General Licensing FAQs
Licensing Models
Which licensing models are supported on the Cisco Meraki dashboard?
Cisco Meraki supports three licensing models: Subscription Licensing, Co-Termination (Co-Term), and Per-Device Licensing (PDL).
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Subscription and Co-Term: available to all customers
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PDL: restricted to existing customers already using this model; new conversions to PDL are no longer supported.
For a detailed comparison of these models, visit the Meraki Licensing page.
Can I combine Subscription, Co-Term licensing and/or PDL models in the same organization?
No. Licensing is handled on a per-organization level, and each organization can only have one licensing model.
Can I switch between Co-Term, Subscription, and PDL models?
The ability to switch licensing models depends on your organization’s current licensing model. Refer to the table below:
| Current licensing model | Can switch to | Notes and requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | None | Reverting to Co-Term or legacy PDL models are not supported. |
| Co-Term | Subscription | Organizations will use the Co-Term licensing model by default. Contact your Meraki partner/reseller to opt into Subscription licensing. |
| PDL | Subscription or Co-Term | New conversions to PDL are not supported. You may move away from PDL, but you cannot switch back to it. |
For more information, refer to documentation: Converting Meraki Co-Term Licensing to Subscription Licensing.
Licensing tiers
Are there different license tiers or editions?
Yes, license tiers vary based on product family and license model as explained in the following table:
| Product family | Subscription tier types | Co-Term or PDL: tier types | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular gateway (MG) | Essential | Enterprise | None |
| Smart cameras (MV) | Essential | Enterprise | None |
| Switch (MS) | Essential and Advantage | Enterprise and Advanced | Co-Term: Advanced licensing is only for select models. Co-Term organizations cannot have mixed license tiers. |
| Wireless (MR) | Essential and Advantage | Enterprise, MR Upgrade, and MR Advanced | Co-Term: For Advanced/Upgrade tier, refer to the Automatically Integrating Cisco Umbrella with Meraki Networks documentation. Co-Term organizations cannot have mixed license tiers. |
| Security and SD-WAN (MX) | Essential and Advantage | Enterprise, Advanced Security, and Secure SD-WAN Plus | To read more about MX License tiers, refer to the documentation on Meraki MX Security and SD-WAN Licensing (Co-Term) or Subscription - MX Licensing. |
| Virtual appliance (vMX) | Essential and Advantage | Enterprise and Advanced Security | Co-Term: Refer to the Virtual MX (vMX) License Breakdown documentation for more information. |
| Teleworker (Z-Series) | Essential and Advantage | Z-Enterprise and Secure Teleworker | None |
Refer to Subscription Feature Tier Upgrade documentation for more information.
Licensing and hardware
Do I need to have a license for every piece of Meraki hardware?
Yes, every Meraki hardware component requires a cloud license to be managed.
To learn more about subscription compliance, visit Subscription – License Compliance Cloud Experience.
Meraki hardware on Co-Term and PDL models will be non-operational, and the organization will be out of compliance. This means you will no longer be able to configure or make changes to your Meraki network equipment, and your network products will no longer allow traffic to pass to the Internet.
How does licensing vary between different product lines, for example, wireless, switches, and security appliances?
For all wireless access points and camera lines, the license is the same for all hardware models with the respective product line. In contrast, for the switches and security appliance lines, each product class has a different license.
| Product Family | Subscription: Product Class | Co-Term or PDL: Product Class |
|---|---|---|
| Cellular gateway (MG) | MG license | Different license class for each hardware model |
| Smart cameras (MV) | Camera license Add-ons: Cloud Archive MV Sense |
Same license class for all hardware models Optional: Cloud Archive Meraki Display MV Sense |
| Switch (Cisco Smart Switching Unified Licensing) | Cisco Switching Access Medium Cisco Switching Access Large Cisco Switching Access Core |
Not available for Co-Term or PDL |
| Switch (MS) | MS100 Small MS100 Medium MS100 Large MS200 Medium MS200 Large MS300 Medium MS300 Large MS400 Medium MS400 Large |
Different license class for each hardware model |
| Cisco Wireless (Wi-Fi 7) Unified Licensing | Wi-Fi 7 APs | Not available for Co-Term or PDL |
| Wireless (MR) | Wireless license | Same license class for all hardware models |
| Cisco 8000 Series Secure Unified Licensing | CSWAN Small CSWAN Medium CSWAN Large CSWAN X-Large |
Not available for Co-Term or PDL |
| Security and SD-WAN (MX) | MX Small MX Medium MX Large MX X-Large |
Different license class for each hardware model |
| Virtual appliance (vMX) | Included in MX License classes: MX Small MX Medium MX Large MX X-Large |
vMX Small vMX Medium vMX Large |
| Teleworker (Z-Series) | Z license | Different license class for each hardware model |
Refer to documentation on Product Class to SKU Mapping for the Subscription Licensing model.
Do I need duplicate licenses to cover my security appliance in a warm spare configuration?
No, security appliances (MX) in a warm spare/HA configuration require only one license for the two devices. The only additional cost of a warm spare configuration is the redundant hardware. For more information, please navigate to MX Warm Spare - High-Availability Pair.
Do I need duplicate licenses to cover my switches in a warm spare configuration?
Yes, switches (MS) in warm spare/high availability (HA) will require two individual licenses. For more information, please navigate to MS Warm Spare (VRRP) Overview.
Do I have to buy more licenses every time I buy new hardware?
Not necessarily. While each device requires a license to function, it is possible that a previously purchased license (that hasn't expired) could apply to a new device. For example: since wireless access point (AP) devices do not have model-specific licenses, you could purchase a new MR model to replace an older MR model (as part of an upgrade) without also buying a new license.
Note: licenses and hardware are sold separately.
Some Meraki MX security appliances are eligible for license conversion as per Meraki Co-Termination Licensing Overview. For additional information and assistance, Contacting Meraki Support is recommended.
How does the hardware warranty relate to licensing?
The hardware warranty is tied to the hardware unit, not the license. Hardware that has a lifetime warranty (for example, the MR24) is warranted for the life of the hardware. Hardware with a fixed-term warranty (for example, 1 year) has a 1-year warranty, regardless of the license. For more, see Returns (RMAs), Warranties and End-of-Life Information.
Managing licenses and support
Will a device in inventory require a license?
No. Only active devices in networks require a license.
What permission level do I need to add or modify licenses?
Only administrators with full organization permissions can add to, modify, or request modification of, licenses within a dashboard organization.
How does support relate to licensing?
A Meraki license includes enterprise-class support.