New WEBCON licenses 2026 — what is changing and how to migrate without downtime
Applies to version: 2026.1.4 and above; author: Jacek Język
Related documentation
A detailed description of the functionalities mentioned herein and their configuration can be found in the following section of the WEBCON Help:
Other related Community articles include:
Introduction
As of January 1, 2026, WEBCON introduces a new licensing model that applies to environments covered by agreements concluded under these new terms. For the purposes of this article, the following terms will be used:
- pre-2026 model – a licensing model resulting from agreements concluded under the terms in force before January 1, 2026
- 2026+ model – a licensing model resulting from agreements concluded under the terms in force from January 1, 2026
From the perspective of both customers and administrators, the most important point is that there are still two main purchasing options: perpetual licenses and subscription licenses. However, in the new model, subscription licenses are divided into Standard and Enterprise plans, which differ in the scope of platform functionalities available.
The changes also affect user licensing. The existing WEBCON User CAL (referred to in the subscription model as the Unlimited-Solutions Access License) is being replaced with new license types: WEBCON Lite CAL, WEBCON Core CAL, and WEBCON Premium CAL. At the same time, Single Solution User Access licenses will no longer be available in the new licensing model.
Additionally, starting with version 2026.1.4, the way user licenses are managed is changing. As in the subscription model, licenses in the perpetual model will also be assigned by name rather than automatically. In practice, this means that administrators will manage access by assigning appropriate licenses to specific users instead of relying on a single shared pool of User CALs. This change applies to environments operating under both the old and the new licensing models – after upgrading to version 2026.1.4 or higher, named license assignment will become mandatory.
NOTE: after updating to version 2026.1.4, it is necessary to download the license package.
What the new user licenses are and how they differ from the previous ones
In the new licensing model, three types of user licenses (CALs) are available: Lite, Core, and Premium. In the previous model, there was one universal user license type (User CAL), with no tier differentiation.
From an IT perspective, the key change is that the type of assigned license affects the range of functions and tools available to a given user. For example, the Premium CAL enables access to AI Concierge and design tools (Designer Desk, and in the subscription model also Designer Studio). The Lite CAL is associated with a limit on the number of operations that can be performed in the system, while the Core CAL corresponds to the former User CAL and allows unlimited work within processes.
Coexistence of the pre-2026 and 2026+ models – what it means in practice
WEBCON assumes that both licensing models can operate in parallel. This means that both the pre-2026 model and the 2026+ model can be used regardless of the system version on which the environment is running.
This is particularly important in “real world” implementation practice, as changes to licensing agreements and system version upgrades rarely occur at the same time.
For this reason, the system logic also includes intermediate scenarios that allow continuity of operation regardless of the system version and how the licensing model is settled.
Scenario 1 – old system version and pre-2026 licensing model
In this scenario, the environment runs on a WEBCON version older than 2026.1.4 and under the pre-2026 licensing model. In practice, this introduces no changes to the licensing or access management methods. The existing license assignment rules continue to apply, and the available licenses result directly from the held agreement and submitted order. No additional actions are required from the administrator.
Scenario 2 – new system version and pre-2026 licensing model
This scenario applies when the environment has been upgraded to a newer WEBCON version (2026.1.4 or higher) but still operates under the pre-2026 licensing model resulting from an agreement concluded before the new rules came into force.
From the system operation perspective, this means that the environment can continue to use the “old” user licenses (User CAL), but in the perpetual model the way they are handled changes significantly. Starting from version 2026.1.4, user licenses are assigned by name by an administrator – previously, this mechanism was automatic. In practice, this means that it is now necessary to switch over to manual license assignment in the Admin Panel → User management → Users and licenses → Active users, or to implement a dedicated process using license management actions. At the same time, licenses that were automatically assigned to users before the upgrade will not be lost – after the upgrade, they will remain assigned to the same users, ensuring continuity of work.
It is worth emphasizing that in the subscription model, the method of managing license assignment remains unchanged.
Immediately after upgrading to version 2026.1.4 or higher, the license package must be downloaded, even if its contents (e.g. the number of licenses) have not changed. This is because the package may be supplemented with additional feature flags (depending on the agreement terms) that control the availability of selected functionalities. Missing these flags may result in limitations to system elements that were available before the upgrade and should remain active.
Additionally, after the upgrade, it is recommended to verify the number of assigned licenses in the Admin Panel. Older WEBCON versions allowed a tolerance of up to 10% overassignment of CAL licenses, while newer versions will no longer account for such tolerance. As a result, exceeding the limit may cause system functionality restrictions (e.g. blocking the ability to save changes in Portal), so after the upgrade it is necessary to confirm that the number of assigned licenses matches the available pool and does not affect the environment’s operation.
Scenario 3 – old WEBCON system version, but licenses purchased under the 2026+ model
This is a situation where the environment runs on a system version older than 2026.1.4, which does not yet support the new user license types (Lite/Core/Premium). In order for the installation to work immediately after purchasing licenses under the new 2026+ model, WEBCON applies a mechanism in which the new licenses are “simulated” by adding an appropriate number of existing User CALs to the license package.
