FAQ: Pricing

Movable Type is available for personal, commercial, education, nonprofit or enterprise use. We also have special programs to support resellers and hosting providers.

What is a user?

A "user" is anyone with a unique login to Movable Type, for example, anyone with permission to change content or modify settings. Licenses are based on active users who have logged into the system in the past 90 days. Site visitors, readers and commenters are not considered users for the purposes of licensing.

Which MT license is right for me?

MT4 is available under several different licenses:

• Personal
  Use for one's own behalf, in personal, non-commercial activities. Download Today for Free! (Incidental revenue such as Google AdSense, Amazon Associates fees, PayPal tip jars, or other similar programs which aren't the main purpose of the site are permitted under the Personal license.)
• Commercial License
  Use for commercial purposes where the end user is engaged as an individual, a company, a corporation, a partnership or any other form of organization, and is using the software to actually generates revenue from the commercial endeavor. Order Today.
• Nonprofit License
  Use by an organization that qualifies for tax-exempt status, a non-governmental organization with tax-exempt status chartered outside of the United States, or an elected board responsible for overseeing the management of local K-12 public education institutions. Order Today
• Education License
  User being engaged, on its own behalf, in providing educational instruction to the enrolled students* of accredited preschool or K-12 institution. Order Today.
  *enrolled student means the number of full-time equivalents in your institution
• Enterprise License
  Use for commercial purposes with more than 20 users and use with MT Solutions. To learn more or to order, contact sales.
• Reseller License
  MT4 is available at discounted prices for authorized MT Resellers. To learn more click here. Or, to become an authorized reseller apply today.
• Hosting Provider
  Licenses for hosting providers are available by contacting us directly. licenses for hosting providers are available by contacting us directly.
• Open Source
  An open source license of Movable Type is now available. For more information visit movabletype.org

What kind of support do I get with a license?

One year of support is included in Commercial, Education, Nonprofit and Enterprise licenses, and is available a la carte for Personal licenses. Annual maintenance and support renewals are separately available for all customers. Technical support from Six Apart is managed via an online ticket support system by our experienced technical support staff members. You can expect a response to your support ticket within 48 hours, but typical responses are often as quick as a few hours. Movable Type Enterprise customers get priority support. Please see our Support FAQ for more information.

Can I get help with installations, upgrades, and professional services?

Installation and upgrade services are separately available for all customers. Telephone and on-site support for enterprise customers is available through our client support team.

Can I start with 5 users now and add users later?

Yes. If you are a Commercial licensee, you can purchase an upgrade package from 5 to 10 and from 10 to 20 users on our website. If you need licenses and support for more than 20 users, contact us for enterprise licensing. Likewise, if you are a Nonprofit or an Education licensee and need a user upgrade, contact our sales team.

How is Commercial MT4 priced?

MT4 pricing includes a one-time license fee and an annual support and maintenance component. Commercial licenses are available in bundles for 5, 10, and 20 users, and come with annual support and maintenance packages for one, two, and three contacts respectively. Current Commercial pricing is available here.

How are Personal, Commercial, Education, and Nonprofit upgrades for MT4 priced?

Personal upgrades are free. Commercial upgrades from MT 3.x are priced at a discount to the full MT4.0 price. Education and Nonprofit upgrades are free to customers with current support and maintenance contracts.

Are there discounts?

From time to time, Six Apart may offer special promotional discounts on licenses and upgrades. For a limited time during the MT4 launch period, licenses and upgrades for MT4 are available at a discount off of the full retail price.

Do I qualify for a free Personal license?

If you're an individual with blogs that do not directly support a commercial endeavor, you are eligible for a free Personal license. (Incidental revenue such as Google AdSense, Amazon Associates fees, PayPal tip jars, or other similar programs which aren't the main purpose of the site are permitted under the Personal license.)

What is considered a full time paid employee?

A full-time employee is a paid staff member who is working on average 35 or more hours a week and being paid at least minimum wage as defined by the employment rules of the governing state.

A full-time equivalent is any number of part time employees who in aggregate work an average of 35 hour or more and are paid at least minimum wage as defined by employment rules of the governing state.

What organizations are considered nonprofit?

Community organizations, registered nonprofit organizations (which qualify under Section 501(c)(3)), religious groups, and service organizations which operate on a not-for-profit basis are all eligible for the nonprofit license.

What if I'm purchasing on behalf of a library?

We love libraries! Use of Movable Type by library and educational administrators qualifies for a nonprofit license. The pricing for nonprofit licenses is based on the number of users (as described above).

For an Education license, what are the enrollment guidelines?

"Enrolled Students" is defined as the number of Full Time Equivalents in your institution.

I'm a teacher or student who wants to use Movable Type in my classroom or for a special project -- how does that work?

A Single Classroom license is available for use by a K-12 educational instructor and the students in his/her classroom. Single student projects are also eligible. The Single Classroom license includes unlimited weblogs and users.

Can I offer weblogs for Alumni?

The Education license is designed for use only by current students, faculty, and administration. Alumni organizations require a custom license: Get in touch and we'll be glad to work with you.

I'm a Movable Type developer working with a client -- is that okay?

Better than okay - that's great! Just remember that each of your clients needs its own Movable Type license appropriate for its use. If Movable Type is a regular part of your development business, we encourage you to join the Six Apart Affiliate Program or the Reseller Program. And you should definitely join our Professional Network, which is comprised of talented developers and software administrators and offers excellent resources for your development work.

I want to host weblogs for others, is that okay?

Please contact us if you're interested in becoming a hosting partner.

I want to resell Movable Type, is that okay?

You can apply to be a reseller of Movable Type by contacting us here.