Business Source License 1.1
Source-availableSPDX identifier:
BUSL-1.1OSI ✗Data updated Sep 26, 2026In plain words
Source-available: production use is limited by the Additional Use Grant, and each version converts to an open license after the Change Date (max 4 years).
Analogy: A shop window: you can look and try, and after a few years the item becomes free for everyone.
Pros
- + Lets you control commercial use
- + Code becomes open source later
Cons
- - Not open source
- - Grant terms differ per project
- - Can trigger forks
Well-known projects using it
5 well-known projects in our map use this license.
- AkkaDeveloper tools · LightbendSwitched to it on Sep 7, 2022
- ConsulDevOps · HashiCorpSwitched to it on Aug 10, 2023
- NomadDevOps · HashiCorpSwitched to it on Aug 10, 2023
- TerraformDevOps · HashiCorpSwitched to it on Aug 10, 2023
- VaultDevOps · HashiCorpSwitched to it on Aug 10, 2023
Projects that moved away from it
- Aug 15, 2024CockroachDB→ CockroachDB Software License
- Nov 17, 2023Sentry→ FSL-1.1
Permissions
- Modification
- Private use
- Non-production use
- Converts to open source later
Conditions
- Keep copyright notice
- Same license for derivatives
Limitations
- No liability
- No warranty
- Production use restricted
Extreme scenarios · Code licenses
- A1Blocked by licenseA cloud vendor sells your project as a managed serviceUnless the Additional Use Grant allows it
- A2Blocked by licenseSomeone forks it and distributes a closed-source competitorDerivatives stay under BSL
- A3With conditionsEmbedded in a closed-source SaaS backend (not distributed)Depends on the Additional Use Grant
- A4With conditionsLinked into a closed-source app or firmware and distributedDepends on the Additional Use Grant
- A5Not addressedSomeone promotes a modified version with your name or trademark
- A6With conditionsSomeone sells unmodified copiesDepends on the Additional Use Grant
- B1Not addressedA user sues you for patent infringement and keeps using the code
- B2Not addressedA contributor asserts patents on their contributed code
- B3Not addressedA cross-border dispute: governing law and venue
- C1With conditionsYou later relicense or sell commercial licenses (contributors signed no CLA)Usually relies on a CLA
- C2Blocked by licenseYour code is merged into a GPL-3.0 project
- C3Blocked by licenseYou use a GPL-3.0 dependency and still ship under this license
- C4With conditionsThe project is abandoned and someone forks it to continueRestricted until the Change Date
- C5AllowedYou want to block only big companies or competitorsThrough the Additional Use Grant
- C6Not addressedKey code was written by an employee and the employer objects
- D1Blocked by licenseSomeone removes copyright or attribution notices
- D2AllowedSomeone modifies files without marking the changes
- D3With conditionsInternal modification, no distribution and no external serviceDepends on the Additional Use Grant
- D4With conditionsUsed for military, surveillance or other uses you object toDepends on the Additional Use Grant
- D5Not addressedUsed by a sanctioned entity
- D6Not addressedYour code is used to train an AI model
Worst-case radar
- 1Stops free-riding67
- 2Stops closed forks75
- 3Patent protection0
- 4Adoption friction63
- 5Hard to relicense50
Computed from the scenario matrix. Higher means more of that property, not "better".
Compare with…
Official text
Only the official text is legally binding. We do not translate license texts.
https://spdx.org/licenses/BUSL-1.1.html
Business Source License 1.1
Business Source License 1.1
License text copyright © 2017 MariaDB Corporation Ab, All Rights Reserved.
"Business Source License" is a trademark of MariaDB Corporation Ab.
Terms
The Licensor hereby grants you the right to copy, modify, create derivative
works, redistribute, and make non-production use of the Licensed Work. The
Licensor may make an Additional Use Grant, above, permitting limited
production use.
Effective on the Change Date, or the fourth anniversary of the first publicly
available distribution of a specific version of the Licensed Work under this
License, whichever comes first, the Licensor hereby grants you rights under
the terms of the Change License, and the rights granted in the paragraph
above terminate.
If your use of the Licensed Work does not comply with the requirements
currently in effect as described in this License, you must purchase a
commercial license from the Licensor, its affiliated entities, or authorized
resellers, or you must refrain from using the Licensed Work.
All copies of the original and modified Licensed Work, and derivative works
of the Licensed Work, are subject to this License. This License applies
separately for each version of the Licensed Work and the Change Date may vary
for each version of the Licensed Work released by Licensor.
You must conspicuously display this License on each original or modified copy
of the Licensed Work. If you receive the Licensed Work in original or
modified form from a third party, the terms and conditions set forth in this
License apply to your use of that work.
Any use of the Licensed Work in violation of this License will automatically
terminate your rights under this License for the current and all other
versions of the Licensed Work.
This License does not grant you any right in any trademark or logo of
Licensor or its affiliates (provided that you may use a trademark or logo of
Licensor as expressly required by this License).
TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE LICENSED WORK IS PROVIDED ON
AN “AS IS” BASIS. LICENSOR HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING (WITHOUT LIMITATION) WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND
TITLE.
MariaDB hereby grants you permission to use this License’s text to license
your works, and to refer to it using the trademark “Business Source License”,
as long as you comply with the Covenants of Licensor below.
Covenants of Licensor
In consideration of the right to use this License’s text and the “Business
Source License” name and trademark, Licensor covenants to MariaDB, and to all
other recipients of the licensed work to be provided by Licensor:
1. To specify as the Change License the GPL Version 2.0 or any later version,
or a license that is compatible with GPL Version 2.0 or a later version,
where “compatible” means that software provided under the Change License can
be included in a program with software provided under GPL Version 2.0 or a
later version. Licensor may specify additional Change Licenses without
limitation.
2. To either: (a) specify an additional grant of rights to use that does not
impose any additional restriction on the right granted in this License, as
the Additional Use Grant; or (b) insert the text “None”.
3. To specify a Change Date.
4. Not to modify this License in any other way.