Embarcadero has made available the Community Edition license for the most recent 11.3 release of Delphi and C++Builder. This is a free edition of either Delphi or C++Builder for students, hobbyists and startups (as the license is revenue-limited).
What is Community Edition?
The free and full-featured Community Editions of Delphi and C++Builder are designed to help you get started programming. These powerful IDEs provide all the features you need to quickly explore robust app development. This CE release has the same build number (28.0.48361.3236) of the new inline version of RAD Studio 11.3.
Community edition users can now enjoy the milestone innovations of the 11 Alexandria Pro edition, including high-DPI support to the IDE covering the latest 4k+ monitors, design-time support for VCL Styles, and design and code editing for the same form from multiple windows.
Community Editions are available free of charge to developers, and organizations with fewer than five developers. You or your company must have revenues less than US$5,000. They come with a one-year term license and a limited commercial license. If you aren’t sure if you qualify for the CE license then start with the Free Trial or consult the Community Edition License FAQ.
Once you outgrow Community Edition, upgrade to a perpetual license with an unrestricted commercial license and choose between the Professional, Enterprise, and Architect Editions of Delphi, C++Builder, and RAD Studio.
Notice that the Community Edition should not be used as an extended trial, as the licenses are different. Also, CE should not be used by companies with other regular licenses.
Delphi 11 CE
There’s no better way to build powerful native applications for iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS from a single codebase than using the robust and easy-to-learn Delphi language. This makes it the ideal choice for students or anyone who just wants to get things done.
C++Builder 11 CE
C++Builder is your choice if you want to master the mysteries of the curly brace. It unlocks a huge variety of C++ standard libraries, while still giving you access to the powerful runtime libraries included in Delphi. This is a winning combination for C++ development.
Design. Code. Compile. Deploy.
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Free Delphi Community Edition Free C++Builder Community Edition
The blog says “full featured.” Are any features removed or unavailable? Is command line compiling back or is it still missing?
There are no command line compilers for the CE version. All other features are identical to the Professional versions of RAD Studio with Delphi or C+++ Builder depending on the CE ‘flavor’ you select. There have been some other technical limitations in the past which most people would not trip over unless they were compiling very large projects, but the size would only be likely in a commercial setting of a kind where the CE license would probably be inappropriate. If you find a restriction that you feel is present, please let us know so we can look into it.
There are some articles planned which will show a few examples of what can be done with the CE version including some visually appealing and capable mobile apps among other things.
Well, that’s disappointing. That certainly adds a barrier for hobby programmers to install components like JEDI.
Getit seems to be missing JEDI packages. Is this a bug or intended behavior?
The CE version doesn’t have a command line compiler. If the installation packages require a command line compiler then they can’t be installed (and shouldn’t be offered). If I remember correctly JEDI installer has a batch file which calls DCC32/DCC64 to compile all the packages. I had a quick look at the GitHub repository, and I couldn’t see any pre-compiled packages, it’s all source.
If someone knows differently, please feel free to comment here and I’ll update with instructions.
Hi Ian,
JEDI built and installed just fine on my 10.4.2 Delphi CE. I am not sure how they would manage this if the CE editions lacked a command line compiler. It is, of course, possible the the command line compiler is only missing from the new 11 CE Release. If this is what has happened then that could be a show-stopper to upgrading to the new product.
The command line compiler was absent from the previous CE release and this one. Note that we are talking ONLY about the CE releases – the regular downloads and trials still have the DCC compilers.
You can actually manually install JCL and JVCL packages. It takes a bit of trial and error but it can be done.
To upgrade, do we first remove the 10.4 (Delphi, for me) software, then install this? Install side-by-side? Upgrade in place?
If you have a full version of 10.4 – not a trial or a CE version – then you can leave it in place. Version 11 and 10.4 can co-exist on the same machine. If your CE or trial license has expired for 10.4 there is no benefit to keeping the old version on your machine and it will reclaim some disk space if you remove it. Make sure to back up any third-party components and note down anything you downloaded from GetIt before uninstalling. You can’t have a CE or a trial version on the same machine for the same full version but different major versions 10.4, 11 etc are fine.
I am a hobby programmer – I am still using Delphi XE6 and Developer Express VCL 15.2.11, but ideally would like to would like use Delphi CE with Developer Express VCL. However apparently I need the full function command line compiler to install the Developer Express controls – which is not in CE. Is it possible to make this available please?
Develop Express VCL offers me Quantum Grid Express which I started using some 15 or so years ago. I would pay to upgrade my Dev Express version but upgrading Delphi as well is too expensive.
You can check out the DCC.EXE issue at
https://supportcenter.devexpress.com/ticket/details/t1060321/problem-when-installing-in-delphi-community-edition
Many Thanks – John
Sorry John, at this time there are no plans to include the DCC with the CE editions. I notice that DevExpress show a link on that ticket to manually compiling and installing their controls. Right now that’s the only option unless they release a pre-compiled set of binaries specifically for the Community Edition.
I downloaded C++ Builder CE (thank you very much), however when I try to compile an iOS Device 64-bit application, I get the following error message. “[Fatal Error] Module not found: dcciosarm64280.dll”. Is there someplace I can download this missing file?
Thanks,
Dave
I am haveing the same issue on my machine
Got the same issue
I don’t know the answer to this question at the moment but I will find out for you and update you ASAP.
Any update on this? I get the same missing dll when trying to compile to iOS Device 64-bit. I tried installing architect trial on a clean machine to see if it would install the dll but ran out of licence tries.
Sorry about this Terry. I did make sure the problem was raised with the right people. I’ll find out what the status is on this and email you directly and update this comment too ASAP.
Hi Ian, I’m getting the same issue using Delphi CE 11.3:
“[Fatal Error] Module not found: dcciosarm64280.dll”
Hi, I’ve let the PMs know and I’ll update this comment when I have an answer.
Hi – a quick update: this issue has been addressed with a hotfix which should be available in GetIt. Open the IDE and select tools, GetIt package manager.
Thank you kindly Ian, really appreciate you chasing this up. I have just applied the hotfix, and followed the post install instructions, and can confirm it has resolved the issue. I can now deploy to the iPhone using CE 11.3. Thank you!
Is it possible to install TMS core web on it?
I think TMS WEB Core does work with RAD Studio Delphi CE 11 but the best thing to be certain is to check with TMS themselves: https://www.tmssoftware.com/site/tmswebcoreintro.asp
I have big problem with installation fast report becouse I need dcc32 to delphi 11.3 CE version, Can You Help Me ? 😉
According to the FastReport website FastReport is not available for Delphi Community Edition 11.
This thread on Delphi Praxis explains more too: https://en.delphipraxis.net/topic/6253-how-can-i-use-fastreport-in-delphi-community-edition/