Evolving Our Open Source License
We are updating the code in our main GitHub repository to use the AGPL license.
This license protects the community’s investment in the OpenBB Platform and ensures it stays open and free for everyone.
We are dedicated to open-source and are committed to ensuring the long-term growth of the OpenBB Platform and its active, collaborative community.
AGPL comes with the option of a commercial license. Anyone who modifies the OpenBB Platform code and distributes it in applications or hosts it for SaaS needs a commercial license unless they provide the source code.
For most users, nothing will change.
However, we have prepared a Licensing FAQ in our documentation to answer any questions you might have.
The Growth of OpenBB
Over the past two years, OpenBB has evolved significantly.
It started as a simple terminal app for accessing financial market data and has become a powerful framework for developing complex web apps, AI, and data services.
This evolution has led us to update our licensing to better support the community that relies on it.
Moving forward, we join well-known open-source projects like GitLab, Mattermost, Nextcloud, Grafana, and many others who have adopted AGPL.
Choosing this license reflects our commitment to software freedom. It ensures that all improvements benefit users and developers, and keeps that the OpenBB Platform remains free and open. This openness is key to building trust and collaboration.
We also consider the needs of our business users. We believe that AGPL allows us to maintain a balance, ensuring that improvements to the OpenBB Platform stay open while allowing businesses to build their own products using our platform.
This change prepares us for a future where open source can thrive, benefiting everyone from individual developers to large companies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, adopting AGPL is designed to protect the community and align with the practical needs of software development. This ensures that all users of our platform, from individuals to large companies, continue to innovate, grow, and succeed.
We appreciate your support and are here to answer any questions you might have.
The Licensing FAQ covers some questions, but for more information or further clarification, our team is ready to help at licensing@openbb.co.
Thank you for being a part of our community and for your continued support as we evolve together.