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AuthForge is a credit-based software licensing platform. You create apps, generate license keys, and the AuthForge SDK handles authentication, HWID binding, and session verification automatically.

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What AuthForge does

  • License key authentication: Generate keys in the dashboard or via the Developer API. End users enter a key, and the SDK validates it against the AuthForge server.
  • Hardware binding (HWID): Each license is bound to the user’s machine fingerprint (CPU, MAC address, disk serial). Configure how many devices a single key can activate.
  • Grace period on a signed session: After activation, the app runs on an Ed25519-signed session with no further network calls (24 hours by default, configurable up to 7 days). Optional online check-ins verify the license periodically for fast revocation: revoke a key from the dashboard and it takes effect on the next check-in.
  • Cryptographic verification: Every /auth/validate and /auth/heartbeat success response is Ed25519-signed with your app’s private signing key. SDKs verify the signature on every response; /auth/validate additionally enforces nonce matching to prevent replay and tampering.
  • Offline license files (.authforge): For machines that never connect to the internet, mint a signed license file in the cloud (1 credit) and let the SDK verify it locally with only your public key. A separate mode from the grace period; issued files stay valid until their own expiry. See Offline license files.

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How licensing works

  1. Create an app in the AuthForge dashboard. You get an App ID and App Secret.
  2. Generate license keys: one per customer, or in bulk via the Developer API.
  3. Integrate the SDK into your application. Pass your App ID and App Secret to the client constructor.
  4. End users authenticate by entering their license key. The SDK collects a hardware fingerprint, sends it to the API, and the server binds the key to that machine.
  5. The app runs through the grace period on the signed session, with no further network calls. Enable optional online check-ins to catch revocations quickly and keep the session refreshed.

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Credit model

AuthForge uses a credit-based billing model: Credits are purchased in the dashboard. Set up auto-refill to avoid running out.

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Next steps

Quick Start

Get your first app protected in 5 minutes.

SDKs

Official packages for Python, C#, C++, Rust, Go, and Node.js (CMake + GitHub for C++).

Developer API

Automate license management from your backend.

Core Concepts

Understand how AuthForge works under the hood.