Essential ArcGIS Pro licensing terms

Essential terms used in ArcGIS Pro licensing topics

Term	Definition
Active portal	The portal you are signed in to on ArcGIS Pro. The active portal is the portal that is searched for content when you add data from ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise (the option that is available depends on the active portal type). It is also the portal maps and layers are shared to from ArcGIS Pro. The active portal is marked with a check mark on the Portals page in ArcGIS Pro. If a user has multiple accounts in an ArcGIS organization, or accounts in multiple ArcGIS organizations, the active portal may be different from the licensing portal. See Manage portal connections from ArcGIS Pro. Compare to Licensing portal and Portal.
Add-on license	In ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise, an application license that is not conferred automatically by a particular user type. For example, an ArcGIS Pro license is an add-on license for the Creator user type because it is compatible with the user type but is not conferred automatically. See User type.
Advanced license	One of three ArcGIS Pro license levels (Basic, Standard, and Advanced). The Advanced license level includes all the functionality of the Basic and Standard license levels and adds functionality in the areas of analysis, cartography, and data management. See ArcGIS Desktop license levels.
ArcGIS Desktop	A suite of GIS software products that includes ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and an ArcGIS Online subscription.
ArcGIS Enterprise	The server-based part of the ArcGIS platform. It consists of ArcGIS Server and additional products, including Portal for ArcGIS, for publishing and hosting GIS web services, either on-premises or in the cloud. See What is ArcGIS Enterprise?
ArcGIS License Manager	A software application required for Concurrent Use licensing of ArcGIS Desktop products and Named User licensing of ArcGIS Pro with ArcGIS Enterprise. ArcGIS License Manager keeps track of the number of copies of a desktop application that can be run at the same time. See License manager basics.
ArcGIS Online	The web-based part of the ArcGIS platform. A full implementation is subscription based and includes an ArcGIS Online organization. See What is ArcGIS Online?
ArcGIS Online organization	The administrative structure of ArcGIS Online. It provides the GIS tools and user interface for online mapping, analysis, and data management. It is also used to manage membership, user software privileges, and licensing of ArcGIS Pro and other premium apps.
ArcGIS organization	A general reference that applies to both ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise organizations.
ArcGIS organizational account	An account that provides membership in an ArcGIS organization. An ArcGIS organizational account is required to use ArcGIS Pro with a Named User license and to access the full range of ArcGIS Online functionality. An ArcGIS organizational account can be used to sign in to Esri sites, such as GeoNet and Esri Training, if the account has Esri access enabled. Compare to ArcGIS public account and Esri account.
ArcGIS Pro	A full-featured desktop GIS software application that is part of ArcGIS Desktop and is also available separately.
ArcGIS Pro Licensing Service	A per-user installation of ArcGIS Pro does not include the ArcGIS Pro Licensing Service. The service is a necessary component for ArcGIS Pro to authorize a Single Use license or to borrow a Concurrent Use license. It is available in the C:\Users\<user profile>\AppData\Local\Programs\ArcGIS\Pro\Resources\ArcGIS Pro Licensing Service folder. See Download, install, and authorize for information about per-user and per-machine installation options.
ArcGIS Pro Trial	A free, temporary license to try ArcGIS Pro. Each trial includes a single ArcGIS Pro license that is intended for one person's use. If you are part of a work group, each member must sign up for their own trial. The ArcGIS Pro license is a Named User license and the license level is Advanced. See the ArcGIS Pro Free Trial page. Note: With the ArcGIS Pro trial, the administrative tasks involved in setting up and assigning Named User licenses through ArcGIS Online are completed automatically. However, other trial experiences are available from Esri that require an administrator to set up an ArcGIS Online organization before you can use ArcGIS Pro. For more information, see Set up an ArcGIS Online organization.
