Bad idea to buy liftetime license at this point?

[gberg 6]

I'm concidering buyig a lifetime Emby license instead of paying monthy as I currently does.

But the question is how long is it likely for Emby to stay on versio 4.x now that we are on version 4.8.11.0?

 

A lifetime license cost almost exactly the same as two years worth of monthly payments, which as I understand is the minmum time you are granted when buying a lifetime license?

So the question is if it's likely for Emby stay on verson 4.x for more than two  years from now before version 5.x is released?

Edited September 16, 2025 by gberg
typo

[adminExitium 355]

A lifetime license is valid for your lifetime, not a particular major version. A bump to v5 won't require a new license, the same way it wasn't required when upgrading from v3 to v4.

[gberg 6]

1 minute ago, adminExitium said:

A lifetime license is valid for your lifetime, not a particular major version. A bump to v5 won't require a new license, the same way it wasn't required when upgrading from v3 to v4.

[Sammy 790]

I've had a lifetime license I paid $10 for directly to Eric since the inception of Emby. 

I still pay monthly anyhow to support the project.

Never heard anything about a two year limit on the lifetime license.

 

My only concern is that Eric and Luke will want to retire one day with no succession plan in place and Emby will be frozen in time or worse yet, the verification server is shut down with no way to access the advanced features. Fortunately, I don't think this will happen anytime soon.

[Gilgamesh_48 1240]

6 hours ago, Sammy said:

I've had a lifetime license I paid $10 for directly to Eric since the inception of Emby. 

I still pay monthly anyhow to support the project.

Never heard anything about a two year limit on the lifetime license.

 

My only concern is that Eric and Luke will want to retire one day with no succession plan in place and Emby will be frozen in time or worse yet, the verification server is shut down with no way to access the advanced features. Fortunately, I don't think this will happen anytime soon.

I have lifetime and have had for many many years. I have no concern about anybody retiring as I expect to reach EOL long before anybody at Emby retires. 

I consider my Emby lifetime the best investment I have ever made but I am on fixed income and so cannot afford any additional monthly payments so Emby will have to be content with the money I have already paid them.