In short
Meraki licensing models are the three ways Cisco licenses Meraki devices: subscription (Cisco Networking Subscription, with licences bound to networks and Essentials or Advantage tiers), co-termination (one shared expiry date for the whole organisation) and per-device licensing (each device expires separately, existing customers only). Each organisation uses one model.
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What is a Meraki licence?
Meraki hardware is managed from the cloud, and the licence is what entitles a device to that management. Meraki's own documentation is plain about it: all current Cisco Meraki products require valid licensing to operate, and every Meraki hardware component needs a cloud licence to be managed.
In practice a licence gives a device its place in the Meraki dashboard: configuration, monitoring, firmware updates and access to Cisco's support for that device. Meraki treats hardware warranty separately from licensing, so the licence is about the cloud service rather than the box itself.
Licences are held by a dashboard organisation, the top-level container that holds your networks, devices and administrators. The organisation's licensing model decides how expiry dates are worked out, how licences are added and renewed, and what happens when something is out of compliance. Meraki currently offers three models, and an organisation can only use one of them at a time.
The three Meraki licensing models at a glance
This comparison is drawn from Meraki's own licensing documentation.
| Subscription | Co-termination (co-term) | Per-device (PDL) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | New and renewing customers almost everywhere (not Russia or Belarus) | Default for new organisations until a subscription key is claimed | Existing PDL organisations only; no new conversions |
| End date | Fixed per subscription, with start and end dates you choose | One date for the whole organisation, recalculated as licences are added | Fixed per device |
| Where licences apply | Bound to networks | Organisation-wide licence limit per device type | Assigned to individual devices (networks for some products) |
| Feature tiers | Essentials and Advantage, mixable | Editions per product family, one MX edition per organisation | Editions per product family |
| If it lapses or is over the limit | 30-day grace, then management disabled for affected devices; traffic keeps flowing | 30-day grace, then the organisation shuts down | 30-day grace, then the affected device shuts down |
| Licence keys | Claimed once; later changes apply automatically | Needed for every addition and renewal | Needed for every addition and renewal |
| Payment options listed by Meraki | Periodic or prepaid | Prepaid only | Prepaid only |
The biggest practical difference is the bottom of the table. Under co-term, a lapse affects the whole organisation; under subscription, Meraki's enforcement is limited to the networks and devices that are out of compliance, and they keep passing traffic. Meraki calls this Amber Mode.
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Subscription licensing (Cisco Networking Subscription)
Subscription licensing, sold as Cisco Networking Subscription, is the model Meraki now recommends for new and renewing customers. Meraki describes it as "the only model designed for flexibility, scalability, and long-term resilience".
The key points:
- Terms from 12 to 84 months, with start and end dates you choose
- Licences bound to networks, so a branch and a head office can sit on different subscriptions or tiers in the same organisation
- Two feature tiers, Essentials and Advantage, which can be mixed in one order
- Hardware-agnostic licences: one licence type covers a family or size class of hardware, so swapping hardware within that class does not mean new licences
- One claim for the life of the subscription; additions, tier upgrades and renewals apply automatically
- Unified licences for Cisco's Wi-Fi 7 access points and Smart Switches, which unlock cloud, mixed or on-premise management
Read the full guide to Meraki subscription licensing, and compare the tiers in Meraki Essentials vs Advantage.
Co-termination licensing
Co-termination is the long-standing Meraki model. Every licence claimed into an organisation is averaged into one expiry date for every device. Add more licences and that date moves; renew and it moves again.
Each licence raises the organisation's licence limit for a device type. If the number of devices deployed in networks goes above that limit, or the shared date passes, the organisation enters a 30-day grace period and is then shut down until it is licensed again.
Co-term is still the default for a brand new organisation, but Meraki now describes it as best only for existing customers with simple, static setups, and recommends moving to subscription before you renew. See Meraki co-term licensing for how the date is calculated, with a worked example.
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Per-device licensing (PDL)
Per-device licensing gives each device its own licence and its own expiry date, with features such as partial renewals, queued licences and one-day licences to line dates up.
It is now closed: PDL is no longer available to new customers and Meraki no longer accepts conversions to it. Existing PDL organisations can carry on, or move to subscription through Meraki support. Our guide to Meraki per-device licensing covers what still works and the options for moving on.
Enterprise Agreements
Larger organisations can also license Meraki through a Cisco Enterprise Agreement (EA). Meraki's documentation describes an EA as a subscription that can cover several dashboard organisations and lets you consume more licences than you bought, with a consolidated bill at the end of each True Forward period.
Meraki's EA documentation lists three suites that carry Meraki licences: Networking (covering MR, MS, MX, MG, MT, Z and Cisco Access Manager), Camera Systems (MV) and Systems Manager, although Cisco's end-of-sale notice for Systems Manager also covers its EA licences. Devices outside the suites you hold are still subject to normal compliance rules. Whether an EA or a subscription suits you better depends on your estate, and we can model both with you.
