LicenseKeeper: Review and Giveaway
If you are a Mac software fanatic like me, you probably have purchased licenses for countless programs. Do you have a good system for organization and backup of your valuable licenses? Most people just keep their license emails in their email program or in a folder on their hard drive. While this may seem like a good enough system, what happens if your hard drive crashes or you need to do a clean install of OSX? I used to just keep my licenses in my email until I came across LicenseKeeper from Outer Level Corp.
LicenseKeeper provides a simple and easy way to keep track of all your serial numbers and license files. Not only does it store the licenses, it also allows you to store receipts, emails, and other files for each application. LicenseKeeper allows you to add applications, plugins, preference panes, and widgets so you do not have to manually add all of your purchased programs. When you import an email into LicenseKeeper for a specific program, it automatically scans the email for your registration information and inserts it into the appropriate fields. It also provides a backup option via XML export as well as a search feature.
While there are free alternatives such as Licensed, Lizenzen, and RapidoSerial, only LicenseKeeper automatically scans emails for registration info when they are attached and allows you to attach other files. In my opinion, this is the factor that makes it worth having an app versus just keeping all your serial numbers in your email, folder, spreadsheet, etc. LicenseKeeper is available from Outer Level Corp. for $19.95 (there is a limited demo available).
Bonus! Outer Level Corp. has agreed to give away three free licenses for LicenseKeeper. All you have to do to win is post a comment with new features you would like to see in the next version of the app. You have until August 14th at 9 AM EST to enter. Winners will be randomly selected and announced in one week!
This app is awesome — just what I needed! In future versions I would like to see:
- An encrypted and or password protected database.
- An automatic .Mac backup system.
Other than that, it’s superb.
How about being able to scan items and include them in license keeper? Credit Cards for instance. That way I don’t have to hunt down my credit card info each time I want to order something online, etc.
I agree with Sam…
Also:
- ability to save passwords (website passwords)
- ability to export to common file type (RTF)
- ability to input using CSV or something similar
The features posted above are all good, would like to see them in it.
How about some form of warning that an application is about to expire. You could set a preference on how and when you would like to be alerted, maybe have the option to add it to iCal or similar.
D
-Sync with .mac & iusethis
-Automatically register all your software in a click or 2 (Useful in the event of a HD formatting)
-Store keys for Web APIs
Nice one!
Password protected DB is everything more I would need.
Password protection is a must for this great app! I tried it and liked it a lot!
It would be cool if you could scan you applications folder and automatically add applications to the list. Then go out on the net to find the license type (ex GNU, Freeware)and automatically add that info, then you can see what apps you don’t have your license info entered for
I’d second Rosano’s comment about automatically registering your software. The first time it is loaded it should have an option to scan your computer for recognized software and automatically load in any relevant registration information. Also, being able to backup the application configuration (which is usually where the registration information is stored anyway) would help. Finally, if not iMac support, maybe an interface to S3 or another online storage location along with scheduled backups would really make one feel safer.
If you can add Windows support and make the data accessible on a Treo, I would consider giving up SplashID.
I keep wishing for iPhone syncing in a lot of apps, even though Apple is ignoring the developers…
Another terrific app.
+Maybe a way to handle multi user license.
Add info on wich computer the license has been used on.
+Automatic export to iPod for backup purpose
Love the ability to attach files- this is lacking elsewhere. This is much better than the spreadsheet I’ve been using.
I think Password protection and maybe even the ability to see what software you haven’t registered yet.
I would definetly like to see the posibillity to scan for unregistered aplications and eh… a possibility to extract serials from already registered apllications
) Using Rapidoserial but I’m considering switch to Licensekeeper.
This app sure rocks!
Like Rosano said it: “If I have to reinstall all my apps ’cause of a crash or moving to a new mac. Automatically registering all the apps within from the app!”
I can only rehash that .Mac backup and password protection would be key new features for me.
Perhaps some kind of integrated version checking (like iUseThis) would be useful.
Easy way to import prefpanes that need serials.
This app looks great. Thanks for posting it.
Here are some features I’d like to see:
Online syncing would be great– .Mac, etc.
Some automated wizard or whatever that would put licenses from installed apps, prefpanes, services, and plug-ins (this is probably impossible to do thoroughly, however– can they look in Mail’s preferences to see my license for MailTags?)
