One of the powerful features of the SAMSON platform is its extensibility through SAMSON Extensions—modular tools that enhance the capabilities of your molecular modeling workflow. Whether you’re interested in machine learning models for protein folding, advanced visualization tools, or simulation wizards, SAMSON Extensions provide a way to tailor the platform to your specific research needs.
However, with flexibility comes the need for a bit of management. Extensions may be free, trial-based, or subscription-based, and ensuring you’re using—and paying for—only what you need can quickly become a hidden complexity. This blog post walks you through how to efficiently manage your SAMSON Extension subscriptions using SAMSON Connect.
Types of SAMSON Extensions
SAMSON Extensions fall into three broad categories:
- Included with your current plan: These are automatically available based on your subscription tier (e.g., Starter, Professional).
- Free Extensions: Can be added at no cost by any signed-in user.
- Subscription-based Extensions: Require a paid plan, but many offer trial periods.
Adding and Trying Extensions
Most extensions have clear indicators on whether they’re free, trialable, or subscribed. Free extensions can be added directly with one click. For those available through subscriptions, you usually have the option to “Request trial”—a process that only requires you to sign in, with no credit card needed:
Once added, the extension status shows as “Trying” and you’ll be able to use it as if it were subscribed, until the trial period ends:
Subscribing and Unsubscribing
When a trial ends or if you already want full access, you can subscribe by clicking the “Subscribe” button. SAMSON Connect provides monthly, yearly, and academic subscription options:
After subscribing, the extension will be marked as “Subscribed”:
Managing Your Subscriptions
You can manage all your current subscriptions via the user menu: go to Account > Settings and click “View my subscriptions”.
This opens the My Subscriptions page, where you’ll see a complete list of your active services and be able to cancel or modify them:
Removing Extensions
Want to keep your setup clean or are no longer using an extension? You can remove it just as easily. Visit the extension’s page, hover over the “Added” button—it will turn into “Remove”—click it, and after restarting SAMSON, the extension will be uninstalled.
Even after removing an extension, it will still appear in your profile under View my extensions, allowing you to re-add it later if needed.
Properly managing your subscriptions not only ensures that you stay within budget but also helps you focus on the tools that actually improve your workflow. To explore the full guide and see other powerful features of SAMSON Connect, visit the SAMSON Connect documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get started by downloading the platform at samson-connect.net.