usedSoft
usedSoft is a German B2B e-commerce platform, founded in 2003, that resells pre-owned perpetual Microsoft and VMware software licenses to over 17,500 business customers across the EU, EEA, and Switzerland at up to 70% off new license pricing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersDortmund, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What usedSoft does
usedSoft is a Dortmund, Germany-based B2B e-commerce platform founded in 2003 that resells pre-owned perpetual software licenses — primarily Microsoft Office, Windows Server, SQL Server, Exchange Server, Remote Desktop Services, CALs, VMware, and Windows client operating systems — at discounts of up to 70% versus new license list pricing. The company operates usedSoft.com as a self-serve online shop with localized storefronts in German, English, French, Italian, and Portuguese, serving over 17,500 cumulative business customers across the EU, EEA, and Switzerland including SMEs, large enterprises, public authorities, and software resellers. The business model is transactional: usedSoft sources perpetual licenses from corporates divesting unused entitlements and resells them one license at a time at small-ticket price points (e.g., €49 Windows 10 Pro, €299 Office LTSC 2024 Pro Plus, €765 Windows Server 2025 16-Core), with volume discounts available for larger orders but no recurring or subscription revenue component.
The legal defensibility of the model rests on the ECJ ruling C-128/11 (UsedSoft v. Oracle) affirming the software exhaustion principle, the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court's extension to volume-license splitting, and Germany's Federal Supreme Court dismissal of Adobe's appeal (Case I ZR 8/13, December 11, 2014). usedSoft reinforces this with a TÜV Saarland "Secure Licence Transfer" seal, ISO 9001:2015, EHI webshop trustmark, and Microsoft Lizenz Pro (MLP) certification. The operating company is usedSoft Deutschland GmbH, wholly owned by Liechtenstein-based usedSoft Holding AG. Johannes Jäger, an engineer/MBA with prior international sales leadership at Schniewindt GmbH, has served as Managing Director since the founder Peter Schneider's death in June 2022.
Technology-wise, the platform is a conventional e-commerce storefront with standard integrations (BS PAYONE for payments, MailChimp for newsletter marketing); no proprietary AI/ML, no patents, and no APIs are disclosed. The product portfolio has been incrementally expanded beyond software into refurbished hardware (laptops/tablets) and Microsoft 365 subscriptions, while catalog velocity tracks Microsoft's release cadence (Office 2024, Windows Server 2025, RDS 2025, SQL Server 2022).
usedSoft firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- usedSoft
- Legal name
- usedSoft Deutschland GmbH
- Website
- https://usedsoft.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- usedSoft is a German B2B e-commerce platform, founded in 2003, that resells pre-owned perpetual Microsoft and VMware software licenses to over 17,500 business customers across the EU, EEA, and Switzerland at up to 70% off new license pricing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
usedSoft industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Used Software Resale
- NAICS
- Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers (42343)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Computers & Peripheral Equipment & Software (5045)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Software License Resale & Optimization (Perpetual/Subscription) (BPAEAOAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- IT Procurement & Sourcing Services (Hardware/Software) (BPAEAOAG)
Keywords
Where usedSoft is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dortmund
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
usedSoft business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software License Resale: One-time sale of pre-owned perpetual software licenses. The company purchases used licenses from businesses looking to sell and resells them to other businesses. This is a transactional model with no recurring revenue - each sale is a discrete one-time license transfer.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual license sales with volume discount potential |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
usedSoft product offering
Product offeringCore offering
usedSoft operates a B2B e-commerce platform that purchases used perpetual software licenses from businesses and resells them at up to 70% off the price of new licenses. The catalog centers on Microsoft products — Office applications (Office, Project, Visio, Access), server software (Windows Server, Exchange Server, SQL Server, Remote Desktop Services, VMware), operating systems (Windows 10/11), Client Access Licenses, and M365 — alongside refurbished hardware. Sales are restricted to EU, EEA, and Switzerland under a TÜV-certified, legally compliant license transfer process.
Product overview
usedSoft operates as a B2B marketplace for pre-owned software licenses, offering significant cost savings (up to 70%) compared to new software purchases. The company specializes in reselling used Microsoft software including Office applications (Office, Project, Visio, Access), Server software (Windows Server, Exchange Server, SQL Server, Remote Desktop Services, VMware), Client Access Licenses (CALs), Operating Systems (Windows 10, Windows 11), and M365 subscriptions. The product portfolio also includes hardware such as laptops and tablets. All software is legally compliant under EU law, with the company pioneering the used software market in Europe since 2003.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pre-owned Microsoft Office Licenses Pre-owned perpetual Microsoft Office application licenses sold to European businesses, available in Standard and Professional Plus editions across multiple versions (2024, 2021, 2019, 2016) as volume licenses.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Project Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft Project licenses in versions 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, sold as volume licenses for enterprise project management deployments.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Visio Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft Visio diagramming and visualization software licenses in versions 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, available as volume licenses.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Access Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft Access database software license, version 2019, for business database applications.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Windows Server Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft Windows Server licenses in versions 2025, 2022, 2019, and 2016, available as 16 Core volume licenses for server deployments.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Exchange Server Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft Exchange Server licenses in versions 2019 and 2016 for email and collaboration server deployments.
