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# SOAP2 Licensing & Editions — User Guide
This page explains the different SOAP2 editions, what each one unlocks, and what
to expect at startup depending on your licence status.
---
## Editions at a glance
SOAP2 is distributed in five editions. Your active edition is shown in square
brackets in the message log every time the application starts — for example
**`[Free Trial]`** or **`[Regular]`**.
Edition | Who it is for | Expiry | Full features | Premium features ¹ | Volatility Surface | GEX/VEX | Watchlist
-----------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------|---------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------|-------------------
**Free Trial** | Early-access / trial users | Yes ² | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Unlimited
**Freeware** | Beginners & small IB accounts (free) | No | Core only | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | SPY, IWM, QQQ only
**Regular** | Traders with a few years' experience (paid) | No | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Unlimited
**Premium** | Paid premium / enterprise licence | No | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Unlimited
**WhiteLabel** | Mentors & group leaders (20+ users) ³ | No | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Unlimited
¹ Premium features are the Rewind (historical playback) feature and the premium VIX/rate history recorder.
² Whether this build has an expiry date depends on how it was built.
The exact date (if any) is printed in the SOAP2 message log on first startup — see **Startup messages** below.
After expiry, non-developer users must register (see **Registration** below) to keep using SOAP2.
³ The Premium features, Volatility Surface, and GEX/VEX columns above describe the WhiteLabel **holder's**
own installation, which includes all three by default. Group members are separate SOAP2 installations,
registered individually under their own edition (Freeware/Regular/Premium) — see **WhiteLabel groups** below.
---
## What "full features" and "premium features" mean
!!! NOTE
Feature gating is being rolled out gradually. During the Free Trial, every
feature is active regardless of the eventual edition you register for.
**Full features** (Regular and above, plus the Free Trial) include the complete
options-chain analysis suite, trade log, historical data charting, and automated
watchlist management.
**Premium features** (Free Trial, Premium, and the WhiteLabel holder's own install)
unlock the **Rewind** (historical playback) feature and the premium VIX/interest-rate
history recorder.
**Volatility Surface** is available during the Free Trial, and on Premium and
WhiteLabel editions. It is not included in Freeware or Regular.
**GEX/VEX** is available during the Free Trial, and on Premium and WhiteLabel
editions. It is not included in Freeware or Regular — once the Free Trial period
ends, Freeware and Regular users lose access to it (in addition to the existing
SPX/RUT-only restriction).
**Freeware** provides the core symbol viewer and basic chain display with the
watchlist limited to **SPY, IWM, and QQQ**. Other symbols already on the watchlist
(e.g. from an earlier Regular/Premium/trial session) are hidden, not deleted — they
reappear automatically if you upgrade. More symbols may be added to the Freeware
watchlist over time.
---
## Startup messages
When SOAP2 starts, the first line in the message log tells you your current status.
If this build has a trial expiry date:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOAP2 is starting up. Test period ends on: Thursday, 1 October 2026 [Free Trial]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If no expiry date was set by the developer, the line reads simply:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOAP2 is starting up. [Free Trial]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If a test override is active (set by your developer / system administrator for
evaluation purposes), you will see an additional note, for example:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOAP2 is starting up. Test period ends on: Thursday, 1 October 2026 [Regular – test override active]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The **test override** flag means the system is simulating a specific edition and
is not the edition that would normally apply to your installation. It has no
effect on data integrity or trade execution.
---
## Trial expiry
Once the Free Trial ends (test period ends **October 1st, 2026**), SOAP2 opens the
**Registration** dialog on startup instead of the main window. Developers are
always exempt. See **Registration** below for what's required.
---
## Developer / administrator mode
If your machine has a valid **developer key** installed, SOAP2 will start in
Developer mode regardless of the edition or expiry date. The startup log will
show:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Launching SOAP in Developer Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Developer keys are machine-bound and cannot be transferred to another computer.
If you believe you should have developer access but are not seeing this message,
contact your system administrator or the SOAP2 author.
---
## Registration
Non-developer users must register once the Free Trial ends. Registration is a
one-time step and is required before the application can be used.
In the dialog, choose the edition you want: **Freeware** (free, watchlist limited
to SPY/IWM/QQQ), **Regular** or **Premium** (paid), or **WhiteLabel**. Registering
sends your details to the SOAP2 servers directly — no SMTP setup or email account
of your own is required, only your email address.
**If you've purchased Regular or Premium**, paste the license key you were emailed
into the **License key** field before clicking Register — this verifies and
activates the license on your machine. If you don't have a key yet, click
**Don't have a key? Buy one** right there in the dialog to open checkout in your
browser (payment is handled by Paddle, our merchant of record); once purchased,
your key arrives by email and you can paste it in. Leaving the key field blank
still records your edition choice as before, without server-side verification.
