About this tool
The license file is what turns "code on GitHub" into software other people are legally allowed to use. Pick one, enter the year and your name, and get the exact text to save as LICENSE in your repo root.
Not sure which to choose? The comparison table shows the practical differences: MIT and Apache 2.0 are permissive (do almost anything, just keep the notice); GPL is copyleft (derivatives must also be open source); Unlicense dedicates the work to the public domain. Apache adds an explicit patent grant.
Frequently asked questions
Which license should I pick for my project?
It depends on how permissive you want downstream use to be. MIT and Apache-2.0 allow almost anything, including closed-source use; GPL variants require derivative works to stay open source. The comparison table below shows commercial use, copyleft, and attribution requirements side by side.
Is adding a LICENSE file legally enough, or do I need to register something?
Adding the file to your repository root is exactly how open-source licensing works in practice — no registration or filing required. Combined with a copyright notice, it's the standard way projects on GitHub and elsewhere apply a license.
What do the year and author fields change?
They fill in the copyright line inside the license text (e.g. 'Copyright (c) 2026 Your Name'). Edit them and the preview updates instantly before you copy or download.
Can I change my project's license later?
Only going forward, and only for code you fully own — past releases remain under whatever license they were published with, and if you have outside contributors, you generally need their consent to relicense their contributions.
What's the practical difference between permissive and copyleft licenses?
Permissive licenses (MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD) let anyone reuse your code in proprietary software with almost no obligations. Copyleft licenses (GPL, AGPL) require that derivative works are distributed under the same license, keeping the code and its derivatives open.