As Tridus pointed out, I have one player who doesn't have something for their character. And for that person, amazing, what a stream this browser on Discord and work with that person to make options for leveling up and then sending them the PDF once done.

Everything else is handled in the VTT.

I barely use the VTT. If Hero Lab had a super simple map, I'd be able to go completely without Roll20.

I’m confused. I thought if I had a Patron level account (as a GM), the players in my game had free accounts that they could use to access their characters. Is that not correct?

Using a free account with a Patron account, the free account player can play their character but not edit or advance it; the GM or another non-free player has to do that (transfer character to GM, edit/advance, transfer back to player). I had a player who did that at first, but they decided to go ahead and make it an Apprentice account after a few sessions.

We haven't migrated to the online version yet, because we heavily use 3pp stuff that is made in the editor.

I have the full license (for almost everything available in HLC), and build the "official" versions of the characters.

When it's time for a level up, the players message or call me and make their choices, and then I query them until all of the red boxes are happy again.

If they're face to face players, I'd print a character sheet for the next session and bring it to play.
If they're digital players, then export a PDF for them, which they can view or print as they see fit.

One of my players bought HLC, and dumped several hundred into it to have all the sources that his character had used when building it on my system.
Another of my players has inquired several times as to Hero Lab, but doesn't want a partial copy and also isn't (so far) willing to buy the whole thing.
A third player has bought HLC-Pathfinder system, along with a few of the hard cover books with classes, and then all of the Sphere related stuff that has HL files from Drive Thru.

The rest of the group likely won't buy HLC/HLO themselves, but I "build" and maintain the official versions.
During play, if they "rage" or whatever, I check the appropriate boxes and relay how something may have changed from their print/PDF copy.

A Patron level for HLO would be welcome, once we can have 3pp (Dreamscarred Press content from the Community Package and Drop Dead Studio content for Spheres).

+1 for super patron where participants don't pay. This would be a big help for me.

I would love this option. It is literally one of the hurdles that is keeping me from using HLO.

Hi, me again. Just wanted to let you all know I've introduced another person to Hero Lab and had to go through the whole "It's $5 per four months" thing again. Immediate negative reaction that could have been avoided if I could, you know, just pay for them.

Also, last session with Starfinder got quite a few bugs in the middle of play (values not changing for me, UI being difficult to navigate) that led to my players questioning why we're using the software. I would say it's my call, but I can't because I wasn't the one who paid their $5.

@WatersLethe there's nothing stopping you from just creating (and paying for) an extra Apprentice account yourself, and then giving your player the username & password.

i agree that an "official" way to do this would be nice, but the result you want is already simple to achieve.

I have 12 players right now, another two hovering around looking for a game to join. I don't want to have to handle 14 different accounts, plus my own. Keeping track of who is using which account will also be annoying.

Also, according to Lone Wolf Development's terms of service, "you agree not to disclose your password to any third party" and "You are responsible for any activity using your account, whether or not you authorized that activity".