License Picker
Choose a license (MIT, Apache, GPL) with plain-English explanations, then generate the LICENSE file.
📜 MIT License
✅ Permissions
- • Commercial use
- • Modification
- • Distribution
- • Private use
📋 Conditions
- • Include copyright
- • Include license
⚠️ Limitations
- • No liability
- • No warranty
Customize
📄 LICENSE
MIT License Copyright (c) 2026 Your Name 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.
Quick Comparison
| License | Commercial | Modification | Must Share Source | Patent Grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIT | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Apache 2.0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| GPL 3.0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| BSD 3-Clause | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| ISC | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Unlicense | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Features
- Compare popular licenses (MIT, Apache, GPL)
- Plain English summary of permissions, conditions, and limitations
- One-click copy of full license text
- Recommendation wizard
Common Use Cases
- Open sourcing a new private project
- Understanding compatibility between libraries
- Ensuring legal safety for your code
Open Source Licenses
A license tells others what they can and cannot do with your code. Without a license, the default copyright laws apply, meaning no one can use, modify, or distribute your work.
Examples
Valid - MIT
Permissive. Do whatever you want, just keep the copyright notice. Valid - GPLv3
Copyleft. If you use this, your project must also be open source (GPL).Frequently Asked Questions
Is MIT same as Apache?
Similar, but Apache includes an explicit grant of patent rights.
What is Unlicense?
Public domain dedication. You waive all copyright.
💡 Tips
- If you don't care, use MIT. It is the most common and permissive standard.