The Bottom Line
Single-user purchasers of Respondus can obtain “minor version” updates at no charge. “Major version” updates require the purchase of a new activation password. No upgrade discount is given to previous purchasers of single-user licenses of Respondus. Institutions with a campus-wide version of Respondus receive all updates as part of their annual subscription fee.

Our Philosophy and History of Upgrades
We provide updates to the Respondus software every month or two. These “minor version” updates can be downloaded within the Respondus program by going to Help > Check for Update.

Frequent updates are necessary because the eLearning platforms we support are constantly changing. In addition, we like to provide our customers with new features as they become available, rather than hold them for a major release that might not occur for a year or longer.

About every two years, we provide a major update to our Respondus software. Respondus 1.0 was released in February 2001, Respondus 2.0 became available in February 2003, and Respondus 3.0 was released in March 2005.

Pricing of Upgrades
Institutions with a campus-wide license of Respondus receive all updates as part of their annual subscription fee. This is how the majority of our customers license the Respondus software.

Purchasers of single-user licenses don’t have to pay an annual subscription fee, but they do have to pay full price for major version upgrades. We feel this results in the least level of hassle for customers (licenses don’t have to be renewed annually; the software doesn’t suddenly stop working) and offers a good value. Indeed, Respondus is one of the least expensive authoring tools in e-learning.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is meant by "major version updates" and "minor version updates"?
A "major version" update is indicated by a change in the number to the left of the decimal (eg. Version 2.0 to Version 3.0). A "minor version" update is indicated when only the numbers to the right of the decimal change (eg. Version 2.0 to 2.1).

Can I purchase an activation password for an older version of Respondus.
No. It’s only possible to purchase an activation password for the current version of Respondus.

What does it cost to upgrade from Respondus 2.0 to Respondus 3.0?
Institutions with a campus-wide license of Respondus receive all upgrades as part of their annual subscription fee.

The single-user price for Respondus 3.0 is the same for both new and previous purchasers of Respondus -- that is, there isn’t a reduced “upgrade price.” However, people who purchased Respondus 2.0 after December 15, 2004 were emailed a code that allows for a free upgrade to Respondus 3.0. (Note: If you purchased Respondus 2.0 after December 15, 2004 and did NOT receive the upgrade code, please email a copy of your purchase receipt to licensing@respondus.com).

I previously purchased Respondus 2.0 (an older version of Respondus) and need to reinstall this older version to another computer. Can this be done since reinstallation requires a new activation password?
Yes. You can download an older version of Respondus and then request a second activation password for it. You will need to know the “original Product ID” from the original purchase and the new Product ID for the newly installed version of Respondus 2.0. (Note: You cannot obtain a reinstallation password for Respondus 3.0 if your original Product ID is for Respondus 2.0. You must purchase a new activation password for version 3.0.)