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We started using servicestack v4, rest assured that there where no licensing limits on the client. At least that's what I could read out of servicestack's download page.

We are building our project according to mythz' answer to this question on servicestack how to structure an api.

The generic client works (so far) as expected without setting a license, but when a colleague created a test-client against the service, using the .Dump() method, he ran into this exception:

The free-quota limit on '20 ServiceStack.Text Types' has been reached. Please see https://servicestack.net to upgrade to a commercial license or visit https://github.com/ServiceStackV3/ServiceStackV3 to revert back to the free ServiceStack v3.

Let it be said: the .Dump()-method is not the issue here, we could do without it :) But, I really dislike these sudden exceptions! They suddenly blows up your project, reaching some sort of licensing limit. The last time something like this happended, it was inside an ormlite integration test. Everything works just fine, then KABOOM, you have to add your license to your NUnit test project.

Is there any more gotchas in this framework? Can we recommend to consumers of our API to use the servicestack client to connect, or will it suddenly come back and haunt us? I fully understand the need for licensing the framework, but this all boils down to me not trusting the framework which now is the core of my service!

What can you freely use the client-package and it's dependencies to, and what can you not?

Do you have any words of reconciliation? Will the ServiceStack.Client-mines be removed, or should we recommend all customers using the servicestack.client-package to buy a license to avoid their application from suddenly crashing if we add another property in a POCO-class? If ServiceStack.Client is not a "free", rather a "free-but" package, how can I know when calling a method if it's under some sort of quota or not?

Community
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HaraldV
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1 Answers1

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As of v4.0.62 ServiceStack.Text is now free where now all restrictions have been removed from ServiceStack.Text as well as all client libraries depending on ServiceStack.Text including:

  • ServiceStack.Text
  • ServiceStack.Client
  • ServiceStack.HttpClient
  • ServiceStack.Stripe
  • (includng all *.Signed .NET Core *.Core versions of the above packages)

Where the above libraries no longer have any technical restrictions or need to register a license key in order to use them unrestricted.

All other free quotas in ServiceStack Server libraries are listed at: https://servicestack.net/download#free-quotas

mythz
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  • Ok, thanks for your answer, time will show if people stays clear of all other functionality in the ServiceStack.Client-package when integrating against services. – HaraldV Apr 11 '14 at 08:52
  • Is your recommended approach when writing coded tests against functionality potentially under a licensed quota to invoke LicenseUtils.RegisterLicense("") first? – HaraldV Apr 11 '14 at 08:57
  • @HaraldV I prefer to add it in the `App.config` servicestack:license appSetting so it's transparently applied for all tests in that test project. – mythz Apr 11 '14 at 09:09
  • I'm trying to find the information: Is the ServiceStack clients free to use and that information is not so clear on their web site and even after reading this thread I'm still confused. – Etienne Oct 11 '16 at 03:11
  • @Etienne See my updated answer above, ServiceStack.Text and all dependent Client libraries above can now be used for free. – mythz Oct 11 '16 at 03:20
  • thanks @mythz sorry for silly question but can you confirm this also concern ServiceStack.Interfaces ? – Etienne Oct 11 '16 at 06:17
  • @Etienne Yes it also includes ServiceStack.Interfaces which is a contracts-only impl-free library – mythz Oct 11 '16 at 06:21