- Pre-owned Microsoft SQL Server Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft SQL Server database licenses in versions 2022, 2019, 2017, and 2016, available in various editions for database management deployments.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Remote Desktop Services Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) licenses in versions 2025, 2022, 2019, and 2016, also offered as User CALs for remote access deployments.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Client Access Licenses (CALs) Pre-owned Microsoft Client Access Licenses, including CAL Suites, Exchange Server CALs, Windows Server CALs, SQL Server CALs, and Remote Desktop Services CALs, for server access provisioning.
- Pre-owned VMware Server Virtualization Licenses Pre-owned VMware server virtualization software including vSphere 7 and vSphere 8 Enterprise Plus Editions for enterprise virtualization environments.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Windows 10 Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft Windows 10 operating system license, available as a Pro edition volume license with upgrade option for business desktop deployments.
- Pre-owned Microsoft Windows 11 Licenses Pre-owned Microsoft Windows 11 operating system license for business desktop and workstation deployments.
- Microsoft 365 (M365) Subscriptions Microsoft 365 subscription-based software offered as an alternative to one-time-purchase Office versions, providing cloud-connected productivity applications to businesses.
- Refurbished and New Hardware New and refurbished laptops and tablets offered through the online shop alongside software licenses, providing bundled IT procurement to business customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 70% savings on software license costs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use usedSoft
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
usedSoft technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
usedSoft partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
usedSoft competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KeyOn: German-based reseller specializing in used Microsoft volume licenses. Closely comparable in product focus, customer segment (German SMEs and enterprises), and resale business model.
- Preo Software: German provider of used Microsoft software licenses to B2B customers. Directly comparable to usedSoft in product mix (Office, Server, Windows) and value proposition of legally compliant used-license resale.
- Lizengo: German online retailer of used Microsoft software licenses, historically a direct head-to-head competitor to usedSoft in the B2B and consumer used-license market (entered insolvency in 2020). Directly comparable in product mix and target customer profile.
- LicenseStar: European reseller of used Microsoft software licenses (Office, Windows, Server, CALs). Directly comparable in product scope, B2B target customer, and perpetual license resale model.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft Corporation: The upstream vendor whose software catalog (Office, Windows Server, SQL Server, Exchange, CALs) usedSoft resells. Comparable as the dominant incumbent whose licensing terms and cloud transition define the market dynamics usedSoft operates in.
- Crayon: Software asset management and cloud economics firm with strong presence in Europe. Comparable as a software licensing optimization and cost-reduction player serving mid-market and enterprise customers, complementing usedSoft's used-license resale model.
- CDW Corporation: Major North American and UK-based IT solutions provider distributing hardware, software, and licensing at scale. Comparable as a broad IT distribution incumbent whose procurement and licensing capabilities intersect with the same enterprise customers usedSoft targets.
- SoftwareOne: Global software and cloud licensing specialist operating across procurement, optimization, and managed services. Comparable because it addresses the same enterprise customer pain point — reducing software license costs — though it does so primarily on the new-license side rather than the used-license resale side.
- SHI International: Large global IT reseller and software licensing partner offering volume licensing, asset management, and procurement services to enterprises. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same enterprise software licensing procurement need, though via new-license channels.
Others
- Ingram Micro: Global IT distribution and supply chain company that moves software, hardware, and licensing at scale to resellers and integrators. Comparable as the upstream distribution layer through which much of the European software market — including Microsoft licenses — is transacted.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
usedSoft social profiles
Digital presenceusedSoft compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
usedSoft financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
usedSoft leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
usedSoft funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
usedSoft M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about usedSoft
What does usedSoft do?
usedSoft operates a B2B e-commerce platform that purchases used perpetual software licenses from businesses and resells them at up to 70% off the price of new licenses. The catalog centers on Microsoft products — Office applications (Office, Project, Visio, Access), server software (Windows Server, Exchange Server, SQL Server, Remote Desktop Services, VMware), operating systems (Windows 10/11), Client Access Licenses, and M365 — alongside refurbished hardware. Sales are restricted to EU, EEA, and Switzerland under a TÜV-certified, legally compliant license transfer process.
Is usedSoft a public or private company?
usedSoft is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was usedSoft founded?
usedSoft was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is usedSoft based?
usedSoft is headquartered in Dortmund, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does usedSoft make money?
One revenue line is on record: software License Resale.
Who are usedSoft's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KeyOn, Preo Software, Lizengo and LicenseStar. Broad incumbents are Microsoft Corporation, Crayon, CDW Corporation, SoftwareOne and SHI International. Ingram Micro is listed as an others.
Does usedSoft have an API?
No public API is recorded for usedSoft.
What industry is usedSoft in?
usedSoft's product category is Used Software Resale. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAOAC, Software License Resale & Optimization (Perpetual/Subscription), with a secondary code of BPAEAOAG, IT Procurement & Sourcing Services (Hardware/Software). Its NAICS code is 42343 and its SIC code is 5045.