ArcGIS public account	A free account that provides access to parts of the ArcGIS Online system, including free web apps and publicly shared content from the global GIS community. It also provides access to sections of Esri websites that require a login. The ArcGIS public account replaces the Esri Account. (Existing Esri Accounts function automatically as ArcGIS public accounts.) Compare to ArcGIS organizational account and Esri Account.
Authorization file	A text file, authorization.respc, used to complete the software license authorization process when an internet connection is not available. See Authorization files.
Basic license	One of three ArcGIS Pro license levels (Basic, Standard, and Advanced). The Basic license level provides essential functionality in the areas of map creation, data visualization, and spatial analysis. See ArcGIS Desktop license levels.
Concurrent Use license	A type of software license that allows many users to share access to ArcGIS Desktop applications from computers on a network. See ArcGIS Desktop license types.
Core product	Any of the products that come with an ArcGIS Desktop license: ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcScene, or ArcGlobe. Compare to Extension.
Esri Account	A free account that provides access to sections of Esri websites that require a login. Existing Esri Accounts function automatically as ArcGIS public accounts. Compare to ArcGIS organizational account and ArcGIS public account.
Extension	A product that integrates seamlessly with an ArcGIS Desktop core product to provide specialized functionality. Examples of extensions are Spatial Analyst, 3D Analyst, and Image Analyst.
License file	A file created in My Esri and used to complete authorization information in the Software Authorization Wizard. If you are using Portal for ArcGIS 10.7 or later as your licensing portal, your license file will be a JSON file. Otherwise, it will be a plain text file with the extension .prvc or .prvs. See License files. License files were formerly known as provisioning files.
License level	For ArcGIS Pro and other ArcGIS Desktop products, a licensing choice (Basic, Standard, or Advanced) that determines the scope of product functionality. See ArcGIS Desktop license levels.
License Manager	See ArcGIS License Manager.
Licensing portal	The ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization that validates a user's credentials when they start ArcGIS Pro. The licensing portal is marked with a key on the Portals page in ArcGIS Pro. Compare to Active portal.
Maintenance	A program for holders of ArcGIS Desktop perpetual licenses. Maintenance includes software updates, technical support, access to ArcGIS Online, and more.
My Esri	A web interface for managing Esri software downloads and licensing. Relationships with Esri departments such as Customer Service, Technical Support, and Training are also managed through My Esri.
Named User license	A type of software license that provides access to ArcGIS Pro through membership in an ArcGIS organization. See ArcGIS Desktop license types.
Perpetual license	An ArcGIS Desktop software license that does not expire. See License duration. Compare to Term license.
Portal	Any ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization to which ArcGIS Pro can connect to access or share data. Public accounts on ArcGIS Online are also portals.
Portal for ArcGIS	The component of ArcGIS Enterprise that is equivalent to an ArcGIS Online organization, except that it is hosted on-premises. (It can also be hosted in the cloud using ArcGIS Enterprise on Amazon Web Services or ArcGIS Enterprise on Microsoft Azure.) Portal for ArcGIS includes the infrastructure for managing web maps and data, and for managing user membership and access to the system, including ArcGIS Pro licensing. See What is the ArcGIS Enterprise portal?
Provisioning file	See License file.
Public account	See ArcGIS public account.
Single Use license	A type of software license that allows a user to install and use ArcGIS Desktop on one computer, in the case of ArcGIS Pro. In the case of other ArcGIS Desktop applications, such as ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcGlobe, and ArcScene, the software can be installed on two computers, with restrictions. See ArcGIS Desktop license types.
Standard license	One of three ArcGIS Pro license levels (Basic, Standard, and Advanced). The Standard license level includes all the functionality of the Basic license level and adds functionality in the areas of editing and data management. See ArcGIS Desktop license levels.
Term license	An ArcGIS Desktop software license that is valid for a specific time period, usually one year, after which it must be renewed. See License duration. Compare to Perpetual license.
User type	In an ArcGIS organization, a status that determines a member's capabilities and access to applications, including ArcGIS Pro. User types are assigned by an administrator in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise. See User types, roles, and privileges.