The Next Generation of Software License Dongles
KeyNub is a next-generation USB-C software license dongle for professional software. Your customers plug in a hardware key; the license cannot be copied, because the private key never leaves the chip. The price works even in small quantities.
What Makes KeyNub Different
Native USB-C
No bulky USB-A adapters, and no orientation to get wrong. KeyNub is built from the ground up for today’s laptops, workstations and industrial PCs. It enumerates as a standard HID device, so there is no driver to install and no kernel module to maintain.
Enterprise Security
Each dongle carries an ECDSA key pair generated inside a secure element that cannot export it. Every check is a live challenge-response against a certificate chain, not a comparison with a stored value. Sessions are encrypted, the code an attacker can reach is isolated in hardware, and verification needs no server.
Developer Friendly
A clean SDK, real documentation and prebuilt native libraries let you integrate the license dongle in hours rather than weeks. Bindings for 25 languages — C and C++, .NET, Python, LabVIEW and more — each with a runnable sample in the open SDK repository.
For Software Vendors
Protect your software investment
You might build CAD, CAM or CNC software, PLC programming and industrial automation tools, medical or GIS applications, scientific and engineering software, audio production or broadcast tools, measurement systems or flight simulation. Whatever the field, your intellectual property deserves better protection than a serial number in a text file. The industry overview shows how KeyNub fits each of these, plus automotive diagnostics, machine vision and video surveillance.
Prebuilt native libraries cover Windows (x64, 32-bit and ARM64), Linux (x86_64 and ARM64) and macOS as a single universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel. Licenses live on the key itself, so they work offline and move with the dongle from one machine to the next.
For OEM Partners
Your own license dongle — under your own brand
Want to offer your customers a hardware license dongle of your own?
KeyNub is available as an OEM platform, including:
- Custom enclosure design
- Your own logo
- Your own USB VID/PID
- Custom firmware
- Dedicated security features
- Volume manufacturing and logistics
You get a professional licensing solution without developing hardware yourself.
Built for Your Industry
Licensing fails differently on an offline shop floor, in a recording studio and on a clinical network — so we wrote up how KeyNub fits each industry where a license dongle earns its keep:
CAM & CNC · CAD & BIM Plugins · Industrial Automation · Machine Vision · Measurement & Test · Automotive Diagnostics · Medical Software · Scientific Software · GIS & Geospatial · Audio Plugins · Broadcast & Media · Video Surveillance · Simulation & Training
Designed for Modern Software Protection
Local verification. No license server. No phone-home.
Built by software engineers, for software companies.
Technology at a Glance
Native USB-C
Easy SDK Integration
Windows
Hardware Security
OEM Branding
Linux
Crypto Auth
Secure MCU
macOS
Contact Us
Ready to move your licensing onto hardware?
Whether you need ten dongles or fifty thousand, KeyNub scales from a one-person software company to an enterprise rollout.
Let’s talk about your licensing strategy.
Why hardware licensing?
✔ Stops casual copying and license sharing
✔ Works fully offline — no internet, no cloud, no accounts
✔ Ideal for industrial and government environments
✔ Licenses move with the dongle, from one machine to the next
✔ Simple replacement if a unit fails
✔ No recurring license fees
Why KeyNub?
✔ Native USB-C, no adapter needed
✔ Compact premium enclosure
✔ Secure element, with keys generated on the device
✔ SDK source published, so you can read it before you buy
✔ Long-term product availability
✔ Developed and supported in Germany
✔ Cost-effective, even in small quantities
