GitLab provides special subscriptions to participants in the [GitLab Education Program](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/) and [GitLab Open Source Program](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/open-source/). For details on obtaining and renewing these subscriptions, see:
Pricing is [tier-based](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/), allowing you to choose the features which fit your budget. See the [feature comparison](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/gitlab-com/feature-comparison/) for information on what features are available at each tier.
- [GitLab.com](#gitlabcom): GitLab's software-as-a-service offering. You don't need to install anything to use GitLab.com, you only need to [sign up](https://gitlab.com/users/sign_in) and start using GitLab straight away.
- [GitLab self-managed](#self-managed): Install, administer, and maintain your own GitLab instance.
On a self-managed instance, a GitLab subscription provides the same set of features for all users. On GitLab.com you can apply a subscription to either a group or a personal namespace.
### Choosing a GitLab.com group or personal subscription
On GitLab.com you can apply a subscription to either a group or a personal namespace.
subscription applied, but as it's not a group, group features won't be available.
### Choosing the number of users
There are some differences between who is counted in a subscription, depending if you use GitLab.com or a self-managed instance.
#### GitLab.com
A GitLab.com subscription uses a concurrent (_seat_) model. You pay for a subscription according to the maximum number of users enabled at once. You can add and remove users during the subscription period, as long as the total users at any given time is within your subscription count.
Every occupied seat, whether by person, job, or bot is counted in the subscription, with the following exception:
- Members with Guest permissions on a Gold subscription.
A self-managed subscription uses a hybrid model. You pay for a subscription according to the maximum number of users enabled during the subscription period. For instances that aren't offline or on a closed network, the maximum number of simultaneous users in the self-managed installation is checked each quarter, using [Seat Link](#seat-link).
A breakdown of the users within your instance including active, billable and blocked can be found by navigating to **Admin Area > Overview > Dashboard** and selecting `Users Statistics` button within the `Users` widget..
If you have LDAP integration enabled, anyone in the configured domain can sign up for a GitLab account. This can result in an unexpected bill at time of renewal. Consider [disabling new signups](../user/admin_area/settings/sign_up_restrictions.md) and managing new users manually instead.
1. Select the desired group from the **This subscription is for** dropdown.
1. Click **Proceed to checkout**.
Subscription charges are calculated based on the total number of users in a group, including its subgroups and nested projects. If the total number of users exceeds the number of seats in your subscription, you will be charged for the additional users.
| Seats in subscription | If this is a paid plan, represents the number of seats you've paid to support in your group. |
| Seats currently in use | Number of active seats currently in use. |
| Max seats used | Highest number of seats you've used. If this exceeds the seats in subscription, you may owe an additional fee for the additional users. |
To renew your subscription, [prepare for renewal by reviewing your account](#prepare-for-renewal-by-reviewing-your-account), then do one of the following:
The [Customers Portal](https://customers.gitlab.com/customers/sign_in) is your tool for renewing and modifying your subscription. Before going ahead with renewal, log in and verify or update:
Contact our [support team](https://support.gitlab.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000071293) if you need assistance accessing the Customers Portal or if you need to change the contact person who manages your subscription.
It's important to regularly review your user accounts, because:
- A GitLab subscription is based on the number of users. You will pay more than you should if you renew for too many users, while the renewal will fail if you attempt to renew a subscription for too few users.
- Stale user accounts can be a security risk. A regular review helps reduce this risk.
#### Users over License
A GitLab subscription is valid for a specific number of users. For details, see [Choose the number of users](#choosing-the-number-of-users). If the active user count exceeds the number included in the subscription, known as the number of _users over license_, you must pay for the excess number of users either before renewal, or at the time of renewal. This is also known the _true up_ process.
##### Purchase additional seats for GitLab.com
There is no self-service option for purchasing additional seats. You must request a quotation from GitLab Sales. To do so, contact GitLab via our [support form](https://support.gitlab.com/hc/en-us/requests/new) and select **Licensing and Renewals Problems** from the menu.
The amount charged per seat is calculated by one of the following methods:
- If paid before renewal, the amount per seat is calculated on a prorated basis. For example, if the user was added 3 months before the end of the subscription period, the amount owing is calculated as: (3 / 12) x annual fee.
- If paid on renewal, the amount per seat is the standard annual fee.
##### Purchase additional users for self-managed
Self-managed instances can add users to a subscription any time during the subscription period. The cost of additional users added during the subscription period is prorated from the date of purchase through the end of the subscription period.
To add users to a subscription:
1. Log in to the [Customers Portal](https://customers.gitlab.com/).
1. Select **Manage Purchases**.
1. Select **Add more seats**.
1. Enter the number of additional users.
1. Select **Proceed to checkout**.
1. Review the **Subscription Upgrade Detail**. The system lists the total price for all users on the system and a credit for what you've already paid. You will only be charged for the net change.
1. Select **Confirm Upgrade**.
The following will be emailed to you:
- A payment receipt. You can also access this information in the Customers Portal under **Payment History**.
- A new license. [Upload this license](../user/admin_area/license.md#uploading-your-license) to your instance to use it.
Seat Link allows us to provide our self-managed customers with prorated charges for user growth throughout the year using a quarterly reconciliation process.
Seat Link sends to GitLab daily a count of all users in connected self-managed instances. That information is used to automate prorated reconciliations. The data is sent securely through an encrypted HTTPS connection.
Seat Link provides **only** the following information to GitLab:
For offline or closed network customers, the existing [true-up model](#users-over-license) will be used. Prorated charges are not possible without user count data.
<details>
<summary>Click here to view example content of a Seat Link POST request.</summary>
To renew for more users than are currently active in your GitLab.com system, contact our sales team via `renewals@gitlab.com` for assistance as this can't be done in the Customers Portal.