In practice, this means that the license package will include a number of User CALs equal to the sum of the purchased Lite/Core/Premium licenses, and in the case of Premium CAL purchases, additional “excess” Designer Desk licenses and (for subscriptions) Designer Studio licenses will also appear, allowing users to access design tools on the older system version.
In this scenario, additional tool licenses (Designer Studio and/or Designer Desk) will require independent assignment to users, because the environment does not yet support the Premium CAL mechanism, which in newer versions can assign these permissions automatically as part of a single user license.
For the licenses to be available in the environment, the administrator must download the current license package after purchase.
From an administrative perspective, this is a safe scenario: the older system version will not enforce the new rules because it does not yet include mechanisms to control the new license types. This makes it possible to transition to the new contract model earlier and plan the system upgrade for a later date – without the risk of suddenly restricting user work.
Scenario 4 – upgrade to a new WEBCON version and transition from the pre-2026 licensing model to the 2026+ model
This scenario applies when the environment previously ran on an older WEBCON version (older than 2026.1.4) under the pre-2026 licensing model, and is then upgraded to a version supporting the new licensing rules while simultaneously transitioning to the 2026+ model. The boundary point is version 2026.1.4 – from this version onward, the system fully supports the new user license types and the mechanisms related to the new model.
The most important element of this scenario is switching users from the old User CAL licenses to the new license types: Lite CAL, Core CAL, and Premium CAL. It has to be emphasized that this process is not performed automatically – assignments must be carried out manually by an administrator, in accordance with the adopted logic (e.g. based on user roles, scope of work in the Portal, access to design tools, or the need to use AI features).
In practice, this scenario may occur in two variants:
- the licenses compliant with the new rules have already been downloaded and activated on the older system version, or
- the licenses have not yet been downloaded on the older system version, even though the agreement has already been concluded under the new terms.
Regardless of the variant, after upgrading to version 2026.1.4 or higher, it is necessary to download the license package again so that the environment operates based on the current license structure appropriate for the new system version.
WEBCON has provided a mechanism that allows the migration to be carried out in a controlled manner without abruptly cutting off users. After activating a license package containing the new user license types, a 14-day transition period is initiated, during which both old and new licenses can operate in parallel. This means that during this time some users may continue to work based on old User CALs, while the administrator can already assign new Lite/Core/Premium licenses to other users – and both groups will function simultaneously. Only after the transition period ends will users who have not been switched to the new licenses be unable to perform operations in Portal.
In this scenario, the issue of tool licenses is also important. In older system versions, to maintain backward compatibility, “excess” Designer Studio and/or Designer Desk licenses may have been added to the license package (depending on the model). After upgrading and downloading the license package for the new environment version, the package will contain the actual number of Designer Studio and Designer Desk licenses, without the additional licenses added solely to enable operation on older versions. As a consequence, there may be assignments to Designer Studio or Designer Desk that exceed the actual available license limit. Therefore, immediately after downloading the new license package, assignments in the Admin Panel should be verified and adjusted to match the available pool – otherwise, access to Designer Studio and Designer Desk may be restricted.
During the 14-day transition period, the system displays appropriate messages in the interface for administrators and users, informing them that the environment is in migration mode and that not all users have yet been switched to the new licenses. These messages will remain visible until all users have been switched or the transition period expires. After the full license switch is completed, the message disappears.
Figure 1. Information about an active transition period displayed in the Portal
What to check before and after the upgrade (a practical IT checklist)
Licensing changes are largely operational in nature, so proper preparation of both the environment and the administrative process is key.
Before upgrading to version 2026.1.4, it is worth ensuring that the organization has clearly defined who is responsible for assigning user licenses, who performs the migration of assignments, and who verifies the operation of key business processes after the change. This is particularly important in the perpetual model, because from this version onward user licenses will no longer be assigned automatically and will require manual management.
After the upgrade, the first step should be to download the license package and then verify the correctness of assignments in the Admin Panel. It is important to ensure that the number of assigned licenses does not exceed the available pool, as exceeding the limit may result in restricted operation of selected system components. In parallel, it should be verified that functionalities dependent on the licensing plan (Standard/Enterprise) are available in accordance with the license package contents – especially in areas where missing permissions only become apparent during runtime.
If the environment is transitioning from old User CAL licenses to the new Lite/Core/Premium license types, it is necessary to plan and carry out the user switch within the 14-day transition period. During this time, old and new licenses may operate in parallel, but after the transition period ends, users without assigned new licenses will not be able to perform operations through Portal. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the assignment migration is completed within the designated timeframe.
Summary
The new WEBCON licensing model is not just about introducing new license names. From an IT perspective, the three most important aspects are the ability for the old and new models to operate in parallel, the change in license management (including named license assignment also in the perpetual model), and control over the availability of selected functionalities based on the license package and related permissions.
It is also important that this upgrade has been designed in such a way as to ensure continuity of work. Backward compatibility and the 14-day transition period allow the change to be carried out gradually, provided that license assignments are properly planned and executed administratively within the appropriate timeframe.
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