Why Licensing + Payments Matter

For SaaS and web apps, you need two things:

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1. a single source of truth for entitlements (plans → features, limits, seats), and
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2. automation so upgrades, trials, renewals, suspensions, and overages just happen—via APIs and webhooks.
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Devolens sits between billing and your app as a licensing automation layer, so plan logic isn’t scattered across services.

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Options: Build It In-House / Bolt-On Flags vs. Devolens

Build in-house (entitlements service + flags)

Full control, but you must maintain plan → feature maps, seat counts, usage meters, trial logic, proration, per-tenant exceptions, and auditability. Easy to drift out of sync with billing.
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Bolt-on feature flags only

Great for rollouts, but not a licensing system. You still need seats, usage limits, trials, renewals, and per-tenant overrides that align with billing.
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Devolens (licensing & entitlements layer)

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• Model plans, seats, features, and usage caps once; sync via APIs/webhooks to your app and billing.
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• Works with user verification (email + password) and conventional license keys (for companion desktop/CLI or on-prem agents).
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• Payment-agnostic: keep your billing provider; Devolens handles entitlements.
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Tip: Keep auth/identity where it is (e.g., your IdP). Use Devolens to answer “what is this tenant/user entitled to right now?”

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Implementation: How It Fits Your Stack

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1. Model your plans in Devolens (features, limits like projects/requests/storage, seats, trials).
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2. Wire billing events (subscribe, upgrade, cancel) to Devolens with webhooks.
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3. Check entitlements at login and/or per request (middleware) to turn features on/off and enforce limits.
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4. Meter usage (requests, jobs, credits) with soft or hard caps.
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5. Handle exceptions with per-tenant overrides—no deploy needed.
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Below is an example of key verification in Python. You can find examples in other languages on this page.

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RSAPubKey = "enter the RSA Public key here"
auth = "access token with permission to access the activate method"

result = Key.activate(token=auth,\
                   rsa_pub_key=RSAPubKey,\
                   product_id=3349, \
                   key="ICVLD-VVSZR-ZTICT-YKGXL",\  
                   machine_code=Helpers.GetMachineCode(v=2))

if result[0] == None:
    # an error occurred or the key is invalid or it cannot be activated
    # (eg. the limit of activated devices was achieved)
    print("The license does not work: {0}".format(result[1]))
else:
    # everything went fine if we are here!
    print("The license is valid!")

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Devolens supports both User Verification (password auth) and License Key Verification. Use the former for SaaS sign-in; the latter for desktop/CLI/on-prem components tied to your SaaS plans.

Benefits You Get With Devolens

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1. One plan brain - central entitlements for features, seats, and usage across services.
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2. Automation - provision, upgrade/downgrade, renew, suspend via APIs/webhooks.
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3. Seat & role management - per-user seats, team invites, admin controls.
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4. Usage-based models - meter requests/jobs/credits; enforce soft/hard caps.
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5. Per-tenant overrides -enterprise exceptions without new code paths.
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6. No redeploys for changes - flip features and limits instantly.
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7. Payment-agnostic - keep your billing and tax logic where it is.
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8. Governance - audit logs, environment scoping, and policies.
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FAQ - SaaS & Web Apps

How is this different from authentication (Auth0, Cognito, etc.)?
Auth answers who the user is. Devolens answers what they’re entitled to (features, limits, seats) and automates plan changes.

Can we mix seats and usage-based pricing?
Yes. Combine seat counts with metered limits (e.g., 10 users + 1M requests/month).

Do we need to change billing providers?
No. Keep your processor; use webhooks/APIs so plan changes update entitlements in real time.

How do plan changes apply immediately?
Webhook → Devolens updates entitlements → your middleware enforces on next request/login—no deploy needed.

Can we do trials and promos?
Yes. Add time-boxed trials and promotional overrides that convert in place.

What about per-tenant exceptions for enterprise deals?
Set overrides (extra modules, higher caps, custom roles) that survive upgrades.

We also ship a desktop tool/agent—can this cover both?
Yes. Use user verification for the SaaS app and license keys for the desktop/agent, backed by the same entitlements.

How long to first integration?
Teams often wire a first plan + feature quickly (customer-reported; varies by stack).