Pricing
ArcBrush is not a subscription. The free editor is the real editor: every node, no time limit, no watermark. Pro is a single purchase that covers commercial use and unlocks the deep-color pipeline - delivered as a perpetual license file. No activation server, no phone-home, nothing to expire - it works offline forever.
$0
no time limit, every node included
The complete 8-bit editor for personal and non-commercial work.
$49
one-time purchase, perpetual license
Everything in Free, licensed for commercial work, plus the deep-color pipeline.
$99
per seat, per year · sold via contact
For organizations past the Pro caps, or teams that need multiple seats.
Do I need Pro?
They are independent tests. Answer yes to either one and you need Pro; answer no to both and the Free / Personal license covers you completely.
Test 01 · Commercial use
Will the images make money? Client work, work for your employer, products you sell, monetized content. This is a yes-or-no question, not a size test: a $5 commission counts the same as a $5,000 contract. If money changes hands as a result of your work with ArcBrush, that is commercial use.
Test 02 · Pro features
Do you need more than 8 bits per channel? The 32-bit (float) mode, 16-bit or OpenEXR export, and OCIO color-managed output require Pro even for non-commercial work. Everything else stays free.
You are covered by Free if neither applies: hobby projects, learning, art you share or give away. No revenue, no business, no Pro features. If you are unsure whether your situation counts as commercial, the practical test is "am I making money from this, or is it part of a business or paid job?" The licensing FAQ walks through the common cases.
What Pro adds
Open standards, in the box
ACES 2.0 ACEScg, ACEScct, and Linear working spaces on a bundled, version-pinned ACES 2.0 Studio OCIO config.
Nothing moved behind the paywall. Everything that was free stays free for personal use, and going Pro removes nothing from Free. The two Cloud nodes (Remove Background and Upscale) are the only nodes that send your image anywhere; they run on the cloud image service and need a free account. There is no generative AI in ArcBrush, in any tier.
In every tier, free included
The trial
Every Pro feature, free, including the 32-bit (float) mode and all Pro export formats. When the trial ends, the app reverts to the free tier automatically; your files and settings are not affected, and there is nothing to cancel.
Starts when you activate it
The clock starts when you turn the trial on, not when you download or install. Take your time setting up first.
Starts right in the app
Sign up and activate the trial from inside ArcBrush - no website signup needed. It is timed by your free account, one trial per account. Buying Pro itself needs no account - the license arrives as a file.
Real commercial evaluation
Work on your own commercial or client files during the trial - that is intentional, a realistic test matters. Delivering or selling the output is what needs a paid license.
Retroactively licensed
If you buy Pro or Studio, everything you made during the trial is covered under your new license.
Get the app and start your free 14-day trial → Already installed? Start it from inside the app, or on the web.
How the license works
There are no activation counts and no device slots to manage: install your license on the machines you work on, per the seat terms in the Terms of Service. Buying needs only an email address - no account.
A file, not a server
Your license is a signed file, emailed to you the moment you buy (attachment plus download link). Install it in the app from disk; ArcBrush never contacts a license server to let you work - not at install, not monthly, not ever. Permanently offline machines are fine.
Independent by design
The file on your disk is the license. ArcBrush verifies it with keys built into the app, so nothing we run - no server, no account system, no infrastructure - is involved in letting you work. Ever.
Yours, permanently
Buy Pro once and it is yours. Updates within version 1.x are included. If a paid version 2 ever ships, it will be an optional upgrade at a discount, and the version you own keeps working.
Lost the file? We keep a copy - re-send it to your purchase email any time. Changed your mind? The refund policy gives you a 14-day money-back window, no reason required.
Studio
Pro covers one named individual while both caps hold: gross revenue at or under $250,000 in the trailing 12 months, and outside funding at or under $1,000,000 in the trailing 24 months. These are separate tests, not summed - exceeding either one alone means Studio. Studio is also the tier for making Pro features available to more than one person, licensed per seat, with invoicing and procurement paperwork handled.
$99 per seat per year - a 12-month license, renewed by a new purchase when it suits you. No subscription, no auto-renewal, no stored card.
Common questions
More detail in the full licensing FAQ, or the binding Terms of Service.