AppSumo FAQ

Answers to the questions AppSumo buyers ask most about the Contral lifetime deal. If your question isn't here, ask the support assistant on this page or contact support.

How do I activate my Contral AppSumo license?#

Open appsumo.com/account/products↗, click Activate on Contral, approve the request, and sign in to (or create) your Contral account. The license links to that account and your tier is active immediately. Full steps: Redeem your AppSumo code.

Is there a code I need to type into Contral?#

No. AppSumo activation works through the Activate button on your AppSumo purchase, which sends your license to Contral securely. There's no field in Contral for typing a code.

How long is the AppSumo redemption link valid?#

24 hours from when you click Activate. If it expires, click Activate again on AppSumo. Activating again doesn't use up your license.

I already have a Contral account. Will I lose my progress?#

No. Sign in with your existing account when you redeem, and only your plan changes. Your learning progress, sessions and settings stay. Make sure you use the same sign-in method (Google, GitHub, or email and password) you normally use.

Can I use one AppSumo license on more than one Contral account?#

No. One license links to one Contral account, and a Contral account holds one license. If you need Contral for several people, each person needs their own license on their own account.

Can I stack multiple AppSumo codes on one account?#

No. Redeeming a second license on the same account shows "This account already has a different AppSumo license". To get higher limits, upgrade your license to a higher tier on AppSumo instead. See Upgrade or change your tier.

How do I upgrade from Tier 1 to Tier 2 or Tier 3?#

Upgrade on AppSumo at appsumo.com/account/products↗. Your Contral account picks up the new tier automatically; you don't need to redeem again. Only AppSumo can change tiers, so Contral support can't do it for you.

Can I move my license to a different email or Contral account?#

Not by yourself; a linked license can't be redeemed by a second account. Contact support with your AppSumo order email, the Contral email it's on now, and the email you want it on, and we'll help.

Can my team use one AppSumo license?#

No. The lifetime deal is a single-user license for one Contral account, and the Terms of Service↗ don't allow sharing accounts. Each team member needs their own license. Team features like an admin dashboard and centralized billing are part of the separate Teams plan; see Plans & pricing.

Can I use Contral on multiple computers?#

Yes. Sign in with the same account in the extension or desktop IDE on any of your own computers and editors. Limits belong to your account, so usage on every device counts toward the same daily and monthly totals.

Does the AppSumo deal include bring your own key (BYOK)?#

Yes. Every AppSumo tier includes unlimited BYOK messages. Your AI provider bills you directly for the tokens you use with your own key, and BYOK messages don't count against your AI message limit. See Bring your own key.

Do limits reset daily or monthly?#

Both, depending on the feature:

• Daily (00:00 UTC): AI messages, deep dives, auto-teach cards.
• Monthly (1st of the month, 00:00 UTC): codebase analyses and extension web searches.
• Sessions are a running total for your account and don't reset.

See Usage limits & quotas explained.

What is an "AI message"?#

One message you send to the Contral Build agent using Contral's hosted models. Tier 1 includes 500 per day, Tier 2 1,000 per day, and Tier 3 unlimited. Slash commands and BYOK messages don't count.

What is a "deep dive"?#

A longer, more thorough explanation you open with the Deep dive button on a teaching card. Tier 1 includes 10 per day, Tier 2 20 per day, and Tier 3 200 per day.

What is a "codebase analysis"?#

One run of Learn this codebase, which scans a repository and produces a guided tour and learning path for it. Tier 1 includes 5 per month, Tier 2 10 per month and Tier 3 100 per month. Asking questions about the codebase afterwards (codebase chat) is unlimited on every tier. See Codebase tours & codebase chat.

What are "sessions"?#

A session is a Build chat thread with its own history, memory and plan; you start one with /new. Tier 1 includes 50, Tier 2 100 and Tier 3 200. Sessions are counted as a running total, not per day or month.

What are "extension web searches"?#

Web searches the Contral extension runs for you with /web, /research or automatically. Tier 1 includes 500 per month, Tier 2 1,500 and Tier 3 7,500. See Web search.

Which editors and platforms does the AppSumo deal cover?#

All of them. Your license is tied to your Contral account, not to an editor, so it works in the extension (VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Antigravity, Kilo Code, VSCodium) and in Contral IDE. See Install the extension and Install the desktop IDE.

Does Tier 1 or Tier 2 include premium models and certificates?#

No. Completion certificates, premium model access and priority inference speed are included in Tier 3 only.

Will I get future Contral features?#

Your license gives you the features and limits of your tier as listed on the AppSumo deal page. For questions about specific upcoming features, contact support.

Will my lifetime limits change?#

The limits on this site are the ones Contral enforces today for each AppSumo tier. If you have a question about your specific limits, contact support.

What is the refund policy?#

AppSumo offers a 60-day refund window, and all refunds are requested and handled on AppSumo. After a refund your license is deactivated and your Contral account returns to the Free plan; your account itself isn't deleted. See Refunds & deactivation.

I have a monthly Contral subscription. Should I cancel it?#

Yes. Cancel it in Dashboard → Subscription, ideally before you redeem, so you don't keep paying for both. If your license is already active, the Subscription page shows a Cancel subscription option next to it; cancelling keeps your lifetime tier. See Subscriptions, upgrades & cancellation.

Can I buy a monthly Contral plan on top of my lifetime license?#

No. Accounts with an active AppSumo license change plans only through AppSumo, and checkout shows "Your account has an AppSumo lifetime license. Upgrade your tier from your AppSumo account instead."

Where can I see my tier and usage?#

On your dashboard at contral.ai/overview↗. The amber AppSumo Tier badge shows your tier, and Today's Usage shows your counts. In the editor, type /status.

Is there a discount code for AppSumo?#

Yes. The code contral10 gives 10% off any AppSumo product, including Contral. It works for new AppSumo customers only.

My redemption shows an error. What do I do?#

Look up the exact message in Redemption errors. Most errors are fixed by clicking Activate on AppSumo again and signing in with the right Contral account.