Open Source License Generator

Generate open source license files (MIT, Apache, GPL, BSD) with project name and author customization.

Tested tool guide Tested browser tools Checked August 16, 2026

What Open Source License Generator does and how it behaves

This generator turns a chosen MIT, Apache, GPL, or BSD option into license-file text customized with your project and author details. It is useful after you know which license you want and need a repository-ready draft with the identifying fields filled in. It does not decide which license fits your code, dependencies, or distribution plans. The most important surprise is that names such as GPL and BSD can refer to multiple versions or variants, so the exact title shown in the generated text matters.

How the result is produced

Choose and customize

First select one of the offered license choices: MIT, