Commercial License FAQ

How do I get a commercial license for SDL?
You can obtain a commercial license for SDL 1.3 by contacting Galaxy Gameworks Sales
How much is a commercial license for SDL 1.3?
A commercial license for SDL 1.3 has a special pre-release rate of $500 per product for all platforms. Developers releasing only on iPhone get an even lower pre-release rate of $100 per product. There is also an increasing discount for multiple licenses, contact Galaxy Gameworks Sales for details.
Pre-release rate? How long will that last?
The licensing cost for SDL 1.3 once it is released is not yet finalized, but the cost is expected to go up.
What is included with the commercial license?
You get SDL under a commercial license that grants you the ability to statically link SDL with your application.
Q: Do I really need the commercial license, even if I have a commercial game?
Absolutely not!

If you're building on platforms that support shared objects (e.g. Windows DLL, UNIX shared libraries, Mac OS X frameworks), then you can just link with the shared library and include a README mentioning that you use SDL and where it can be updated and you're done.

If you're building on an embedded platform that doesn't support shared objects (e.g. Nintendo DS) or they are prohibited by the vendor's license (e.g. iPhone) then you can link with SDL statically and then provide your source to your customers so they can rebuild your application with a customized SDL library.

However, if you would like the comfort of a solid company backing the product, or would like to statically link SDL into your application and don't want to release the source, then the commercial license is the one for you.

Can I evaluate SDL for free before buying a license?
Yes!

The commercially licensed version and the open source versions of SDL are exactly the same. You can evaluate SDL for as long as you want during development, the only limitation is that you must obtain a license before releasing your product to the public.

The current PRE-RELEASE snapshot of SDL 1.3 can be downloaded here.

Does the license include technical support?
Both the open source and commercially licensed versions of SDL have access to the tutorials, online documentation, bug tracking system, mailing list and forums. Direct e-mail is not an official means of technical support although it will be answered as time permits. If you have purchased a commercial license you can contract assistance with application integration and SDL issues at $100/hr. If the issues turn out to be bugs in SDL the assistance fee will be waived.
Do I need a new license for application updates or expansions?
No, a single product license applies for the lifetime of your product, including any updates or expansions as long as they have the same name as the original product. Sequels are considered separate products and would be licensed separately.
Do I need to get a new license for new versions of SDL?
No, your license covers all future versions of SDL. The only time you would need a new license is for a new product.
Is there an option to pay royalties instead of a fee up front?
No, the SDL commercial license fee is a reasonable one time fee with no royalty system.
Can I pay the license fee in installments?
Yes, as long as the full balance is paid by the time your product is available to the public.
Is there any way I can get a discount?
Yes, there are two ways to get a discount on the license fee.

The first is through multiple licensing. Each additional product you license gets an additional 10% discount down to 50%. For example, if you wanted to purchase 3 licenses for iPhone-only products, you would pay $100 + $100 * 90% + $100 * 80% = $270. There's no time limit involved, so every additional product you license gets this discount.

The second is by contributing support for new systems. If you add new audio system or video system support, you will get a 10% discount as long as you support that system. If you add support for a new platform to SDL, you can license SDL on that platform for free as long as you continue to support that platform. There are additional benefits as well so please contact Galaxy Gameworks if you're interested in this option.

Is there a money back guarantee?
Yes!

If you buy a license and end up choosing not to use SDL before your product's release, you can either transfer your license to another product or you can request a full refund of the license fee.

Once you have released a product using SDL, that license is non-refundable.

Does the license include other SDL related libraries?
The commercial license automatically includes the SDL_image, SDL_mixer, SDL_ttf, and SDL_rtf libraries under the same license. No other libraries are included and you would have to contact their authors separately for licensing options.
Can I get a commercial license for SDL 1.2?
No, SDL 1.2 is only available with the LGPL open source license.
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