Free | Microchip Libero License
The free Silver license is exceptional, but you must upgrade to Gold if:
Gold licenses cost approximately $1,500 to $3,000 per year (floating) or a perpetual node-locked license for ~$2,500.
Yes. Microchip provides a free software license for Libero SoC that is neither a time-limited trial nor a feature-crippled "light" edition in the traditional sense. Microchip refers to this as the Libero SoC Free License. microchip libero license free
However, to understand "free," you must understand Microchip’s two licensing tiers:
Microchip offers a free, no-cost license for its Libero SoC software, but it is device-locked to specific, lower-density FPGA families (primarily IGLOO2, SmartFusion2, and PolarFire). The license is not time-limited (perpetual) for those supported devices, but you cannot use it for larger or newer FPGAs like PolarFire SoC or RTG4 without a paid license. The free Silver license is exceptional, but you
For embedded system designers, the barrier to entry into Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) development has historically been twofold: the cost of the hardware and the cost of the software license. While development boards have become increasingly affordable, proprietary software licenses for high-end FPGAs can run into the thousands of dollars.
Microchip Technology (formerly Microsemi) recognized this friction point with their Libero SoC Design Suite. For years, engineers have searched for a "Microchip Libero license free" solution. The good news is that not only does a free version exist, but it is powerful enough to take you from a blinking LED to a complex System-on-Chip. Gold licenses cost approximately $1,500 to $3,000 per
In this article, we will dissect the free licensing tiers of Libero SoC, what hardware you can use, the limitations you must respect, and how to legally obtain your license today.
To be transparent, "free" does not mean "unlimited." Microchip reserves certain premium features for paid Gold licenses. If you rely on any of the following, you may need to upgrade:
If you download Libero SoC and do not install a license file, the software runs in Evaluation Mode.
Microchip’s Libero SoC Design Suite is proprietary EDA software; there is no fully free/open-source license for the full Libero product. Microchip provides various licensing options including time-limited evaluation licenses, node-locked or floating paid licenses, and free-to-use limited-feature versions for specific devices (e.g., low-end FPGA families) depending on current Microchip policy.
