COMPARISON HUB
Open source license comparisons for enterprise buyers.
Open source license comparisons help you see exactly how two licenses or two projects differ before you commit. Each comparison below sets the terms side by side, in plain language, and explains what the difference means for software already running in your production estate. Use these to brief engineering, legal, and procurement on the same facts.
A license comparison is only useful if it speaks to your actual exposure. Knowing that the Business Source License restricts competitive use while the Server Side Public License reaches service providers matters because the two create different obligations in different parts of your stack. The comparisons here focus on those practical consequences rather than abstract license theory.
Source available is not open source, and that distinction sits underneath every comparison on this page. When you weigh a fork against the relicensed original, the question is rarely which is technically better. It is which license terms you can live with, what migration costs, and where your use sits relative to the restriction. Interpretation of any specific license for your situation is a question for your own counsel.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask.
Is source available the same as open source?
No. Source available means the code is visible and often modifiable, but its use is restricted. The Business Source License and the Server Side Public License are source available and are not approved by the Open Source Initiative. Open source, by contrast, permits use for any purpose.
Which license comparison should I start with?
Start with the comparison that matches the software you run. If you depend on Terraform, read Terraform versus OpenTofu. If your exposure is database driven, read Redis versus Valkey or Elasticsearch versus OpenSearch. For the underlying license mechanics, start with the Business Source License, Server Side Public License, and GNU AGPL comparison.
Do these comparisons constitute legal advice?
No. These are commercial and licensing risk comparisons, not legal advice. For interpretation of a specific license and whether your use is permitted, we recommend your own counsel.
How current are these comparisons?
Each comparison is dated and written with an as of framing, because this is a fast moving topic. Several projects that moved to source available licenses later added an open license option, so always confirm the current terms before acting.
RELICENSING EXPOSURE
Compare the licenses, then map your exposure.
Our relicensing exposure review traces every affected component and sizes the risk. Independent, buyer side, paid only by you.
Not ready to talk? Read the free open source license risk guides first.