How do I downgrade my cPanel/WHM license?

How to Downgrade a cPanel License

You can downgrade a cPanel Cloud license directly through the cPanel Store by using the Downgrade option within your account. Downgrades take effect at the start of the next billing cycle (on the 1st of the month), and your stored payment method will be charged accordingly.

If you have a Dedicated or Metal server the only license available is the Premier license. Cloud licenses will not work on a Dedicated or Metal server and downgrading to one of these licenses will cause your cPanel license to return an error.

Note: This article applies to standard cPanel customers. cPanel Partners must us Manage2 or contact Customer Service to request license downgrades.

Important Licensing Behavior

• You can only downgrade to plans that support your current number of active accounts or fewer.
• If you’ve recently removed accounts, you may need to refresh your local license data using the following command as the root user:

/usr/local/cpanel/cpkeyclt

Steps to Downgrade a License

1. Log in to your cPanel Store account.
   
2. Click Orders/Licenses and select View My Licenses.
   
3. Locate the license you want to downgrade and click Active.
4. Click the Downgrade button.
   
5. In the popup window, choose the new plan and click Order.
   
6. The downgrade will be scheduled and take effect at the start of the next billing cycle.

What Happens to Server Accounts After Downgrading?

If your server has more cPanel accounts than allowed by the downgraded license, the license may not function correctly. You must reduce your account count to match the new license tier before requesting the downgrade.

Can I Upgrade the License Again Later?

Yes, but this process only handles downgrades. If you need to upgrade your license later, please see the article:
How do I upgrade my cPanel/WHM license?