To view or change automatic subscription renewal (at the same tier as the previous period), log in to the [Customers Portal](https://customers.gitlab.com/customers/sign_in), and:
- If you see **Cancel subscription**, your subscription is set to automatically renew at the end of the subscription period. Click it to cancel automatic renewal.
With automatic renewal enabled, the subscription will automatically renew on the expiration date and there will be no gap in available service.
An invoice will be generated for the renewal and available for viewing or download in the [Payment History](https://customers.gitlab.com/receipts) page. If you have difficulty during the renewal process, contact our [support team](https://support.gitlab.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000071293) for assistance.
1. Prune any inactive or unwanted users by [blocking them](../user/admin_area/blocking_unblocking_users.md#blocking-a-user).
1. Determine if you have a need for user growth in the upcoming subscription.
1. Log in to the [Customers Portal](https://customers.gitlab.com/customers/sign_in) and select the **Renew** button beneath your existing subscription.
If you need to change your [GitLab tier](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/), contact our sales team via `renewals@gitlab.com` for assistance as this can't be done in the Customers Portal.
1. In the first box, enter the total number of user licenses you’ll need for the upcoming year. Be sure this number is at least **equal to, or greater than** the number of active users in the system at the time of performing the renewal.
1. Enter the number of [users over license](#users-over-license) in the second box for the user overage incurred in your previous subscription term.
You can find the _users over license_ in your instance's **Admin** dashboard by clicking on **{admin}** (**Admin Area**) in the top bar, or going to `/admin`.
1. Review your renewal details and complete the payment process.
1. A license for the renewal term will be available on the [Manage Purchases](https://customers.gitlab.com/subscriptions) page beneath your new subscription details.
1. [Upload](../user/admin_area/license.md) your new license to your instance.
An invoice will be generated for the renewal and available for viewing or download in the [Payment History](https://customers.gitlab.com/receipts) page. If you have difficulty during the renewal process, contact our [support team](https://support.gitlab.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000071293) for assistance.
When your subscription or trial expires, GitLab does not delete your data, but it may become inaccessible, depending on the tier at expiry. Some features may not behave as expected if you're not prepared for the expiry. For example, [environment specific variables not being passed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/issues/24759).
CI pipeline minutes are the execution time for your [pipelines](../ci/pipelines/index.md) on GitLab's shared runners. Each [GitLab.com tier](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/) includes a monthly quota of CI pipeline minutes.
- Groups, where the minutes are shared across all members of the group, its subgroups, and nested projects. To view the group's usage, navigate to the group, then **{settings}** **Settings > Usage Quotas**.
- Your personal account, where the minutes are available for your personal projects. To view and buy personal minutes, click your avatar, then **{settings}** **Settings > Pipeline quota**.
Only pipeline minutes for GitLab shared runners are restricted. If you have a specific runner set up for your projects, there is no limit to your build time on GitLab.com.
When the CI minutes are depleted, an email is sent automatically to notify the owner(s)
of the group/namespace. You can [purchase additional CI minutes](#purchasing-additional-ci-minutes), or upgrade your account to [Silver or Gold](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/). Your own runners can still be used even if you reach your limits.
main quota. You can find pricing for additional CI/CD minutes in the [GitLab Customers Portal](https://customers.gitlab.com/plans). Additional minutes:
1. From your group, go to **{settings}** **Settings > Usage Quotas**.
1. Locate the subscription card that's linked to your group on GitLab.com, click **Buy more CI minutes**, and complete the details about the transaction.
1. Once we have processed your payment, the extra CI minutes will be synced to your group.
1. To confirm the available CI minutes, go to your group, then **{settings}** **Settings > Usage Quotas**.
The **Additional minutes** displayed now includes the purchased additional CI minutes, plus any minutes rolled over from last month.
1. Click your avatar, then go to **Settings > Pipeline quota**.
1. Locate the subscription card that's linked to your personal namespace on GitLab.com, click **Buy more CI minutes**, and complete the details about the transaction. Once we have processed your payment, the extra CI minutes will be synced to your Group.
1. To confirm the available CI minutes for your personal projects, click your avatar, then go to **Settings > Pipeline quota**.
The **Additional minutes** displayed now includes the purchased additional CI minutes, plus any minutes rolled over from last month.
Be aware that:
- If you have purchased extra CI minutes before the purchase of a paid plan,
we will calculate a pro-rated charge for your paid plan. That means you may
be charged for less than one year since your subscription was previously
created with the extra CI minutes.
- Once the extra CI minutes have been assigned to a Group, they can't be transferred
to a different Group.
- If you have used more minutes than your default quota, these minutes will
be deducted from your Additional Minutes quota immediately after your purchase of additional
To renew a [GitLab for Education](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/) subscription, send an email to `education@gitlab.com` with the following information:
1. The number of seats for the renewal. You can add seats if needed.
1. The use case for the license. Specifically, we need verification that the use meets the conditions of the [End User License Agreement](https://about.gitlab.com/terms/#edu-oss). Note that university infrastructure operations and information technology operations don't fall within the stated terms of the Education Program. For details, see the [Education FAQ](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/education/#FAQ).
1. The full name, email address, and phone number of the primary contact who will be signing the renewal quote. Only signatures by faculty or staff with proper signing authority on the behalf of the university will be accepted.
After we receive the above information, we will process the request and return a renewal quote for signature. Please allow a minimum of 2 business days for return. Email us at `education@gitlab.com` with any questions.
All [GitLab for Open Source](https://about.gitlab.com/solutions/open-source/program/) requests, including subscription renewals, must be made by using the application process. If you have any questions, send an email to `opensource@gitlab.com` for assistance.
