Per-subscriber VAS vs perpetual licence: comparing cost
A monthly fee per subscriber, a platform subscription or a one-off licence: the sums every ISP should run before choosing a value-added service.
When an ISP chooses a value-added service (VAS, known in Brazil as SVA), it usually compares the service itself and overlooks the pricing model. Yet the pricing model decides what that service will cost two years from now, once the subscriber base has grown.
There are three common ways to pay: a monthly fee per subscriber, a flat platform subscription and a one-off licence. This guide walks through the sums for each one and shows when a perpetual licence becomes the better deal.
The three pricing models
- Per-subscriber fee: the supplier charges an amount for every active subscriber, every month. This is the most common model among VAS distributors.
- Platform subscription: a fixed monthly fee, or one tiered by base size, to use a ready-made portal.
- Perpetual licence: the ISP pays once per game or piece of content, hosts it on its own servers and uses it with no end date.
Each model has its place. A per-subscriber fee has a low upfront cost and delivers a finished product. A perpetual licence requires the ISP to handle hosting and integration, but the cost does not rise as the base grows.
The sum that matters: cost over time
To compare fairly, put everything on the same time frame. Under the per-subscriber model, the 24-month cost is: fee per subscriber × number of subscribers × 24. With a perpetual licence, it is the price paid once, plus the cost of hosting static files, which is usually small.
The break-even point is the month in which the total of the monthly fees passes the price of the licence. From then on, every month of fees is a cost the licence would not have had.
What the perpetual licence includes here
On the Polar Games marketplace, each game template has a list price between US$5 and US$69 (most sit around US$39), paid once. Buy several in the same order and the discount grows: 5% for two, 10% for three, 15% for four and 20% for five or more. Every purchase includes 6 months of support. List prices checked on 5 November 2026; promotions may change the price on any given day.
- Source code and files ready to host.
- White label: your ISP's name and brand in place of ours.
- No per-subscriber fee and no extra charge as your base grows.
See how game VAS for ISPs works
What the licence does not include
With a perpetual licence, the ISP takes care of hosting the files and placing the game in its app or customer portal. There is also no automatic activation through your billing system (ERP) and no ready-made usage report: access is controlled by the ISP's own app. Customisation with the ISP's brand or special themes is quoted separately.
How to put games in your app with a WebView
When each model makes more sense
- Per-subscriber fee: a small base, no technical team and a need to launch quickly.
- Platform subscription: many different value-added services in one portal, with the integration already done.
- Perpetual licence: a medium or large base, a team that can publish files to a server and the wish to offer content under your own brand.
Many ISPs combine models: they keep a bundle of per-subscriber services and add their own content under a perpetual licence, which does not weigh on the monthly cost.
Frequently asked questions
Does a perpetual licence mean the game is mine?
It means you can use the game with no end date, under the marketplace licence. The copyright remains with the studio.
Can I include the game in my subscribers' plans?
Yes. The game can sit in your app or customer portal, and subscribers play at no extra charge.
What about tax?
You receive an invoice for the purchase. How the service appears in your own invoicing is a decision for your accountant.