Some sort of quickpick support for popular backup programs– Apple Backup, iBackup, etc.
How about a widget that would let you know when software you hold a license for has an update? Maybe even telling you whether it will cost you or not, compared to the installed version.
Beautiful app! It would be nice if it could:
-Encrypt the data
-Export the data to an iPhone via:
* iPhone app (best, but not likely right now)
* iPhone-readable format (e.g., as a Note)
* simple text
* XML
Looks like a really great app – I’ve been trying out the free RapidoSerial but this looks to be more feature rich. I would really like to see some quick picks for integration with Backup and/or compatibilty with .Mac sync in future versions.
Feature request:
*.Mac syncing
*Multi-user licensing
*Import pref pane serials
Like Zorg said,
It seems like a natural step for licenseKeeper would be to scan emails and keep other registration info, like website registration, passwords, user names etc.
I know I always end up needing to email a subscription web site that I don’t use too often, just to have them send me an email with user name and passwords to logo in.
It would be nice to put all that kind of stuff in one place.
So all information you need but don’t want to memorize or have scattered all over you computer, can be in one place.
Also to keep it secure, password protected.
[...] August 7th, 2007 LicenseKeeper: Review and Giveaway | MacApper [...]
I think that a feature that tells you how many licenses you have (for one product, e.g. some devs let you use the same serial for all copies of the program that you use, while other say one serial per copy of the app) would be useful
I would love to see full accessibility for VoiceOver users and other who need the accessibility API. With auto scanning of email and the other automatic stuff that you have, this app would be perfect for users with disabilities.
r
widget version
Automatic turn off LicenseKeeper after setting time.
If I attach e-mail with serial for a application, set purchase date of that application to the e-mails “receiving” date.
Man, this looks to be a good piece of software. I especially like the scanning of email for reg info.
Forgot my suggestion…being able to sync to .Mac would be awesome. It has probably been suggested since I don’t usually read comments.
I’d like to see it automatically enter the information for apps, isntead of having to manually register them, however, that would e a very hard thing to do.
Really, it seems perfect to me.
maybe a way to automatically scan emails and add any licenses into licensekeeper?
I’d like to see a multiuser license, export to palm or splashid and .mac sychronization.
Thanks.
I agree with other folks above… Backup to .Mac and password protection. Fantastic program however!
i would like to see the ability to capture other numeric types of information: frequent flyer numbers, bank accounts, web logins, etc
I’d love to see the app backup to my iPod every time I sync it.
Just bought a license for this. Would like one for my wife as well.
Encryption and auto-scan of applications folder.
I’d have to add my voice to those wanting a easily encrypted database witht ehlicense info, and a “quickpicks” for backup option, and .Mac syncronization
Also, possibly the option to see which license codes are in use and which are “extras.” Is this possible?
Widget version, definitely. Hope I win..
[...] has posted a favorable review of LicenseKeeper 1.2 on their daily Mac-related [...]
I’d definitely like to see some .Mac syncing and encryption. I’m using Pastor right now, but it just doesn’t really cut it!
Looks pretty cool.
Not sure if this is included, but I manage a couple of multimedia labs on a university campus and dealing with licenses is the bain of my existence. If this could deal with networked licenses on FlexLM servers, and Adobe’s quite-annoying CLP stuff, and all the other complicated floating licenses that we have, that would be a lifesaver.
Especially right now, gearing up for the upcoming semester and upgrading all this software… *ugh* … back to imaging…
This is a great ap- I have to agree with the ability to scan your aps folders to extract the serials– or browse to a text file if you’ve stored them there (as I have) to extract the info. Exporting to CD/DVD, to Delicious Library (you have your software box scanned, export the serial to that database), or even a nicely formatted printout.
Needs online backup…
This is a great program. I would love it if you could password protect your data.
An integrated .Mac iDisk backup would be awesome too.
Just a reminder, there is less than a day to enter the drawing! I will randomly pick the three winners from commenters who suggested a new feature for the next version of LicenseKeeper.
[...] of RapidoSerial today from app4mac. Also be sure to check out our reviews of other license apps (LicenseKeeper and Pastor). Share: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share [...]