Manage your software risk with the right control

Source code escrow is a risk management service that protects software vendors and their clients. Through a legal agreement, a neutral third party holds critical software assets in encrypted data facilities. This arrangement ensures customers can maintain their business-critical software if the vendor can't do so while protecting the vendor's intellectual property rights.

Software escrow operates through a legal agreement between three parties: the software vendor, their client, and an escrow agent (like Codekeeper). The vendor deposits software assets — including source code, documentation, data, and build instructions — into secure vaults managed by the escrow agent. These deposits are updated regularly to maintain current versions. The escrow agreement defines specific release conditions, such as vendor bankruptcy or discontinued support. If these conditions occur, the customer can request release of the materials. The escrow agent verifies the claim and, if valid, releases the assets to the customer.

Software escrow protects business continuity by ensuring access to essential software even if the vendor can't provide support. For custom software investments, it guards against vendor lock-in and potential loss of mission-critical applications by enabling businesses to maintain their software independently or through third parties. The arrangement also helps companies meet compliance requirements while providing documented proof that critical systems are protected.

In SaaS escrow, an application refers to the complete cloud-based software service that customers access and use over the internet. This includes source code, databases, configurations, deployment scripts, access credentials, and third-party integrations.

Software escrow helps vendors win enterprise deals by transforming critical business continuity concerns into competitive advantages. By offering escrow protection, vendors demonstrate professional risk management and long-term commitment to customer success. For enterprise customers, escrow provides documented assurance that their software investments and operations remain protected, even if the vendor faces difficulties. This protection helps satisfy procurement teams and enables faster deal closure — particularly for smaller vendors competing against larger providers.

Most modern escrow solutions can be implemented within 24 hours. We offer 50+ integrations with popular development platforms, which include automatic syncing with Git repositories, cloud services, and deployment systems. In terms of legal frameworks, our expert counsel drafts custom agreements within one to three days — depending on your requirements.