"Free" and "open source" do not always mean the same thing. Check paid-work questions, compare licence models, and read the exact wording—then verify the official source before deployment.
Educational guidance for students, creators, OPEs, schools and studios—not legal advice.
Select your situation and see which licence questions deserve attention before you install, modify or deploy software.
For reference only—this checker flags risk areas for your use case. Always confirm against the tool’s official licence or terms, and seek legal advice when needed.
Guidance for your selection
For many desktop creative tools, using the software to produce images, animation, audio or video does not require you to publish your project files or source code.
Treat this as guidance, not a verdict. Check the specific tool’s official terms next.
These models help you recognise the practical difference before committing to a stack.
Broad freedom to use, modify and distribute software, including in commercial products.
You can use and modify the software, but distributing modified software may require corresponding source under the same licence.
Designed to keep covered files or libraries open while allowing broader combinations with other software.
The community edition is open, but advanced functions, support or enterprise modules may require a subscription.
You can use the software without paying, but the source is closed and the vendor controls redistribution and feature access.
The software licence is only part of the decision. The hosted service also has terms for data, accounts, storage, privacy and availability.
The most important distinction is often not the label—it is what happens when you modify, redistribute or host the software. Open a full text from any row.
| Licence model | Paid work? | Change the code? | Share changes? | Self-host? | What may cost extra? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIT / BSD | Generally yes | Yes | Usually no; keep required notices. | Yes, if the software supports it | Hosting, support or third-party services. |
| Apache 2.0 | Generally yes | Yes | Usually no; keep notices and note modified files where required. | Yes, if deployable | Implementation, support and infrastructure. |
| MPL 2.0 / LGPL | Generally yes | Yes | Covered files or libraries may need source availability. | Often yes | Managed hosting, enterprise support or integrations. |
| GPL | Yes for normal use | Yes | Distribution of modified software can trigger strong copyleft obligations. | Usually yes | Support, deployment and specialist services. |
| AGPL | Yes, subject to terms | Yes | Modified network services may trigger source-offer duties. | Often yes | Operations, compliance and managed hosting. |
| Open core | Depends on the edition | Community code may be modifiable. | Depends on the community licence. | Community and enterprise options may differ. | Enterprise modules, users, hosting, upgrades and support. |
| Free proprietary | Review the EULA | Usually no | Source is generally unavailable. | Usually not | Studio editions, AI tools, codecs, effects, support or hardware. |
Select a licence to read its complete standardized text. Copy it, download a plain-text copy, or open the official steward’s page for verification.
No numbered version
Broad permission to use, copy, modify, publish, distribute, sublicense and sell, provided the copyright and permission notice is retained.
MIT License Copyright (c) <year> <copyright holders> 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 this library: standard texts below were re-imported from steward plain-text sources. A particular tool may still use a different version, an “or later” option, exceptions, additional notices, bundled third-party licences or separate cloud and enterprise terms. LGPLv3 incorporates GPLv3 by reference—read both when reviewing LGPL software. Always inspect the licence files shipped with the exact software version you are adopting.
Each profile covers paid work, sharing or notice duties, self-hosting, and where extra costs or enterprise limits begin.
Terms can change. Follow the official links before production deployment.
3D, animation, compositing and production
Takeaway: Commercial creative output is allowed; pay close attention when modifying or redistributing Blender itself, and when publishing Blender Python add-ons.
Games, interactive media and applications
Takeaway: You can sell your project, but remember to include the required licence and third-party notices.
UI/UX design and design-code collaboration
Takeaway: Design work you create is separate from MPL. If you modify Penpot’s covered source and distribute it, keep those file-level MPL obligations; self-hosting also brings ops responsibility.
ERP, CRM, e-commerce and business framework
Takeaway: The licence is permissive, but enterprise ERP deployment still requires technical and operational capability.
Editing, colour, visual effects and audio
Takeaway: No-cost software can still be proprietary; clearly separate the free edition from the paid Studio feature set.
Are you creating output, modifying software, distributing a product, or running a hosted service?
Community, enterprise, cloud and desktop editions may have different rights and limitations.
Save the official licence page, version, verification date and required notices with your project records.
Seek specialist advice when modifying and distributing software, embedding it in a product, or offering it as a service.
Important: This page provides practical educational guidance, not legal advice. Software licences, service terms, enterprise plans and product features can change. Verify the official documentation before commercial deployment or redistribution.
Return to the curated tools catalogue and choose software using its purpose and licence information.
