EMQX Adopts Business Source License to Accelerate MQTT + AI Innovation →

EMQX Licensing FAQ

We recently announced that starting with EMQX version 5.9.0, we will be consolidating our product offerings and adopting the Business Source License (BSL) 1.1 for future releases of EMQX. We understand that license changes can raise questions, and we want to be transparent about why we are making this change and what it means for our users and community.

EMQX began as an open-source project in 2013, and we founded the commercial company in 2017. Our commitment to openness and transparency has always been core to our identity. This led us to make our previously closed-source Enterprise version source-available under BSL 1.1 in April 2023 (starting with v5.0), while maintaining the Apache 2.0 license for our open-source version.

This next step – consolidating onto BSL 1.1 – allows us to simplify our offerings, deliver all features (including former Enterprise features) to our entire community, and ensure the sustainable development of EMQX for years to come.

Below are answers to questions you might have about this change.

1. What is changing?

  • Starting with version 5.9.0, EMQX will be distributed under the Business Source License (BSL) 1.1.
  • We are consolidating our previous Open Source (Apache 2.0) and Enterprise (BSL 1.1) editions into a single, unified source-available offering under BSL 1.1.
  • The BSL 1.1 license for EMQX includes an "Additional Use Grant" that permits free production use of a single EMQX node.

2. What exactly is BSL 1.1?

  • The BSL 1.1 is a source-available license. It grants rights to copy, modify, create derivative works, redistribute, and make non-production use of the licensed work.
  • It allows free production use under specific conditions defined in the "Additional Use Grant" (see §4).
  • It includes a "Change Date," after which the license converts to a permissive open-source license (Apache License, Version 2.0 in our case). For EMQX under BSL 1.1, this Change Date is four years after the publication date of a specific version.
  • The primary limitation under BSL is typically around offering the software commercially as a hosted or embedded service.

3. Why is EMQX adopting BSL 1.1?

  • One Platform, zero feature gaps. We want to eliminate the confusion between two different versions (Open Source vs. Enterprise) and offer a single, powerful EMQX product to everyone. This change allows us to make all features, including those previously exclusive to the Enterprise edition, available to our entire user base under the BSL.
  • Sustainability: Like many commercial open-source companies, we need a model that allows free and open use while reserving large‑scale commercial hosting for paid tiers. BSL helps us achieve this balance, ensuring we can continue investing heavily in R&D and supporting the project.
  • Transparency: We remain committed to transparency. By adopting BSL 1.1 across the board, the source code for all features will be available, continuing the move we started in April 2023 with the Enterprise edition.

4. What does the Additional Use Grant allow?

  • Single‑node production: You may run single-node (any size) instances of EMQX in production for free, as long as you do not offer EMQX itself “as‑a‑service” or embed it in a product sold to third parties.
  • Education & non‑profits: Accredited academic institutions and legally recognized non‑profit organizations may operate EMQX in production without node limits, provided usage is non‑commercial.

5. Can I deploy more than one EMQX server for free?

  • You can deploy any number of independent single-node instances of EMQX under the BSL 1.1 license.
  • You cannot connect multiple nodes into a cluster (clustering requires a commercial license).
  • You cannot offer EMQX as a hosted service to third parties or embed it in products sold to third parties.

6. Is EMQX still open source?

  • Strictly speaking, BSL 1.1 is classified as "source-available" rather than "Open Source" as defined by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), mainly due to the restriction on certain production uses.
  • However, it retains many key principles of open source: the source code is publicly available, users can modify and distribute the code (within the license terms), and it eventually converts to a true OSI-approved open-source license (Apache 2.0).
  • We remain deeply committed to the spirit of open source: transparency, community collaboration, and enabling users to build great things with EMQX.

