License

From January 09, 2026, NocoDB changes from AGPL-3.0 to a Sustainable Use License (SUL), based on Fair-Code principles.

👉 View the full license terms here

This change has these goals:

Keep NocoDB open and accessible
Protect the work of maintainers and contributors
Make sure that the project can continue for a long time
Give clear and predictable rules for commercial use

Fair-Code Philosophy

Fair-Code is a licensing philosophy. It balances:

Open access to source code
Freedom to use, modify, and self-host
Fair payment when someone makes money from the software itself

Fair-code does not try to restrict use. Its goal is to prevent large-scale commercial exploitation, where someone makes money from the software and does not support the people who build it.

Sustainable Use License (SUL)

The Sustainable Use License is one license that uses fair-code principles.

SUL allows

Free use for individuals and organizations
Full access to source code
Self-hosting without restrictions
Modification for internal or product use

SUL restricts

Offering NocoDB itself as a paid or managed service
Redistributing NocoDB as part of a commercial platform without a license

Why This Change

Sustainability

AGPL-3.0 permits commercial reuse at scale, but it does not make sure that maintainers continue to get support. SUL lets us continue to invest in development, documentation and support.

Community Protection

The license protects contributors. Commercial value that comes directly from NocoDB must support the ecosystem.

Clear Commercial Boundaries

SUL clearly defines when you need a commercial license. This makes SaaS and redistribution cases less ambiguous.

Usage Rights

Free Use (No Commercial License Required)

You can use NocoDB free of charge if you are:

An individual developer
A startup or enterprise using NocoDB internally
Self-hosting NocoDB for internal tools or workflows
Building an application or product that uses NocoDB internally
Using NocoDB for education, research, or non-commercial purposes

Internal use is permitted for organizations of all sizes.

Commercial License Required

You need a commercial license if you:

Offer NocoDB as a hosted or managed service
Provide direct NocoDB access to external customers
Resell or redistribute NocoDB as part of a paid offering
Embed NocoDB in a platform where customers interact with NocoDB itself

If your business model makes money from access to NocoDB, you need a commercial license. If you need help to find out which license you need, contact the NocoDB team. Details here

What Remains Unchanged

Source code remains available
Self-hosting remains supported
Community contributions remain welcome
APIs, integrations, and extensions remain open

This is not a move to closed source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NocoDB still open source?

NocoDB is source-available under fair-code principles. SUL is not OSI-approved, but it keeps transparency, extensibility and community access.

Can I self-host NocoDB for my company?

Yes. Internal self-hosting does not require a commercial license.

Can I modify NocoDB’s source code?

Yes. You can modify NocoDB for internal use or as part of your product.

What licenses are considered fair-code compatible?

These licenses meet fair-code requirements. The ecosystem often refers to them:

Sustainable Use License (SUL)
Business Source License (BSL)
Commons Clause (with an OSI-approved license)
Confluent Community License
Elastic License 2.0 (ELv2)
Server Side Public License (SSPL)

Which projects follow fair-code-compatible licenses?

Several well-known infrastructure and developer-tool projects use licenses that follow fair-code principles. These include:

Airbyte (Elastic License 2.0)
CockroachDB (Business Source License)
Elastic (Elastic License 2.0)
HashiCorp (Business Source License)
MongoDB (Server Side Public License)
n8n (Sustainable Use License)
Sentry (Business Source License)

These projects use a similar approach: open access for builders, and a license when someone makes money from the software itself.

Why move away from AGPL-3.0?

AGPL-3.0 does not cover large-scale commercial redistribution well. SUL gives clearer and more predictable rules, and keeps openness and community access.

How do I obtain a commercial license?

Contact the NocoDB team through official channels about commercial license options:

Ask in the in-product support chat.
Request details by Email (cs@nocodb.com).
Book a meeting through Cal.

Summary

The Sustainable Use License makes sure that NocoDB stays:

Open and accessible for builders
Fair to contributors and maintainers
Sustainable for long-term development

For most users, nothing changes. For commercial redistribution, the license keeps things fair and lets innovation continue.

Fair-Code