LICENSE File Generator
Generate the complete, correctly-formatted text of any popular open-source license (MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL, BSD, etc.) in seconds. Add your custom copyright holder name and year, read explicit permissions/limitations metadata, and download your LICENSE file instantly. Private, fast, and completely local.
Select an open-source license type, enter your copyright details, and generate the complete, production-ready LICENSE file text instantly in your browser.
Select the open-source license for your project.
MIT License
A simple, extremely permissive, and popular license. Anyone can use, modify, distribute, and sell your software without commercial limitations, provided they preserve the original copyright and license notice.
Permits
Requires
Forbids / Limits
4-digit year, e.g. 2026.
Your full name or organization name.
Optional — appears in some license templates.
Why Use Our LICENSE File Generator?
10 Popular Licenses
Instantly generate MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL v2/v3, LGPL, MPL 2.0, BSD 2/3-Clause, Unlicense, and CC0 1.0 — all standard and production-ready.
100% Private & Local
All license text is generated entirely inside your browser using JavaScript. Your project name and author details never leave your device or touch any server.
Visual Permission Badges
Color-coded Permits, Requires, and Forbids badges help you instantly understand what each license allows, requires, and restricts before making a selection.
Instant Download
One-click download generates a clean, plaintext LICENSE file ready to drop into your repository root. Copy to clipboard in one action for quick use.
Common Use Cases for LICENSE File Generator
Open Source Project Setup
Start new GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repositories correctly by generating a LICENSE file before your first commit. Choose MIT for maximum adoption or GPL v3 for strong copyleft protection.
Developer Library Publishing
Libraries published to npm, PyPI, or Crates.io need accurate licensing. Use Apache 2.0 for patent-safe distribution or LGPL for libraries that can be linked from proprietary software.
Team & Company Projects
Standardize your organization's open-source contributions by generating consistently-formatted, year-accurate license files across all engineering teams and developer toolchains.
Relicensing Existing Projects
When switching from GPL to MIT or from Unlicense to Apache 2.0, generate a fresh, correctly-dated license file for the relicensed version of your software project.
Data & Dataset Publishing
Datasets published to Hugging Face, Kaggle, or academic repositories benefit from CC0 or Unlicense. Generate the correct public domain dedication file for your data releases.
Documentation & Learning Resources
Creative Commons CC0 1.0 is the gold standard for educational content, tutorials, and public documentation. Generate accurate CC0 files for all public knowledge resources.
Understanding Open-Source Licenses
What Is an Open-Source License?
An open-source license is a legal document that governs how software can be used, modified, and distributed. Without a license, all default copyright law applies — meaning no one other than the original author has the right to use, copy, or distribute the software, even if the source code is publicly viewable.
Adding a LICENSE file to your repository explicitly grants users specific rights and defines requirements they must follow. It transforms your public code from "visible but restricted" to genuinely open and reusable under well-defined legal conditions.
Permissive vs. Copyleft Licenses
Permissive licenses (MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD) impose minimal restrictions — users can use, modify, and even integrate your code into proprietary products, as long as they include the original copyright notice. This maximizes adoption and commercial use of your project.
Copyleft licenses (GPL, LGPL) require derivative works to be released under the same license. This ensures that improvements to the software remain open source, preventing companies from taking the code proprietary without contributing back.
Choosing the Right License
For maximum adoption: Choose MIT or Apache 2.0. MIT is the simplest and most widely used. Apache 2.0 adds explicit patent grants, protecting contributors and users from patent litigation.
For libraries: LGPL v3 or MPL 2.0 allow proprietary programs to link to your library without copyleft infecting their codebase, making it a popular choice for infrastructure tools and frameworks.
For public domain dedication: The Unlicense or CC0 1.0 waive all copyright restrictions globally, making your work truly free with zero attribution requirements.
License File Conventions
By convention, open-source projects place their license in a file named LICENSE or LICENSE.txt at the root of the repository. Both GitHub and GitLab automatically detect and display license information from this file, showing it prominently on the project page.
Always include the correct copyright year and the legal name or organization name of the copyright holder. Some licenses like Apache 2.0 may also require a NOTICE file for attribution. Using an accurate, properly-formatted license file ensures legal clarity and builds trust with contributors and users.
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Frequently Asked Questions About LICENSE File Generator
A LICENSE File Generator is a browser-based tool that instantly produces the full, correctly-formatted text of any popular open-source license. Simply select a license type, enter your name and copyright year, and download the complete ready-to-commit LICENSE file for your software repository or open-source project.
Yes. Our LICENSE File Generator operates entirely client-side inside your web browser using local JavaScript. Your author name, project name, and copyright year are never transmitted to any external server or third-party service. All license text is generated privately and locally on your own device only.
Permissive licenses (MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD) allow unrestricted use including proprietary products, requiring only copyright attribution. Copyleft licenses (GPL, LGPL) require derived works to be released under the same open-source license, ensuring all improvements remain available to the public developer community.
Choose MIT for maximum adoption and simplicity. Apache 2.0 adds explicit patent protection for contributors. Use GPL v3 to enforce open-source contributions from forks. For libraries that proprietary software may link, LGPL or MPL 2.0 are ideal. For public domain dedications, The Unlicense or CC0 are the strongest available choices.
Yes. Most open-source licenses require you to include the copyright year and the full legal name of the copyright holder — either an individual developer name or a company name. Omitting this information weakens the legal enforceability of your license and may cause compliance issues in enterprise or institutional software reviews.
Yes. You can generate a fresh license file for any year and copyright holder. Note that relicensing existing software legally requires agreement from all contributors who hold copyright, not just the project maintainer. Always consult all contributors and a legal advisor before switching from a copyleft license to a more permissive one.
By convention, use the filename LICENSE (no extension) or LICENSE.txt placed at the root directory of your repository. Both GitHub and GitLab automatically detect and display license information from these filenames. Some ecosystems like npm additionally expect the SPDX identifier string in the package.json license field alongside the file.