7. How to upgrade from Opensource edition to Enterprise edition

  • Apply for a license key here.
  • Upgrade your current Opensource edition to Enterprise edition at the same version. For example, upgrade from EMQX v5.8.6 to EMQX Enterprise e5.8.6. Refer to the documentation for more details.
  • Upgrade from Enterprise from the base version (e.g. e5.8.6) to latest version (e.g. e5.9.0) by following the rolling upgrade steps.

8. What versions of EMQX are affected?

  • This license change applies to EMQX versions 5.9.0 and later.
  • Older versions of EMQX released under the Apache 2.0 license will remain under the Apache 2.0 license.
  • EMQX Enterprise versions from 5.0.0 up to 5.8.x were already under BSL 1.1 and remain so.

9. How does this affect me if I use the current Apache 2.0 open-source version?

  • You can continue using existing Apache 2.0 versions of EMQX indefinitely under the Apache 2.0 license terms.
  • If you upgrade to EMQX v5.9.0 or later, you will be subject to the BSL 1.1 terms.
  • Under BSL 1.1, you can still use EMQX v5.9.0+ freely for development, testing, and non-production purposes.
  • For production use, the "Additional Use Grant" allows you to run single-node instances of EMQX v5.9.0+ for free.
  • If you need to run EMQX v5.9.0+ in a cluster mode (more than one node), or if your use involves offering EMQX as a hosted/embedded service to third parties, you will need a commercial license.

10. How does this affect me if I use the current Enterprise version?

  • Your existing Enterprise license terms remain valid for the versions they cover.
  • When you upgrade to v5.9.0 or later, the underlying commercial license key remains compatible. The primary change is the consolidation of codebases and the potential availability of features under the standard BSL terms (plus Additional Use Grant) rather than requiring a specific Enterprise purchase for access (though scale/hosting still requires a commercial license beyond the grant). Your commercial agreement likely already covers the use cases restricted by BSL. Please consult your existing agreement or contact our sales team.

11. What constitutes "offering the Licensed Work to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis"?

  • The license defines this as "providing the Licensed Work as a service or integrating it into a product or solution offered to third parties."
  • Examples include:
    • SaaS / PaaS offerings that expose EMQX as a managed MQTT service without a commercial agreement.
    • Embedded redistribution of EMQX inside a commercial product sold to third parties (e.g., bundling EMQX in an industrial gateway you sell).
  • Using EMQX this way requires either an EMQX Cloud plan or a Commercial license.

12. What if I need to run an EMQX cluster (more than one EMQX node)?

  • If your deployment requires a cluster of more than one EMQX node (for high availability, scalability, etc.) using version 5.9.0 or later, you will need a commercial license or EMQX Cloud subscription.

13. Are there exceptions for specific user groups?

  • Yes, the BSL 1.1 Additional Use Grant includes a provision for educational and non-profit use: "Educational users (e.g., accredited academic institutions) and non-profit organizations (as defined by applicable law) may use the Licensed Work in a production environment without restriction, provided such use is not for commercial profit." This allows broader free production use for these qualifying organizations.

14. What happens after the "Change Date"?

  • Four years after the release date of a specific EMQX version (e.g., v5.9.0), the license for that version automatically converts from BSL 1.1 to Apache License, Version 2.0. At that point, all BSL restrictions fall away for that specific version, and it becomes fully open source.

15. Can I still contribute to EMQX?

  • Yes, we welcome and value community contributions. Contributions will be subject to our Contributor License Agreement (CLA), ensuring the code submitted can be incorporated under the BSL 1.1 license.

16. Where can I find the new license text?

  • The full text of the Business Source License 1.1 as applied to EMQX v5.9.0+ is available in the code repository on GitHub.

17. Who can I contact if I have more questions or need a commercial license?

  • For further questions about licensing or to inquire about a commercial license, please contact our sales team via contact page or email (sales@emqx.io).

We believe this change is a positive step forward, enabling us to deliver more value to our entire community while building a sustainable business that can support EMQX long into the future. We thank you for your continued support and trust in EMQX.

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