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Open Source License Picker

Answer a few questions about your goals to get a recommended open-source license plus ready-to-copy LICENSE text.

Updated

Files never leave your browser

Can others use your code in closed-source software?

Do you need an explicit patent grant?

Prevent others using your name to endorse their products?

This is guidance, not legal advice. When in doubt, consult a professional.

Recommended

MIT License

You want the simplest, most permissive license.

Short and permissive. Others can do almost anything as long as they keep your copyright notice.

Full license text

LICENSE

MIT License

Copyright (c) [year] [fullname]

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.

How to use Open Source License Picker

The open-source license picker recommends a license from a few short questions and hands you ready-to-copy LICENSE text. Say whether others may use your code in closed-source software, whether you need a patent grant or name protection, and how strong you want copyleft to be, and it suggests MIT, BSD-3-Clause, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, or MPL-2.0 with a plain-language explanation. It is guidance, not legal advice, and everything runs privately in your browser.

  1. Answer whether others may use your code in closed-source software.
  2. Answer the follow-up on patents, name protection, or copyleft strength.
  3. Read the recommended license and its plain-language summary.
  4. Copy the LICENSE text or open the full official text.

Your data never leaves your device — 100% private processing.

Permissive licenses at a glance

Permissive licenses impose the fewest conditions. MIT is the shortest and most popular: anyone can use, modify, and redistribute your code, even in proprietary products, as long as they keep your copyright notice. BSD-3-Clause adds a clause preventing others from using your name to endorse their derivative products. Apache-2.0 goes further with an explicit patent grant and contributor terms, which is why larger projects and companies often prefer it. If your goal is maximum adoption and you are comfortable with your code being used anywhere, a permissive license is usually the right choice.

Permissive license differences
LicenseAdds
MITNothing beyond attribution
BSD-3-ClauseNo-endorsement clause
Apache-2.0Explicit patent grant

Copyleft: strong versus file-level

Copyleft licenses use copyright to keep software open. The GPL-3.0 is strong copyleft: any work that incorporates GPL code must, as a whole, be released under the GPL, which guarantees downstream freedom but deters use in closed products. The MPL-2.0 is weaker, file-level copyleft: only the MPL-licensed files must stay open, so they can be combined with proprietary code in the same project. Choosing between them is about how much you want to require of people who build on your work — total openness with the GPL, or a pragmatic middle ground with the MPL that still protects your specific contributions.

Worked examples

Simple permissive

Inputs: Closed-source OK, no patents

Result: MIT License

With patent grant

Inputs: Closed-source OK, patents

Result: Apache License 2.0

Strong copyleft

Inputs: Must stay open

Result: GNU GPL v3.0

Glossary

Permissive license
A license allowing almost unrestricted use, including in closed-source software, usually requiring only attribution.
Copyleft
A licensing approach that requires derivative works to remain under the same open license.
Patent grant
A clause granting users rights to any patents the contributors hold covering the code.
SPDX identifier
A standard short code for a license, such as MIT or Apache-2.0.

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