Trial and licence
Last updated 20 October 2026
MindLake is free for 14 days, then £19 once for up to three Macs at a time. How the trial is counted, how to buy, moving between Macs, working offline and refunds.
At a glance
| How it works | |
|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 days, once per Mac, counted from the first time mindlake.app sees that Mac. |
| To try it | No card and no account. Starting the trial needs the internet. |
| Price | £19 (€19, $19), once. No subscription. |
| Macs at a time | Up to 3 on one licence. |
| A Mac you stop using | Gives its place back by itself after 90 days unseen. |
| Moving the licence | Up to 3 moves in any 30 days. |
| Offline, licensed | Works for 30 days without checking in. |
| Offline, on the trial | Works for 3 days without checking in. |
| Refunds | Within 30 days of paying, no reason needed. |
| Your notes | Always readable as plain files, whatever the licence says. |
The free trial
The trial starts behind the welcome window the first time you open MindLake, and lasts 14 days. The days are counted by mindlake.app, not by your Mac, from the first time it sees this Mac. It knows the Mac by a one-way hash of its hardware ID, so reinstalling MindLake or using another account doesn’t start a new trial.
You don’t need a card or an account to try MindLake. Starting the trial needs the internet; if your Mac is offline, MindLake says so and carries on by itself once it’s connected. Settings ▸ Publishing shows how many days are left, as Trial: 14 days left, with Buy MindLake… beside it.
Buying MindLake
MindLake costs £19 (€19, $19), once, and is yours for good. One licence covers up to three Macs at a time.
The licence belongs to your account, so there is no licence key to keep. The account is the same one used for publishing to the web, and you sign in with your email and a code sent to it, with no password.
- Open Settings ▸ Publishing and sign in at the top.
- In the Licence section, choose Buy MindLake….
- Pay in your browser, then come back. MindLake picks up the payment by itself as soon as it lands.
You can also buy on the pricing page. That purchase is matched to your account by the email you paid with, so sign in to MindLake with the same email. If you bought already, signing in with that email is all it takes.
Once licensed, Settings ▸ Publishing ▸ Licence shows Licensed, Yours for good, and when MindLake last confirmed it with mindlake.app.
Using it on more than one Mac
Sign in with the same account on another Mac and the licence comes with you, up to three Macs at a time. A Mac that hasn’t been seen for 90 days gives its place back by itself.
Moving between Macs
- Give a Mac’s place back. On that Mac, choose Deactivate This Mac… in Settings ▸ Publishing ▸ Licence. MindLake then stops working there until you use your licence on it again.
- Take a place from another Mac. If three Macs already hold your licence, a fourth shows Your licence is in use on other Macs, with Use My Licence on This Mac. Choose it, signed in with the account that holds the licence, and the others let go of it until they’re next used. While this Mac is still on its trial, Settings ▸ Publishing ▸ Licence says the same, as Your licence is on 3 other Macs, with Use It on This Mac….
Each time a Mac is taken off the licence counts as a move, and you can make up to three moves in any 30 days. Signing out on a Mac also takes the licence off that Mac.
Working offline
MindLake checks in with mindlake.app every so often to confirm the licence. A licensed Mac can go 30 days without checking in; a Mac on the trial can go 3. After that, MindLake shows Connect to the internet to continue, and carries on by itself as soon as the Mac is back online.
MindLake also notices if the Mac’s clock is set back to stretch the trial or the offline days. It then asks you to check the date and time; setting them automatically in System Settings and going online puts it right.
When the trial ends
When the trial is over, the library closes and a small window shows Your trial has ended, with what you can do:
- Buy MindLake…. If you’re not signed in, sign in first so the licence is on your account. Bought already? Sign in with the same email.
- Use My Licence on This Mac, when your licence is already on three other Macs.
- Show My Notes in Finder, to open your vault folder.
- Quit.
A recording that was running carries on, and the window offers Stop and Save so nothing is lost. The M in the menu bar shows the same message, with Open MindLake… to bring the window back.
If MindLake says it’s damaged
A copy of MindLake that has been changed since it was built won’t open. Instead it shows This copy of MindLake is damaged, with Download MindLake, which opens the download page so you can install it again. Your notes are untouched.
Your notes stay yours
The licence never touches your vault. Whether you’re on the trial, licensed, offline or out of time, your notes are plain Markdown files in a folder you can open in Finder or any other editor, and they stay yours whatever you decide. The MCP server, which lets other AI apps read your vault, does need a licence or a running trial on that Mac.
Refunds
If MindLake isn’t for you, ask within 30 days of paying and you get all of it back, with no reason needed. Paddle, who take the payment, pay the refund back to the card or account you used. A refunded licence ends and MindLake asks for one again; your notes are never touched. See the refund policy.