AnyTools
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Open Source License Chooser
Compare and choose the right open source license for your project
Select License
License Features
| Permissions | Commercial use Modifications Distribution Private use |
|---|---|
| Conditions | Include copyright |
| Limitations | Liability Warranty |
Customize Information
Year
Full Name
Generated License
❓What is Open Source License
An open source license is a legal agreement that defines how software can be used, modified, and distributed. It grants users freedoms while protecting creators' rights and ensuring proper attribution. Licenses vary from highly permissive (MIT, BSD) allowing almost any use including proprietary derivatives, to copyleft licenses (GPL) requiring derivative works to remain open source. Choosing the right license is crucial as it affects how others can use your code, whether it can be combined with other projects, patent protections, and commercial viability. Popular licenses are OSI-approved and widely understood by developers and legal teams.
✨Features
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License Comparison Matrix
Side-by-side comparison of popular licenses (MIT, Apache, GPL, BSD, MPL) showing permissions, conditions, limitations with visual indicators for quick decision making
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Smart Recommendations
Answer simple questions about your project needs (commercial use, patent protection, derivative requirements) and get personalized license recommendations with reasoning
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Full License Text
View complete license text with explanations of key clauses, available in original English and translated versions for major licenses, formatted for easy reading
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Instant LICENSE File
Generate properly formatted LICENSE file with automatic year and copyright holder insertion, ready to add to your repository with one-click download or copy
📋Usage Guide
Explore Licenses
Browse popular licenses or use comparison matrix to understand differences
Answer Questions
Use question mode to answer simple questions about your project requirements
Review Recommendations
See recommended licenses with explanations of why they fit your needs
Generate LICENSE
Generate and download LICENSE file with your name and current year filled in
📚Technical Introduction
⚖️License Categories
Open source licenses fall into main categories: Permissive licenses (MIT, BSD, Apache) allow proprietary derivatives with minimal restrictions, requiring only attribution. Copyleft licenses (GPL, LGPL, AGPL) require derivative works to use the same license, ensuring code remains open. Weak copyleft (MPL, LGPL) allows mixing with proprietary code under certain conditions. Public domain dedications (Unlicense, CC0) waive all rights. Category affects project reusability, corporate adoption, and licensing compatibility.
🔐Key License Terms
Permissions include commercial use, modification, distribution, private use. Conditions may require license and copyright notice, stating changes, disclosing source code, using same license for derivatives. Limitations typically include no liability, no warranty, sometimes no trademark or patent use. Patent grants (Apache 2.0, MPL 2.0) explicitly license patents, important for companies. Some licenses (GPL v3, Apache 2.0) include patent retaliation clauses terminating license if user sues for patent infringement.
🔄License Compatibility
License compatibility determines whether code under different licenses can be combined. Permissive licenses (MIT, BSD, Apache) are generally compatible with each other and copyleft licenses as they can be relicensed. GPL is incompatible with many licenses due to its requirement that entire combined work be GPL-licensed. Apache 2.0 is incompatible with GPL v2 but compatible with GPL v3. LGPL allows linking proprietary code. Compatibility is crucial for using dependencies, contributing to projects, and merging codebases.
📜License Evolution
Licenses evolve over time to address new challenges: GPL v3 added patent provisions and anti-tivoization clauses. Apache 2.0 added explicit patent grants and contributor agreements. MIT and BSD have multiple variants (0-clause, 2-clause, 3-clause BSD). Creative Commons shifted from content to software licensing. AGPL (Affero GPL) extended GPL to cover network use (SaaS). Modern licenses like Blue Oak Model License and Parity License experiment with plain language and network copyleft. Version selection impacts legal clarity and compatibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is this tool used for?
This tool helps you compare and choose the right open source license for your project. It provides side-by-side comparisons of popular licenses (MIT, Apache, GPL, BSD, MPL), shows their permissions, conditions, and limitations, and helps you generate properly formatted LICENSE files with your information filled in.
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How do I use this license chooser?
You can browse popular licenses and compare them using the comparison matrix, or use the question mode to answer simple questions about your project needs. The tool will provide recommendations based on your answers. Once you've chosen a license, you can customize it with your name and year, then generate and download the LICENSE file.
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Is this tool free?
Yes, this license chooser is completely free. No registration, payment, or account creation is required. You can use it online immediately without any restrictions or limitations.
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What's the difference between MIT and Apache 2.0?
Both are permissive licenses, but Apache 2.0 includes explicit patent grants and requires you to document changes in source code. MIT is shorter and simpler, but doesn't provide the same patent protection. Apache 2.0 is better for enterprise projects with patent concerns.
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When should I choose GPL?
Choose GPL if you want derivative works to remain open source under the same license (strong copyleft). This ensures that anyone who modifies or distributes your code must also make their changes open source. For libraries, LGPL may be more flexible as it allows linking with proprietary software.
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Can I combine multiple licenses in one project?
Yes, but you must ensure the licenses are compatible. Clearly document which parts are under which license terms, and include all license files. The tool shows license compatibility information to help you make informed decisions.
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What about third-party dependencies?
The license chooser shows compatibility information. You should also check the licenses of dependencies in your package.json, requirements.txt, or other dependency files to ensure they allow your distribution model. Some licenses may restrict how you can distribute your project.
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