**WhiteLabel** billing is still arranged directly with the author (see the
website's **Editions & pricing** section) — it isn't part of the self-serve
checkout, since it's aimed at mentors/group leaders managing 20+ users, not a
single self-service purchase.
---
## WhiteLabel groups
WhiteLabel is aimed at mentors and group leaders managing **20 or more individual
users** — a coach running a trading group, for example, not a reseller.
- **The holder** runs their own SOAP2 install under the WhiteLabel edition, with a
custom branded header (e.g. `SOAP for xyz`) and Premium features included by default
(Rewind, the premium VIX/rate history recorder, and Volatility Surface).
- **Group members** are not WhiteLabel installs themselves — each registers
individually (Freeware, Regular, or Premium, whichever fits them) through their own
copy of SOAP2, the same self-serve flow described above. This is **not** a reseller
agreement: registration stays centralised with the author, not the group holder.
- Group members registering under a WhiteLabel holder get a **15% discount** on their
own paid subscription. Since online checkout isn't live yet, mention the group
when you contact the author to arrange billing.
Group trade-info sharing between the holder and members (a more closed, group-only
work environment) is planned for a future release and not available yet.
---
## Frequently asked questions
**Q — The trial expiry message appeared but my date looks correct. What happened?**
The expiry date is set at the time your copy of SOAP2 was built. If you
received a new build from the author after the old expiry, make sure you are
running the *new* executable, not the old one.
**Q — I see `[Regular – test override active]` but I have not purchased a Regular licence.**
A test override file was placed in your SOAP Settings folder, probably by the
author during a support session. It does not grant a permanent licence. Remove
the file `BetaEditionOverride.cfg` from your SOAP Settings folder to return to
normal behaviour, or ask the author to clear it.
**Q — Where is my SOAP Settings folder?**
On a standard installation: `%APPDATA%\SOAP_Data\Settings\`
On a developer installation: `\SOAP_Data\Settings\`
**Q — How do I know which edition I am on?**
Check the first line of the SOAP2 message log after startup. The active edition
is printed in square brackets as described above.
**Q — I am using a WhiteLabel licence. What changes?**
The application header is customised for your group, for example `SOAP for xyz`,
and Premium features are included on your own install. See **WhiteLabel groups**
above for how your group members register and their discount. Trade-info sharing
with group members is reserved for a future release.
---
Go back to the main [SOAP2 Help Guide](index.md.html).
# SOAP2 Licensing & Editions — User Guide
This page explains the different SOAP2 editions, what each one unlocks, and what
to expect at startup depending on your licence status.
---
## Editions at a glance
SOAP2 is distributed in five editions. Your active edition is shown in square
brackets in the message log every time the application starts — for example
**`[Free Trial]`** or **`[Regular]`**.
Edition | Who it is for | Expiry | Full features | Premium features ¹ | Volatility Surface | GEX/VEX | Watchlist
-----------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------|---------------|---------------------|---------------------|---------|-------------------
**Free Trial** | Early-access / trial users | Yes ² | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Unlimited
**Freeware** | Beginners & small IB accounts (free) | No | Core only | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | SPY, IWM, QQQ only
**Regular** | Traders with a few years' experience (paid) | No | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Unlimited
**Premium** | Paid premium / enterprise licence | No | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Unlimited
**WhiteLabel** | Mentors & group leaders (20+ users) ³ | No | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | Unlimited
¹ Premium features are the Rewind (historical playback) feature and the premium VIX/rate history recorder.
² Whether this build has an expiry date depends on how it was built.
The exact date (if any) is printed in the SOAP2 message log on first startup — see **Startup messages** below.
After expiry, non-developer users must register (see **Registration** below) to keep using SOAP2.
³ The Premium features, Volatility Surface, and GEX/VEX columns above describe the WhiteLabel **holder's**
own installation, which includes all three by default. Group members are separate SOAP2 installations,
registered individually under their own edition (Freeware/Regular/Premium) — see **WhiteLabel groups** below.
---
## What "full features" and "premium features" mean
!!! NOTE
Feature gating is being rolled out gradually. During the Free Trial, every
feature is active regardless of the eventual edition you register for.
**Full features** (Regular and above, plus the Free Trial) include the complete
options-chain analysis suite, trade log, historical data charting, and automated
watchlist management.
**Premium features** (Free Trial, Premium, and the WhiteLabel holder's own install)
unlock the **Rewind** (historical playback) feature and the premium VIX/interest-rate
history recorder.
