Can an agency use one source-code licence for multiple clients?
Usually not. Most source-code licences cover one end product or one end client, so each client deployment needs its own licence unless the seller sells an explicit agency, developer or unlimited-projects licence. Whether you can bill a client for the licence, the build, or both is a separate question that should be answered in writing before you quote.
Written by ZoopCoder, who build and sell SaaS source code. That makes us an interested party in this answer, so we have kept it to things you can verify yourself.
The numbers
1 licence : 1 client
The common default
Per end product, per domain or per client.
Agency tier
The exception
Priced higher and worded explicitly.
In writing
Before you quote
Verbal approval from a support rep does not bind the vendor.
The licence shapes you will actually meet
Read how the licence counts the thing you are allowed to deploy. The counting unit decides whether an agency can reuse it.
| Licence shape | What it counts | Agency with several clients |
|---|---|---|
| Single project / single domain | One live installation | One licence per client site, bought separately |
| Per end client | The business that uses the result | One licence per client, even if you host and operate it for them |
| Agency / developer licence | Your studio, with a stated project cap or none | Allowed within the cap; check whether the client may take the source with them |
| Extended / SaaS licence | One multi-tenant service you operate | Covers your own service with many paying users — not many separate client-owned copies |
The last row is the one agencies confuse most: running one multi-tenant service for many customers is a different arrangement from handing each client their own installation. See reselling software built from purchased source code for the resale rights involved.
Questions to put to the seller before you quote a client
- Who is the licensee? If the licence is in the agency's name, can the client later operate the software without you? If it must be in the client's name, buy it that way from the start.
- Can I hand the source code to the client at the end of the project? Delivering a working site is one right; transferring the code is another.
- Do updates and support follow the licence or the person who paid? A client who inherits a deployment may find the support window attached to your account.
- May the licence cost be passed through at a markup? Most licences are silent on this, which is a reason to ask rather than assume.
- Is white-labelling the client's branding allowed? See what white-label means; a licence can allow rebranding without allowing the vendor's name to be removed everywhere.
Where to go next
These pages carry the detail this answer summarises.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reuse the same installation for two clients on different domains?
Only if the licence counts installations or domains in a way that allows it, or you operate a multi-tenant service under an extended licence. Two separate client-owned sites running from one single-project licence is the typical violation.
Do I need a separate licence for staging and development copies?
Many licences allow development and staging copies of the one licensed project; some do not. It is a common clause worth reading, and cheap to ask about.
What if the client already owns the licence?
Then you work as their contractor under their licence and no agency licence is needed, provided the licence permits access by a contractor, which most do. Ask the client to buy it in their own name.
How should I price a project that includes a licence?
Show the licence as its own line item at the real cost, then the build, hosting and support separately. It keeps the quote honest and makes the later question of who owns the licence unambiguous.
Get a quote or a guided demo
Tell us your use case and we'll send pricing, a live demo walkthrough and licensing options for SaaS source code. Usually a reply within one business day (IST).