Can I use BUSL 1.1 commercially?

Short answer: Commercial use: Needs review. Commercial use, modified and redistributed: Needs review.

Business Source License 1.1 (BUSL-1.1): Copy, modify and redistribute the software for any purpose other than production use; production use is allowed only as the licensor's Additional Use Grant says. Each version converts to an open source Change License on its Change Date.

Commercial use: Needs review

License: Business Source License 1.1 (BUSL-1.1, curated)

• Production use depends on the Additional Use Grant this licensor wrote into its copy of the license, which differs from project to project. A reviewer should read that grant.

Duties: license_notice, keep_change_terms

Commercial use, modified and redistributed: Needs review

License: Business Source License 1.1 (BUSL-1.1, curated)

• Production use depends on the Additional Use Grant this licensor wrote into its copy of the license, which differs from project to project. A reviewer should read that grant.

Duties: license_notice, keep_change_terms

Context

• After the Change Date the version is available under the Change License the licensor named (often GPL-2.0-or-later or Apache-2.0).
• Not an open source license until the Change Date.

Sources

• Business Source License 1.1: official text
• BUSL-1.1 on the SPDX License List

Check it yourself (free, no key)

{
  "tool": "check_license",
  "arguments": {
    "license": "BUSL-1.1",
    "intended_use": {
      "commercial_use": true
    }
  }
}

Computed from Rightshold's license profiles; not legal advice. Updated 2026-10-19. JSON · Markdown