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GitHub license checker — can I use this repo commercially?

Paste any GitHub repo and get a plain-English verdict: is its license permissive, weak copyleft, or strong / network copyleft — and can you safely rebrand it and host it commercially? It reads the license straight from GitHub's public API in your browser. No signup, no account, free.

● 100% free ● No signup ● Client-side only ● Plain-English verdict ● Maintenance signals

Check a repository

Examples: vercel/next.js · https://github.com/torvalds/linux · paste either form, then press Enter or Check.

🔒 The only network request is a call to GitHub's public API (api.github.com) that you trigger by clicking Check. Nothing else leaves your browser — no analytics, no tracking. Your last-checked repo is remembered locally and cleared by Reset.

License class reference — can I rebrand & host it commercially?

A quick map from common open-source licenses to their copyleft-risk class and what it means for rebranding and hosting a commercial product. This is general information, not legal advice — always read the actual LICENSE file (see the disclaimer below).

License (SPDX)ClassRebrand & host commercially?One-line caveat
MIT✅ Permissive✅ YesKeep the copyright + license notice in your distribution.
Apache-2.0✅ Permissive✅ YesKeep the notice, state your changes; includes an explicit patent grant.
BSD-2-Clause / BSD-3-Clause✅ Permissive✅ YesKeep the notice; 3-Clause also bars using the author's name to endorse.
ISC✅ Permissive✅ YesMIT-equivalent; just keep the short notice.
0BSD / Unlicense✅ Permissive✅ YesEffectively public-domain; no notice required, no obligations.
MPL-2.0⚠️ Weak copyleft⚠️ Yes, with careChanges to MPL files must stay open; the rest of your app can be closed.
LGPL-2.1 / LGPL-3.0⚠️ Weak copyleft⚠️ Yes, with careOK if dynamically linked; users must be able to relink. Static linking pulls in more.
EPL-2.0⚠️ Weak copyleft⚠️ Yes, with careModifications to EPL files must be shared; separate modules can stay closed.
GPL-2.0 / GPL-3.0❌ Strong copyleft❌ Not closed-sourceThe whole combined work must be released under the GPL. Blocks closed-source reuse.
AGPL-3.0❌ Network copyleft❌ Not as closed SaaSEven a hosted network service must offer its full source under AGPL.
No license / "All rights reserved"❓ Unrecognized❌ No (by default)No license = all rights reserved. You have no reuse permission until one is granted.
⚠️ Informational only — not legal advice. This tool is here to help you orient fast, for free, in your browser. It is not legal advice and using it doesn't create any attorney–client or professional relationship. License detection may be incomplete or wrong: it relies on GitHub's automated license detection, which can misidentify, miss dual-licensed or multi-component repos, ignore per-file headers, or fail when there's no recognizable LICENSE file. The copyleft-risk classes and "can I host it commercially?" verdicts are general summaries, not a determination for your specific use, jurisdiction, linking model, or distribution method. Always open and read the actual LICENSE file (and any NOTICE/COPYING files) yourself, and consult a qualified attorney before relying on any license for a commercial product. The tool is provided "as is," with no warranties of any kind; to the fullest extent allowed by law, fast2future is not liable for any loss arising from your use of it. The only data transmitted is the GitHub API request you trigger — see the note above the result.

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License & commercial-use FAQ

How do I check what license a GitHub repo uses for free?

Paste the repo's GitHub URL (or owner/repo) above and click Check. The tool calls GitHub's public API from your browser, detects the SPDX license, and returns a plain-English copyleft-risk class plus a clear answer on whether you can rebrand and host it commercially. No signup, nothing stored on a server.

Can I use an MIT or Apache-2.0 repo in a commercial product?

Generally yes. MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD, ISC, Unlicense, and 0BSD are permissive: use, modify, rebrand, and host commercially as long as you keep the original copyright/license notice (Apache-2.0 also asks you to note changes and grants a patent license). They don't force you to open-source your own code. Confirm by reading the LICENSE file.

What's the difference between permissive, weak copyleft, and strong copyleft?

Permissive (MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD, ISC) lets you do almost anything if you keep the notice. Weak/file-level copyleft (MPL-2.0, LGPL, EPL) requires sharing changes to the licensed files but lets the rest of your project stay closed. Strong copyleft (GPL) and network copyleft (AGPL) require the whole combined work — and for AGPL even a hosted service — to be released under the same license.

Is it safe to fork and rebrand a repo with no license?

No. A public repo with no license is not public domain — by default all rights are reserved to the author, so you have no permission to copy, modify, redistribute, or host it commercially. Treat "no license" as "do not reuse" until the author adds an open-source license or grants you written permission.

Can I host an AGPL-3.0 project as a commercial SaaS without sharing my code?

Usually not. AGPL-3.0 is network copyleft: if you run a modified version as a network service, you must offer your users the complete corresponding source under AGPL-3.0. That defeats most closed-source SaaS models — you'd need a separate commercial license from the copyright holder.

Does an open-source license mean the project is well maintained?

No — the license is about your legal rights, not upkeep. This tool also surfaces maintenance signals from the GitHub API (last push, archived flag, open issues, stars) so you can judge whether a repo is fresh, aging, stale, or archived. A permissive license on an abandoned repo is still a risk you take on.