How do I activate my AppSumo code, and why does my plan still show Free?

Activate your code on AppSumo with the same email as your TidyCal account. If your plan still shows Free, the licence is waiting for an account with that email.

How AppSumo Activation Works

Buying a TidyCal code on AppSumo does not change your TidyCal account by itself. The plan is applied when you click Activate Now on AppSumo. TidyCal then matches the licence to a TidyCal account by email address: it goes to the TidyCal account whose email matches the one AppSumo uses for your activation.

Activation is instant — there is no waiting period. There is no field in TidyCal for typing in a code: activation always starts on AppSumo.

Activate Your Code

1. On AppSumo, open your purchased products and find TidyCal. AppSumo's How do I activate my license? shows where the Activate Now button is.
2. Click Activate Now. You are taken to TidyCal.
3. If you see Create an account: enter Your name and a Password, then click Create account. The email is already filled in and can't be changed — it is the one your licence is waiting for.
4. If you see the login page: sign in. Your plan has already been applied.
5. Check the result: go to Settings → Your plan. The heading shows Your plan: Individual Lifetime or Your plan: Agency Lifetime.

Tip: sign out of TidyCal before you click Activate Now. If you are signed in to a TidyCal account with a different email, TidyCal keeps you in that account instead of showing the Create an account page, and the licence keeps waiting.

Why Does My Plan Still Show Free?

You haven't clicked Activate Now yet

Buying the code is only the first step. Go back to AppSumo and click Activate Now as described above.

Your TidyCal account uses a different email from AppSumo

The licence is waiting for an account with the AppSumo email, and yours has another one. To apply the licence to the account you already use, change its email to the AppSumo email:

1. Go to Settings → Profile.
2. Enter the AppSumo email in Email address and click Save changes. TidyCal shows "Please check the inbox of … to confirm this change."
3. Open the Confirm your email change email and click Confirm Change while you are signed in to TidyCal.

Once the change is confirmed, the waiting licence is applied to your account. The new email must not already belong to another TidyCal account (you would see "Sorry, … is unavailable."). If you sign in with Google, you will be asked to set a password when confirming, because Google sign-in is disconnected from the account.

Prefer a separate account? Create a new TidyCal account with the AppSumo email instead — the licence is applied to it as soon as it is created.

You were signed in to another account when you activated

TidyCal sent you to the account you were already signed in to, so no account was created for the AppSumo email and the licence is still waiting. Follow the steps in the section above.

The licence went to a different TidyCal account

If a TidyCal account with the AppSumo email already existed, the plan was applied to that account. Sign out and sign in with the AppSumo email to use it. To move the plan to another of your accounts, email support@tidycal.com with both email addresses — only the support team can move an applied licence.

Other reasons

• The code was refunded. A refunded licence returns the account to the Free Plan.
• The account already had a lifetime plan. TidyCal does not combine two codes on one account — see below.

Upgrading, Stacking and Transferring

• Stacking: TidyCal applies one lifetime plan per account and does not combine codes. To move from Individual Lifetime to Agency Lifetime, upgrade your licence on AppSumo — see Upgrading / downgrading my license.
• Refunds: AppSumo handles refunds for AppSumo purchases — see How to request a refund.
• Giving a licence to someone else: contact AppSumo through their help centre.
• Moving a licence between your own TidyCal accounts: email support@tidycal.com.
• Agency Lifetime limits depend on when the plan was bought. An Agency plan bought or upgraded to now comes with the current limits — 10 calendars, 4 team seats and no custom domain. Plans bought before September 1, 2026 keep the earlier, larger limits. See the plan comparison.

Pro is separate. A Pro subscription does not stop you activating a lifetime code, and activating a code does not cancel Pro — Your plan shows both, for example Individual Lifetime + Pro (Monthly). If you no longer need Pro, cancel it from Manage subscription on the same page.

Troubleshooting

I sign in with Google, but the login page only shows email and password

• The login page you reach from AppSumo hides the Google button. Your plan is already applied at that point.
• Go to the normal TidyCal login page and click Continue with Google.

Creating the account shows "Sorry, there was an error"

• TidyCal's spam check blocked the sign-up. Email support@tidycal.com with your AppSumo email and the support team will help you finish signing up.

I can't find where to enter my code in TidyCal

• There is no code field in TidyCal. Activation starts from Activate Now on AppSumo.
• If you have already activated and still see Free, work through Why does my plan still show Free?

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does activation take?

It is instant. If your plan still shows Free, the licence is waiting for an account with the AppSumo email.

Can I use two TidyCal codes on one account?

No. TidyCal applies one lifetime plan per account. To get more, upgrade your licence on AppSumo.

Does activating a lifetime code cancel my Pro subscription?

No. Pro keeps billing until you cancel it from Settings → Your plan → Manage subscription.

Where is my invoice for the code?

AppSumo issues it. See How do I get an invoice or receipt for my TidyCal plan?

See Your Plan in TidyCal

➜ Open Settings → Your plan to see which plan your account has.