Licence types by product family
Licence tiers differ by product family and by model. Meraki publishes them side by side as follows; it does not publish a one-to-one mapping between the older editions and the subscription tiers, so treat each column on its own terms.
| Product family | Subscription tiers | Co-term or PDL editions | More detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wireless (MR) | Essentials, Advantage | Enterprise, MR Advanced, MR Upgrade | MR Enterprise licence |
| Switches (MS) | Essentials, Advantage | Enterprise, Advanced (select switch families) | MS licensing |
| Security and SD-WAN (MX) | Essentials, Advantage | Enterprise, Advanced Security, Secure SD-WAN Plus | MX editions compared |
| Virtual MX (vMX) | Essentials only | Enterprise, Advanced Security | Advanced Security licence |
| Teleworker gateways (Z-series) | Essentials, Advantage | Z-Enterprise, Secure Teleworker | Teleworker gateway |
| Smart cameras (MV) | Essentials, plus add-ons | Enterprise, plus add-ons | MV licence |
| Cellular gateways (MG) | Essentials | Enterprise | MG cellular gateways |
A few family rules catch people out. Under co-term, wireless and camera licences are not tied to a model, but switch and MX licences are specific to the hardware model and cannot be moved to a different one. Cisco Access Manager has its own licence (see Cisco Access Manager). Cisco has announced end of sale for MT sensors (the last day to buy MT hardware is 10 November 2026), and Systems Manager reached end of sale on 3 June 2026, so check Meraki MT sensors and our Systems Manager agent guide before planning renewals.
Which Meraki licensing model should you choose?
For most organisations the choice is narrower than it looks:
- Starting fresh: a new organisation lands on co-term by default, but you can claim a subscription key instead. Meraki recommends subscription for new customers, and it is the only way to use mixed or on-premises management on Cisco's newest Wi-Fi 7 and Smart Switch hardware.
- Existing co-term: you can stay on co-term and renew, or move to subscription when your co-term licences expire (or, through Meraki support, within six to nine months of expiry). The move is organisation-wide and cannot be reversed.
- Existing PDL: you can stay, or move to subscription through a support case. You cannot return to PDL afterwards.
- Very large or multi-organisation estates: compare subscription with an Enterprise Agreement.
Meraki's licensing FAQ also sets out which way you can switch: from co-term to subscription, from PDL to subscription or co-term, and from subscription to nothing else. In other words, once you are on subscription you stay there, so it pays to plan the move properly.
How Forever Systems helps
Forever Systems is a Cisco Partner. We design, supply and support Meraki networks, and licensing is part of every quote we give.
We can review your current licence position (model, expiry dates, device counts and tiers), explain the options in plain English, and quote hardware and licences together so nothing is missed. If a move to subscription makes sense, we can help you time it around your current expiry date. For Forever Group's wider Meraki licensing and Cisco networking services, see the main Forever Group site.
Pricing depends on families, tiers and terms, so ask us for a quote. Contact us to talk it through.
Meraki licensing guides
Working with us on Cisco Meraki
Forever Systems helps organisations plan, buy and run cloud-managed networks built on Cisco Meraki wireless, switching, security and SD-WAN.
- Plan the network: we look at your sites, users and existing kit, and can arrange a wireless site survey before anything is ordered
- Choose the right products: access points, switches, security appliances, cellular gateways, sensors and cameras sized to what each site needs, rather than a one-size bundle
- Licensing made clear: we explain co-termination, per-device and subscription licensing, check renewal dates and quote the licences you need
- Deployment help: we can set up the Meraki dashboard, organisations, networks, templates and policies, and help move you from older or on-premise kit
- Ongoing help: changes, licence renewals and reviews as your sites grow, with the scope agreed at quote
Ask us for a quote and we will confirm what is included for your organisation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Meraki licence?
A Meraki licence is the cloud entitlement that lets a Meraki device be managed in the Meraki dashboard. Meraki states that all current Meraki products require valid licensing to operate, and every Meraki hardware component needs a cloud licence to be managed.
What are the Meraki licensing models?
There are three: subscription licensing (Cisco Networking Subscription), co-termination licensing and per-device licensing. Subscription binds licences to networks with Essentials or Advantage tiers, co-term gives the whole organisation one expiry date, and per-device licensing gives each device its own date but is closed to new customers.
Can I mix Meraki licensing models in one organisation?
No. Licensing is handled per organisation and each organisation can only use one licensing model. If you need different models, they have to sit in separate organisations.
Which Meraki licensing model is best?
Meraki recommends subscription licensing for new and renewing customers, mainly because a lapse only affects the networks or devices concerned and traffic keeps flowing. Co-term suits existing organisations with simple, stable estates. The right answer depends on your estate and renewal dates, so contact us for a review.
Is Meraki per-device licensing still available?
Only to organisations already using it. Meraki no longer offers per-device licensing to new customers and no longer accepts conversions to it. Existing PDL organisations can move to subscription through Meraki support.
Do Meraki devices work without a licence?
Every model gives you a 30-day grace period first. Under co-term and per-device licensing, unlicensed devices stop passing traffic after a 30-day grace period. Under subscription, devices keep forwarding traffic after the grace period but can no longer be configured or monitored in the dashboard.
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