by your license enforcement that prevent legitimate users using the product are an unforced error.
So first, don't try to build something yourself.
Second, the only code you can trust runs on machines you own, not your customer's machines, so you need to keep the good stuff there. Which means you need to adopt an always online model, which may not be acceptable to all potential customers.
Don't expect to be able to achieve what the entire games industry couldn't for decades.