Clip Studio Paint licensing: Difference between revisions
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In response, the company revisited some of the changes in October.<ref name=":0" /> | In response, the company revisited some of the changes in October.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
They offered people that had bought the perpetual license in the year 2022 a free upgrade to 2.0 (but not subsequent versions) and offered customers before then, upgrades to 2.0 for a reduced price. Additionally, they extended their stability updates past the release of version 3.0, and introduced a free testing program for students and applicable people unable to afford version 2.0. | They offered people that had bought the perpetual license in the year 2022 a free upgrade to 2.0 (but not subsequent versions) and offered customers before then, upgrades to 2.0 for a reduced price. Additionally, they extended their stability updates past the release of version 3.0, and introduced a free testing program for students and applicable people unable to afford version 2.0. On the other hand, they denied downgrades for 1.0 licenses that were upgraded to version 2.0, even after user complaints about the introduction of Always-On DRM. | ||
2.0 was released March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 Jul 2023 |title=Clip studio Ver.2.0 release notes |url=https://www.clipstudio.net/en/dl/release_note_old/v2/ |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=Clip Studio}}</ref> | 2.0 was released March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 Jul 2023 |title=Clip studio Ver.2.0 release notes |url=https://www.clipstudio.net/en/dl/release_note_old/v2/ |access-date=13 Jun 2025 |website=Clip Studio}}</ref> | ||
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This entry refers to the DRM included in newer versions of CSP, requiring users to connect with Celsys servers to access CSP. This feature was always present for iOS and Android versions, latter coming to Windows and Mac through the 2.0 update version. | This entry refers to the DRM included in newer versions of CSP, requiring users to connect with Celsys servers to access CSP. This feature was always present for iOS and Android versions, latter coming to Windows and Mac through the 2.0 update version. | ||
Users are required to connect every 15 days in order to keep the software functional, | Users are required to connect every 15 days in order to keep the software functional. This was initially obscured by Celsys, which didn't specify what was the time span between license checks. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Clip Studio Paint]] | [[Category:Clip Studio Paint]] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:30, 16 August 2025
Clip Studio Paint switched from a perpetual license to mainly a subscription/annual model. They had given users with a perpetual license free feature updates, but stopped after changes to the business model. When the original perpetual licenses sold, there was no indication that future versions would not be included. After the license changes, users needed to buy a yearly upgrade or subscribe to an annual update plan, to get feature updates.
Background[edit | edit source]
Clip Studio Paint (Usually abbreviated to CSP in English, or Kurisuta クリスタ in Japanese) is an art and painting software by Celsys.
Originally released in 2001 as Manga Studio or Comic Studio and marketed as "A SOLID INVESTMENT"[1], the software grew in popularity over the years by offering perpetual licenses, in contrast to some of it's competitors who often relied on subscription services exclusively. Eventually they also added a monthly plan while delivering free updates to their customers with a perpetual license. There was no indication of future versions not being included with the perpetual license.[2] The software had been in that state for 10 years.
Android Version[edit | edit source]
Released in December 2020, Celsys made the decision to not offer Perpetual version Licenses for Android devices, forcing those users under a subscription service.
iOS Version[edit | edit source]
Clip Studio Paint version 1.0 for iOS was released on March 8th, 2017, Initially only available for iPad devices, support latter came for iPhone devices.
2.0[edit | edit source]
In August of 2022, Celsys announced they would be releasing Clip Studio Paint version 2.0 in 2023. With this, came many controversial changes to their licensing. They announced they would no longer provide free feature updates for holders of a perpetual license from 2023 onward. An annual update pass was offered to license holders to upgrade to the newer version. Stability updates were offered only until the release of version 3.0. They stated that you would be able to use version 1.0 forever provided it continues to works on your device.[3]
Consumer backlash and response[edit | edit source]
These changes to the august announcement were very controversial in the creative community and there was a lot of public backlash towards the company.[4][5]
In response, the company revisited some of the changes in October.[3]
They offered people that had bought the perpetual license in the year 2022 a free upgrade to 2.0 (but not subsequent versions) and offered customers before then, upgrades to 2.0 for a reduced price. Additionally, they extended their stability updates past the release of version 3.0, and introduced a free testing program for students and applicable people unable to afford version 2.0. On the other hand, they denied downgrades for 1.0 licenses that were upgraded to version 2.0, even after user complaints about the introduction of Always-On DRM.
2.0 was released March 2023.[6]
Future versions[edit | edit source]
Since the release of Version 2.0, Clip Studio Paint has clearly stated that a perpetual license includes only the current version at the time of purchase.[7] Version 3.0 was released in March 2024, followed by Version 4.0 in March 2025. Buyers who purchased a license shortly after a new version’s release would sometimes receive that newer version included, but this has not been consistent across all releases. The company now publishes a support timeline that defines how long older versions receive stability updates. For example, Version 2.x was supported only until the release of Version 4.0.[8] The company’s new pricing structure makes legacy version upgrades costlier than new licenses and markets an Update Pass, which provides access to new versions on a subscription basis without ownership rights.[9]
Always online verification.[edit | edit source]
This entry refers to the DRM included in newer versions of CSP, requiring users to connect with Celsys servers to access CSP. This feature was always present for iOS and Android versions, latter coming to Windows and Mac through the 2.0 update version.
Users are required to connect every 15 days in order to keep the software functional. This was initially obscured by Celsys, which didn't specify what was the time span between license checks.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Manga Studio 5".
- ↑ "Buy". Clip Studio. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 13 Jun 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Changes to the Windows/macOS One-time Purchase (Perpetual) Version in 2023". Clip Studio. 22 Aug 2022. Retrieved 13 Jun 2025.
- ↑ Weatherbed, Jess (22 Aug 2022). "Clip Studio Paint announces subscription plan, angering the online artist community". The Verge. Retrieved 13 Jun 2025.
- ↑ Coggan, Georgia (23 Aug 2022). "Clip Studio Paint moves to subscription model". Creative Bloq. Retrieved 13 Jun 2025.
- ↑ "Clip studio Ver.2.0 release notes". Clip Studio. 7 Jul 2023. Retrieved 13 Jun 2025.
- ↑ "Pricing". Clip Studio. Retrieved 13 Jun 2025.
- ↑ "Tell me about Clip Studio Paint's stability guarantee policy". Clip Studio Support. Retrieved 13 Jun 2025.
- ↑ "Product Lineup". Clip Studio. Retrieved 13 Jun 2025.