1C: Part 1 — Buying a License or Renting

“1C:Enterprise” is a platform that runs accounting configurations: “1C:Accounting”, “1C:Our Company Management”, “1C:Payroll and HR Management” and others. The first question during implementation is whether to buy the software or rent it. The answer determines the initial investments, monthly expenses, and who will be responsible for servers and updates.

What the cost consists of

Boxed 1C is purchased once, but expenses do not end there. The total cost of ownership consists of several parts:

• the configuration of the required edition (Basic, PROF or CORP);
• client licenses — by the number of concurrently working users;
• license for the 1C server — only for the client-server option;
• DBMS — for the client-server option; free PostgreSQL build or paid Postgres Pro;
• 1C:ITS agreement — access to updates and support for PROF and CORP versions;
• hardware and administration — a server or computer, backups, administrator work.

When renting, all this is included in the subscription fee: the user pays for seats and the chosen plan.

Editions: Basic, PROF, CORP

Most configurations are released in three editions.

• Basic. Intended for a single user: databases are installed on one computer, accounting for multiple organizations is possible only in separate databases, additional users cannot be connected. The configuration cannot be customized. The main advantage is that updates are available without an ITS agreement. A database created in the PROF version cannot be moved to Basic, the reverse migration is possible.
• PROF. Multi-user version: multiple organizations in one database, configuration customization, operation in client-server mode. An active ITS agreement is required for updates.
• CORP. Extended functionality for large companies: for example, in “1C:Accounting” — accounting for controlled transactions, state defense order, consolidation of VAT reporting.

Transitioning from Basic to PROF and from PROF to CORP is performed with all data preserved.

Client licenses and protection

One PROF package provides one workstation. For others, additional client licenses are purchased for 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1000 workstations. A license is counted by simultaneous connections; the web client, thin client and web services consume licenses just like the regular client: publishing a database on the internet does not reduce their number.

Licenses come in two types:

• software — activated by a PIN code and bound to the computer parameters; when replacing hardware the license must be reactivated, reserve PIN codes for this are included;
• hardware — HASP USB key; not tied to a computer, but the key can be lost or damaged.

Software and hardware licenses can be used with the same database simultaneously.

1C Server: PROF or CORP

The client-server option requires a license for the “1C:Enterprise” server. It is issued for a single computer. PROF-level licenses are sufficient as long as simultaneous sessions do not exceed 500, and the server uses no more than 12 CPU cores. Beyond these values, and also for advanced cluster administration features, a CORP license is required.

1C:ITS agreement

ITS is a subscription for updates, consultations and services from 1C. For PROF and CORP versions, you cannot receive new releases, including changes in reporting, without it. Users of Basic versions download updates without an agreement.

ITS costs as of January 1, 2026, according to 1C partners:

• ITS PROF — 68,400 ₽ per year, with continuous renewal — 57,000 ₽;
• ITS for Basic versions — 29,004 ₽ per year, with continuous renewal — 24,168 ₽.

If there is a break in the agreement, the continuous-renewal discount is lost. This should be taken into account when calculating expenses for several years ahead.

Renting: 1C:Fresh and hosting with partners

There are two types of rental.

• 1C:Fresh — 1C’s cloud service with standard configurations, accessible via browser or thin client. Official rates as of September 2026: “Basic” — 18,100 ₽ per year (one application, one database, two concurrent users), “PROF” — 57,000 ₽ per year (all service applications, up to 10 databases, five users, 1C-Reporting for one legal entity). Additional workstation — 11,600 ₽ per year. ITS is already included in the PROF plan.
• Hosting from partner providers — the provider hosts your licenses or their own on their servers. Here you can work with customized configurations and have access to the configurator, but price and terms vary by provider.

Comparison

License prices

Official prices for “1C:Accounting 8” as of September 2026:

• Basic edition — 4,900 ₽ in electronic delivery, 8,000 ₽ boxed;
• PROF — 23,000 ₽;
• CORP — 59,000 ₽.

Platform license prices from the price list of one of the major 1C partners (1C-Rarus) on the same date:

Three-year example calculation

Company: five concurrent users, standard “1C:Accounting”, no customizations.

Purchase, file-based option:

• “1C:Accounting 8 PROF” — 23,000 ₽ (first workstation);
• client license for 5 seats — 31,800 ₽ (need four more, cheaper to take a 5-seat package than four single-seat licenses);
• ITS PROF: 68,400 ₽ for the first year and 57,000 ₽ for the next two with continuous renewal — 182,400 ₽.

Total about 237,000 ₽ for three years, excluding the computer hosting the database and administrator work.

Purchase, client-server option adds a PROF server license (126,800 ₽), the server itself and its maintenance. For five users this option is usually not necessary.

1C:Fresh, PROF plan: 57,000 ₽ per year for five users, ITS included — 171,000 ₽ for three years. Server, backups and updates are handled by the service.

With a standard configuration and a small number of users, renting is cheaper and simpler. Buying pays off if the configuration is customized, there are many users, or data must remain within the company for security reasons. Prices change annually, so before deciding it is worth requesting current prices from a 1C partner.

Solution for the smallest

An individual entrepreneur or a company with one accountant will be fine with the Basic edition: a one-time purchase for 4,900 ₽, updates without ITS, no servers. When a second user is needed, data are migrated to PROF without loss.