**Volatility Surface** is available during the Free Trial, and on Premium and
WhiteLabel editions. It is not included in Freeware or Regular.
**GEX/VEX** is available during the Free Trial, and on Premium and WhiteLabel
editions. It is not included in Freeware or Regular — once the Free Trial period
ends, Freeware and Regular users lose access to it (in addition to the existing
SPX/RUT-only restriction).
**Freeware** provides the core symbol viewer and basic chain display with the
watchlist limited to **SPY, IWM, and QQQ**. Other symbols already on the watchlist
(e.g. from an earlier Regular/Premium/trial session) are hidden, not deleted — they
reappear automatically if you upgrade. More symbols may be added to the Freeware
watchlist over time.
---
## Startup messages
When SOAP2 starts, the first line in the message log tells you your current status.
If this build has a trial expiry date:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOAP2 is starting up. Test period ends on: Thursday, 1 October 2026 [Free Trial]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If no expiry date was set by the developer, the line reads simply:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOAP2 is starting up. [Free Trial]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If a test override is active (set by your developer / system administrator for
evaluation purposes), you will see an additional note, for example:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOAP2 is starting up. Test period ends on: Thursday, 1 October 2026 [Regular – test override active]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The **test override** flag means the system is simulating a specific edition and
is not the edition that would normally apply to your installation. It has no
effect on data integrity or trade execution.
---
## Trial expiry
Once the Free Trial ends (test period ends **October 1st, 2026**), SOAP2 opens the
**Registration** dialog on startup instead of the main window. Developers are
always exempt. See **Registration** below for what's required.
---
## Developer / administrator mode
If your machine has a valid **developer key** installed, SOAP2 will start in
Developer mode regardless of the edition or expiry date. The startup log will
show:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Launching SOAP in Developer Mode
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Developer keys are machine-bound and cannot be transferred to another computer.
If you believe you should have developer access but are not seeing this message,
contact your system administrator or the SOAP2 author.
---
## Registration
Non-developer users must register once the Free Trial ends. Registration is a
one-time step and is required before the application can be used.
In the dialog, choose the edition you want: **Freeware** (free, watchlist limited
to SPY/IWM/QQQ), **Regular** or **Premium** (paid), or **WhiteLabel**. Registering
sends your details to the SOAP2 servers directly — no SMTP setup or email account
of your own is required, only your email address.
**If you've purchased Regular or Premium**, paste the license key you were emailed
into the **License key** field before clicking Register — this verifies and
activates the license on your machine. If you don't have a key yet, click
**Don't have a key? Buy one** right there in the dialog to open checkout in your
browser (payment is handled by Paddle, our merchant of record); once purchased,
your key arrives by email and you can paste it in. Leaving the key field blank
still records your edition choice as before, without server-side verification.
**WhiteLabel** billing is still arranged directly with the author (see the
website's **Editions & pricing** section) — it isn't part of the self-serve
checkout, since it's aimed at mentors/group leaders managing 20+ users, not a
single self-service purchase.
---
## WhiteLabel groups
WhiteLabel is aimed at mentors and group leaders managing **20 or more individual
users** — a coach running a trading group, for example, not a reseller.
- **The holder** runs their own SOAP2 install under the WhiteLabel edition, with a
custom branded header (e.g. `SOAP for xyz`) and Premium features included by default
(Rewind, the premium VIX/rate history recorder, and Volatility Surface).
- **Group members** are not WhiteLabel installs themselves — each registers
individually (Freeware, Regular, or Premium, whichever fits them) through their own
copy of SOAP2, the same self-serve flow described above. This is **not** a reseller
agreement: registration stays centralised with the author, not the group holder.
- Group members registering under a WhiteLabel holder get a **15% discount** on their
own paid subscription. Since online checkout isn't live yet, mention the group
when you contact the author to arrange billing.
Group trade-info sharing between the holder and members (a more closed, group-only
work environment) is planned for a future release and not available yet.
---
## Frequently asked questions
**Q — The trial expiry message appeared but my date looks correct. What happened?**
The expiry date is set at the time your copy of SOAP2 was built. If you
received a new build from the author after the old expiry, make sure you are
running the *new* executable, not the old one.
**Q — I see `[Regular – test override active]` but I have not purchased a Regular licence.**
A test override file was placed in your SOAP Settings folder, probably by the
author during a support session. It does not grant a permanent licence. Remove
the file `BetaEditionOverride.cfg` from your SOAP Settings folder to return to
normal behaviour, or ask the author to clear it.
**Q — Where is my SOAP Settings folder?**
On a standard installation: `%APPDATA%\SOAP_Data\Settings\`
On a developer installation: `