iLok 
What is the benefit of using iLok for the plugin developers?
Why the fuck does iLok still exists?
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Security / Anti-Piracy?
Security / Anti-Piracy?
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But is it better than other types of registrations? Like online validation like PA, Ableton or Audiothing.
Yes, that is why companies use it.
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wow thanks for the useful information
Dude what do you need to know? Its not a dongle based system anymore so it’s pretty pain free. Why do companies use it? Because it’s an established 3rd party solution that works and they don’t have to build their own and pay to host servers that get pinged all day when people validate their purchase.
Some companies choose to build/host their own, the ones who don’t look at 3rd party solutions and Ilok is one.
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That’s what I wanted to know.
Thank you.
Not touching iLok plugins with a 10 foot pole. Did that before and regretted it. Can’t transfer license for 90 days. $25 license transfer fee. Hassle, even without the dongle. Ironically, most smaller music software companies don’t use iLok. It’s mostly the big companies - Moog, Eventide, Softube, etc. - that do. If smaller companies can do it without iLok, I’d imagine bigger companies can.
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I use iLok since 15+ years, never had a single issue. It’s almost invisible once you register the plugin.
Maybe I had been luck, but I don’t get all this hate for iLok.
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Ive never paid a fee in my life, thats odd.
Smaller companies get their shit pirated a lot and dont care as much because they want to get the word out on their software. They also have less traffic verifying their plugins so they don’t need to pay as much for hosting when they are starting out.
Large companies have to care more about the bottom line.
A lot of smaller companies now give their plugins out for free to get the word out.
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Same here. Not sure what all the hate is about.
i’ll try not to make a wall of text rehashing old news… but…
the dongle is what most people hated… once they got the iLok licenser system and developers started allowing more than 1 activation a lot of the hatred dissipated. but the dongle really was a shit show… like all dongles… especially if you traveled w/a laptop and wanted to use ilok plug ins… you’d have that stupid dongle sticking out just waiting to be lost or broken which generally created a real nightmare/shit show for the user since iLok was not always very understanding or easy to deal with or even get ahold of.
also, many many people, mostly windows users if my memory is correct, seemed to have bad luck over the years of the PACE system destroying their registry or crashing some hardware or some other nightmare because of a root level install of some part of the component or something… causing lost data, lost time and $$$$. there’s still people who experienced that who won’t use iLok ever regardless of what they present. at least the few i’ve heard from over the years.
that’s some of the history of it… and that’s where a lot of the hate comes from. it goes way way back. there’s also been devs who’ve complained about some PACE fees and the PACE signing part of the process that gets built into the development. pro tools AAX has some extra hurdles too think because of it. but that’s way over my head and i can’t remember specifics… there’s probably a thread on kvr about it somewhere
and there was a time some years ago once they had the licenser app going that it went haywire and shit the bed big time and was a real headache for like 3 days. but since then it’s been (knock on wood) really solid and reliable and dead simple especially if you’re installing on a new computer and need to move licenses. it’s really fast and simple to authorize lot’s of plug ins in seconds… no serial numbers to enter or anything like that.
i don’t have a dongle. i only use the licenser app.
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PS: You know PACE brought JUCE right?
Yet to see any announcements / changes etc; but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a dedicated PACE module and tools built in.
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Also have never had an issue with ilok. No idea what the b*tching is about
Me too.
Think I have one plugin that still requires USB dongle rather then ilok cloud. Thats the only thing annoying
…to me, ilok was always the devil, even if i always understood why they exist in first place…
if all ur business is based on ideas and code, cracks are a huuuge issue…
but never the less, i always avoided software that is secured via ilok licensening…
until last year, where i purchased a plugin i was’nt aware of, it’s authorisation is based on ilok…
so i had to bite the apple…and what can i say, since a hardware dongle is no must anymore, it’s not too bad and a solid solution…
but better ask me again, once i have to reinstall on a second or new machine… 
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I have to agree with @ignatius, it got a real bad rap back in the day. I don’t use to many plugins but once I got over myself and used it lately. It was all good.