a2ally™ Sign up

MIT vs Apache 2.0: what is the difference?

Last updated

TL;DR: MIT: commercial use, modification, redistribution: Yes. Apache 2.0: same uses: Yes. Both are permissive open-source licenses that allow commercial use, modification and redistribution.

Is mIT: commercial use, modification, redistribution allowed under MIT License?

Yes. Every use you described is granted by MIT, and nothing you described is prohibited.

License: MIT License (MIT, curated)

Duties: attribution, license_notice

Is apache 2.0: same uses allowed under Apache License 2.0?

Yes. Every use you described is granted by Apache 2.0, and nothing you described is prohibited.

License: Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0, curated)

Duties: attribution, license_notice, state_changes

How do MIT and Apache-2.0 compare?

The table lists each license's duties and notes side by side.

LicenseDutiesNotes
MITattribution, license_noticeProvided as is, without warranty.
Apache-2.0attribution, license_notice, state_changesIncludes an express patent license that ends for anyone who sues over patents in the work (section 3). Does not grant rights to the licensor's trademarks (section 6).

Combined in one work: compatible.

What else should I know?

What are the sources?

How can I check it myself (free, no key)?

{
  "tool": "check_license",
  "arguments": {
    "license": "MIT",
    "intended_use": {
      "commercial_use": true,
      "modification": true,
      "redistribution": true
    }
  }
}

Computed from a2ally's license profiles; not legal advice. JSON · Markdown

Get a free API key in one call

No card and no email needed. 100 free credits; the license and policy checks stay free without a key.

curl -s -X POST https://www.a2ally.com/v1/accounts/signup -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"accept_terms":true}'
export A2ALLY_API_KEY=rs_...   # the api_key from the reply (shown once)
curl -s https://www.a2ally.com/v1/licenses/check -H "Authorization: Bearer $A2ALLY_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"license":"MIT","intended_use":{"commercial_use":true}}'