What is the best license for my open source project?
MIT License
Top open source licenses by risk
| Rank | License | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MIT License | 32% |
| 2 | GNU General Public License (GPL) 2.0 | 18% |
| 3 | Apache License 2.0 | 14% |
| 4 | GNU General Public License (GPL) 3.0 | 7% |
What are the different types of open source licenses?
Open source licenses can be divided into two main categories: copyleft and permissive. This division is based on the requirements and restrictions the license places on users. Copyright is a law that restricts the right to use, modify, and share creative works without the permission of the copyright holder.
What is the most permissive open source license?
According to research by White Source, the most popular permissive licenses are MIT and Apache 2.0, with BSD in a distant third place. The GNU GPLv3 is the most popular copyleft license but is steadily losing market share compared to permissive licenses.
Which license is the least restrictive open source license?
The Mozilla Public License (MPL) is the least restrictive copyleft open source software license. They make it easy to modify and use their code in closed-source and/or proprietary software, as long as any code licensed under the MPL is kept in separate files and these files are distributed with the software.
What are the popular open source license?
Popular Licenses
- Apache License 2.0.
- BSD 3-Clause “New” or “Revised” license.
- BSD 2-Clause “Simplified” or “FreeBSD” license.
- GNU General Public License (GPL)
- GNU Library or “Lesser” General Public License (LGPL)
- MIT license.
- Mozilla Public License 2.0.
- Common Development and Distribution License.
What is an open source license?
Open source licenses dictate the terms and conditions that come with the use of open source software (OSS). Open source licenses serve as a legal agreement between open source author and user: authors make OSS available for free, but with certain requirements the user must follow.
What are three different open source licenses?
The following OSI-approved licenses are popular, widely used, or have strong communities:
- Apache License 2.0.
- BSD 3-Clause “New” or “Revised” license.
- BSD 2-Clause “Simplified” or “FreeBSD” license.
- GNU General Public License (GPL)
- GNU Library or “Lesser” General Public License (LGPL)
- MIT license.
- Mozilla Public License 2.0.
What is the freest software license?
Some licenses do not allow derived works to add a restriction that says a redistributor cannot add more restrictions. Examples include the CDDL and MsPL.
Can I use MIT licensed code in closed-source software?
Can I use MIT-licensed code in closed-source software? Yes, however the copyright notice and permission notice must be included in the documentation or EULA of your Software. For example: “This software uses – see library-license.
How are licenses approved by the Open Source Initiative?
Open source licenses are licenses that comply with the Open Source Definition — in brief, they allow software to be freely used, modified, and shared. To be approved by the Open Source Initiative (also known as the OSI), a license must go through the Open Source Initiative’s license review process. Popular Licenses.
Are there any free open source software licences?
This is a comparison of free and open-source software licences. The comparison only covers software licences with a linked article for details, approved by at least one expert group at the FSF, the OSI, the Debian project or the Fedora project. For a list of licences not specifically intended for software, see List of free content licences .
Are there any restrictions on open source software?
But just as with proprietary software licensing, open source software is subject to various legal terms and restrictions, depending on the type of open source license in force. Hence it is important to remain compliant with the open source software licenses terms.
Are there any licences that are not free?
There are licences accepted by the OSI which are not free as per the free software definition. The open source definition allows for further restrictions like price, type of contribution and origin of the contribution, e.g. the case of the NASA Open Source Agreement, which requires the code to be “original” work.