The idea is to connect two things people already care about: building good software and supporting good causes.
A project chooses the Purpose Source License for releases it has the authority to license. Its source stays available, and its community can keep working together through the repository.
Under the licence, larger organisations using software under this licence need a coverage record called an Entitlement. They pay an annual Purpose Fee for one project, or for every registered repository through the Pass.
The Association handles the payments and public records. The project does not need to build a billing system or run its own charity programme.
The licence's threshold requires both fewer than 100 employees and contractors and less than one million US dollars in annual revenue, assessed across the whole group in the prior tax year; non-profit and public bodies meet it whatever their size. Personal use is free when it is not on behalf of a larger organisation.
The threshold in fullAfter the processor's fee, only the published running costs and reserve retention may be deducted. The rest goes directly to listed public-benefit organisations.
Read the caps and the complete pledgeThe purpose is broad enough for different communities to find something they believe in.
Recipients must meet the published standard and appear on the board's Recipient List. The first list is still to be published.
How recipient selection works →Project administrators and contributors can choose among the seven categories or leave their share to the Association, which directs it each month to where it is most needed.
These choices are advisory. The board remains responsible for the final distribution and publishes the allocation rules.
The rules begin with a trial period: contributor choices are recorded without directing transfers. They become active only after at least a quarter of data and a published fairness and abuse review.
Contributors are recognised for their work; routed funds go to recipients, not to contributors or project owners.
Attribution, choices and privacy →Each release becomes available under Apache-2.0 four years after its publication. Previous releases keep the licence they already had.
A paid term permanently covers versions published by its end. Renewing extends that end date to include newer releases.
Purpose Source is source-available, not OSI-approved open source: use by larger organisations is conditional. That difference matters for adoption and procurement.
Compare the choices →The Association is founded, and Purpose Source License 1.0 was published on 2026-10-01. The next step for a project is to read it and discuss the fit. Licence credentials are sold through our online reseller Paddle. Checkout opens at launch; no payment is taken before then. The public registry opens with the first registered projects; waivers come with the platform’s claim process.