About licensing for GitHub Enterprise
GitHub Enterprise offers two deployment options. In addition to GitHub Enterprise Server, you can use GitHub Enterprise Cloud to host development work for your enterprise on GitHub.com. For more information, see GitHub’s plans.
GitHub uses a unique-user licensing model. With the GitHub Enterprise plan, you're entitled to use both GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Enterprise Server. Your GitHub Enterprise Cloud allowance includes one deployment, on either GitHub.com or GHE.com.
GitHub determines how many licensed seats you're consuming based on the number of unique users across your deployments. Each user only consumes one license, no matter how many GitHub Enterprise Server instances the user uses, or how many organizations the user is a member of on your GitHub Enterprise Cloud deployment. This model allows each person to use multiple GitHub Enterprise deployments without incurring extra costs.
To use a GitHub Enterprise Server instance, you must upload a license file that GitHub provides. See License files for GitHub Enterprise Server.
Syncing licenses
For a person using multiple GitHub Enterprise environments to only consume a single license, you must synchronize license usage between environments. Then, GitHub will deduplicate users based on the email addresses associated with their user accounts. GitHub deduplicates licenses for the GitHub Enterprise plan itself, and for GitHub Advanced Security products. See Syncing license usage from GitHub Enterprise Server to Cloud.
Usage-based and volume licensing
There are two types of GitHub Enterprise (GHE) licensing models, with different processes for enabling combined use of GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Enterprise Server.
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GHE (Usage-based, also called metered): A cloud-first license where users must first be assigned to a GitHub Enterprise Cloud organization.
- All Cloud users automatically receive a use right for GitHub Enterprise Server.
- Billing is based on the number of active users each month.
- Users can generate their own Server license, which covers the number of assigned Cloud seats at the time of generation and is valid for one year.
- Server-only users will be added to GHE (Metered) billing. These users are de-duplicated with email matching to avoid double billing.
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GHE (Volume/Subscription, also called GHE Unified): A bundled license for both GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Enterprise Server.
- One license covers both GitHub Enterprise Cloud and GitHub Enterprise Server, allowing users to work in either or both.
- Users can access both services via GitHub Connect.
- This license requires manual setup and is provided by GitHub Sales.
Detailed comparison
| License model | Usage-based | Volume or subscription |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud vs. Server | Cloud-first, with a Server use right for Cloud users | 1 user license covers both Cloud and Server (hybrid, Cloud-only, or Server-only) |
| Setup | Self-service | Manual setup via GitHub Sales |
| Server license generation | Users generate their own GitHub Enterprise Server license | Enterprise owners download their own GitHub Enterprise Server license |
| License file scope | Covers Cloud-assigned users at time of generation | Covers all purchased users for both Cloud and Server |
| License expiration | Expires in 12 months | Aligned with volume license term |
| License key usage | Limits max Server users | Covers all users in the volume subscription |
| Required GitHub Enterprise version | GitHub Enterprise 3.13+, with GitHub Connect | No specific version required |
| Billing model | Invoiced for users not assigned on Cloud via GitHub Connect | Fixed cost based on purchased volume |