How to upgrade from Trial version after purchasing a license?

17 Jul 20262 minutes to read

To upgrade from the trial version of Essential Studio, there are two possible options. Choose the option that matches how your project references Syncfusion® assemblies: the installer (machine-wide install) or NuGet (per-project packages).

Before you begin

  • Ensure you have a valid paid license key. Generate one from the License & Downloads page (open the License Keys tab for your active subscription).
  • If you reference Syncfusion® from a trial installer, locate the installed version in Control Panel → Programs and Features.
  • If you use NuGet, ensure the Syncfusion.Licensing package is referenced in your project.

Option 1: Installer-based reference

  1. Uninstall the trial build of Essential Studio® from Control Panel → Programs and Features (or Settings → Apps on Windows 10/11).
  2. Sign in to your account on the License & Downloads page and download the licensed installer that matches your platform.
  3. Run the licensed installer. The installer automatically registers the paid license machine-wide, so no per-project license registration is required.
  4. Open your existing projects and verify that assembly references still point to the new install path. The licensed installer updates the common reference path used by Syncfusion® controls, so most projects compile without manual changes.
  5. Clean and rebuild your solution to refresh the output (bin/obj) folders.

Option 2: NuGet-based reference

  1. Remove the existing trial license key from your project’s startup code or configuration file (for example, App.xaml.cs, Program.cs, web.config, app.config, or appsettings.json).
  2. Generate a paid license key for the correct version and platform from the License & Downloads page.
  3. Register the paid license key in your application as described in this topic. Registration locations vary by platform: WinForms/WPF use App()/Program.cs; ASP.NET uses web.config; ASP.NET Core uses appsettings.json; Xamarin/MAUI use the platform startup method.
  4. Update the Syncfusion.Licensing NuGet package to the latest version, then clean the solution (bin and obj folders) and rebuild.
  5. Run the application and confirm the licensing warning is no longer displayed.

Note: License registration is not required if you reference Syncfusion® assemblies from the Licensed installer — it injects a machine-level license at install time. The license registration steps above apply to evaluators who reference the Syncfusion® assemblies from the evaluation installer, and to developers who use the Syncfusion® NuGet packages from nuget.org.