Pro and Ultra are tied to the email you paid with. To unlock them, paste the key from your purchase email on the License page, or sign in to the app with that email: either way your plan appears automatically. Founder and gift keys go on the License page too. This guide covers both, plus renewing and moving a license to another PC.
Founder keys (found_), gift keys (gift_) and subscription keys (sub_) can be typed or pasted on the License page:
A plan bought on the website comes with a sub_ key. If you had already signed in with your email before buying, your plan sits on that existing free_ key instead; if the License page says Invalid format for it, sign in with the email you paid with, as described above.
Some of our emails, and your account page at brutaloptimizer.com/account, include an Activate in the app or Sync my license button. It uses a brutal://activate?key=… link that hands the key straight to the app, and opens the app if it's closed. It takes the same keys as the License page; if the app says Invalid format, sign in with your email instead.
On the License page you can always see:
LITE or FREE on the free tier, PRO ACTIVE or ULTRA ACTIVE on a paid plan, and PRO — RENEW NOW (or ULTRA — RENEW NOW) during the grace window.Pro and Ultra renew automatically once a year until you cancel, and we email you before each renewal. When a paid license nears its end, a Renew button appears on the License page and a banner shows across the top of the app. You keep your plan through a short grace period after expiry, and either way your settings are kept. For what changes when a paid plan ends, see Free vs Pro: what you get.
A free account works on any number of PCs: sign in with the same email on each one. A paid plan works on one PC at a time. To move it:
Remove License on the License page takes the license off the PC you are using. To free a paid plan for a different PC, use Unbind this PC on your account page. For a key that isn't tied to an email, or for more moves than that, email [email protected] and we'll help with genuine hardware changes.
free_ and the License page won't take it, sign in with the email you paid with instead.How do I unlock Pro or Ultra after paying?
Paste the key from your purchase email on the License page and click Activate, or sign in to the app with the email you paid with; your plan appears automatically. If you are already signed in on that PC with the same email, close the app from the tray (Exit) and open it again so it re-checks your license.
Where do I enter a license key?
Click Account at the bottom of the app’s left rail, then License in the sidebar. Paste your key into the box and click Activate. Founder (found_), gift (gift_) and subscription (sub_) keys go there. If the License page says Invalid format for a key that starts with free_, sign in with the email you paid with instead.
What are the different kinds of key?
free_ keys are the account key your email sign-in uses, and a plan bought on the website is usually added to that key. sub_ keys are subscription keys from older purchases or issued by us directly. found_ keys are founder keys from the Founders 10,000 programme, which has closed (founder keys already issued keep working). gift_ keys are lifetime Pro.
Can I move my license to a new PC?
Yes. A free account works on any PC: just sign in with the same email. For a paid plan, sign in at brutaloptimizer.com/account and press Unbind this PC (you can do this yourself twice in any 90 days), then sign in with the same email on the new PC.