MIT License
Type: Permissive
- Allows commercial use
- Allows distribution
- Requires attribution
- No copyleft requirements
"Permission is hereby granted...' - The most permissive open source license
Open Source Licenses Reference
Explore key licenses, their characteristics, and compatibility notes for software developers
Apache License 2.0
Type: Permissive + Notice
- Patent grant and license
- Mandatory NOTICE file
- Allows commercial use
- No copyleft requirements
"Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0..." - Popular for enterprise projects
GNU GPL v3
Type: Strong Copyleft
- Requires source distribution
- License propagates to users
- Prohibits discrimination
- Includes patents protection
"You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License..." - Free Software Foundation's standard
BSD 2-Clause
Type: Permissive
- No copyleft requirements
- Prohibits trademark use
- Allows commercial use
- No warranty requirements
"Redistribution and use in source..." - Simple and business-friendly license
Compatibility Guide
MIT + BSD
Fully compatible combination. Both licenses are permissive and can be freely combined in the same project.
Apache + MIT
Dual licensing required. Apache's NOTICE file needs to be maintained alongside MIT's requirements when combined.
GPL + Apache
Incompatible combination. GPL's copyleft requires derived works to be GPL, conflicting with Apache's patent rights.
MIT + GPL
GPL requires derivative works to be GPL. MIT allows proprietary use but requires attribution.
Need to Compare Licenses?
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