# License FAQ > Plain-language explanation of the AnythingMCP license. This is not legal advice — see the full [LICENSE](../LICENSE) for the binding terms. [Back to README](../README.md) --- ## What license does AnythingMCP use? AnythingMCP is licensed under the **GNU Affero General Public License v3** (AGPL-3.0-only), an OSI-approved **open-source** license. It is the same license used by Twenty, Cal.com, Grafana, Plausible and Mastodon. The only exception is code under `ee/` directories (e.g. `packages/backend/src/ee/`), which contains the AnythingMCP Cloud operation and the licensing of the paid self-hosted editions, and is licensed under the [AnythingMCP Commercial License](../packages/backend/src/ee/LICENSE). --- ## What can I do? | Use Case | Allowed? | |----------|----------| | Use AnythingMCP internally at my company | **Yes** | | Use it for personal projects | **Yes** | | Use it for development and testing | **Yes** | | Use it for academic research or teaching | **Yes** | | Modify the source code | **Yes** | | Self-host for my own team or organization | **Yes** | | Build internal tools on top of it | **Yes** | | Offer it (even modified) as a hosted service | **Yes** — but see the copyleft condition below | | Contribute back to the project | **Yes** — after signing the [CLA](../CLA.md) | --- ## What does the AGPL require from me? The AGPL is a **copyleft** license. In short: 1. **Internal/personal use:** no obligations. Use and modify freely. 2. **Distributing AnythingMCP** (modified or not): you must provide the source code under the AGPL. 3. **Running a modified AnythingMCP as a network service** for other people: you must offer those users the source code of your modified version. This is the "Affero" clause — it closes the SaaS loophole of the ordinary GPL. If you don't modify the code, simply pointing users at this repository satisfies the source-offer requirement. --- ## Can I build a proprietary product on top of AnythingMCP? You can *use* AnythingMCP from a proprietary product over its API (your product is a separate work). But if you *incorporate or modify* AnythingMCP code, the combined work must be AGPL. If that doesn't fit your business, we offer **commercial licenses without copyleft obligations** — contact [info@helpcode.ai](mailto:info@helpcode.ai). --- ## What is the `ee/` directory? Code under `ee/` directories powers the AnythingMCP Cloud operation (e.g. onboarding lifecycle emails) and decides which edition a self-hosted instance runs. It is: - **Visible** — you can read and audit it like the rest of the repo - **Not AGPL** — it's under the AnythingMCP Commercial License This split (AGPL core + commercial `ee/`) is the same model used by Cal.com and GitLab. --- ## Community, Starter, Team and Enterprise A self-hosted instance runs **Community** unless a licence key is activated. Community is meant for personal use, education and evaluation, and includes up to 3 active users. **Starter** and **Team** license an instance for small teams at work. **Enterprise** adds more users, single sign-on (Entra ID, Google, Okta, OIDC), SCIM provisioning and [per-user sign-in for OAuth2 connectors](connectors/per-user-sign-in.md); it is quoted rather than bought online ([contact us](https://anythingmcp.com/contact?plan=enterprise)), and administrators can try it for 30 days under **Settings → License**. See [anythingmcp.com/pricing](https://anythingmcp.com/pricing). --- ## What about old releases? Versions of AnythingMCP released **before** the AGPL adoption remain under the **Business Source License 1.1** they were published with. Those releases convert automatically to Apache 2.0 on their Change Date (2030-03-04). Everything from the AGPL adoption onward is AGPL-3.0-only. --- ## Why the AGPL and not MIT/Apache? The AGPL lets us: 1. **Be genuinely open source** — OSI-approved, with all the freedoms that implies 2. **Allow free self-hosting** — organizations can deploy AnythingMCP internally at no cost, forever 3. **Keep improvements open** — anyone who offers a modified AnythingMCP as a service must share their changes 4. **Build sustainably** — the copyleft, our commercial licenses, and the `ee/` features fund continued development --- ## Why do contributors sign a CLA? The [Contributor License Agreement](../CLA.md) lets helpcode.ai GmbH re-license contributions — which is what makes the dual model (AGPL + commercial licenses) possible with a single codebase. **You keep the copyright** on your contribution; the CLA is a license, not an assignment. Signing happens automatically on your first pull request and takes one click. --- ## How do I get a commercial license? Contact [info@helpcode.ai](mailto:info@helpcode.ai) or visit [anythingmcp.com/pricing](https://anythingmcp.com/pricing) for commercial licensing options. --- [Back to README](../README.md) | [Full License Text](../LICENSE)