Which license should I choose?

MIT and Apache 2.0 are permissive — anyone can use your code with minimal conditions. GPL and AGPL require derivative works to stay open source. Choose based on how much control you want over downstream use.

What is the difference between MIT and Apache 2.0?

Both are permissive. Apache 2.0 also includes an explicit patent grant and a trademark clause. MIT is shorter and simpler. For most projects, either works — pick MIT for simplicity, Apache 2.0 if patents matter.

Can I change the license later?

You can change the license for future versions, but you cannot retroactively revoke the license on code already released. Contributors retain their rights under the original license.

Is this legally binding?

These are standard templates used by millions of projects. For important or commercial projects, have a lawyer review. This tool simply fills in the common placeholders correctly.

What is the difference between GPL-2.0 and GPL-3.0?

GPL-3.0 adds compatibility with Apache 2.0, closes the TiVo loophole (hardware lockdown), and includes an explicit patent grant. GPL-2.0 is simpler and used by older projects like the Linux kernel. New projects generally prefer GPL-3.0.

Do I need a license for a private project?

For fully private, non-distributed code, no license is legally required. But adding one (even proprietary) clarifies ownership and prevents contributions from creating ambiguity. A short copyright notice is usually sufficient for private code.

Open Source License Generator

Generate standard open source licenses — MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL-3.0, AGPL-3.0, LGPL-3.0, BSD-2, BSD-3, ISC, MPL-2.0, Unlicense — with your year, copyright holder and project name filled in. Copy the LICENSE text or download it as a file.

How to use

Pick a license

Choose from MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL-3.0, AGPL-3.0, LGPL-3.0, BSD-2, BSD-3, ISC, MPL-2.0 or Unlicense.

Fill in year and copyright holder

Enter the year and the name of the copyright holder.

Add a project name (optional)

Some licenses include the project name in the header.

Copy or download

Copy the LICENSE text or download it as a file.

License

Short, permissive. Most popular for open source.

Year

Project Name (optional)

MIT

LICENSE

MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 The Author 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.

These are standard license templates. For important projects, have a lawyer review before publishing.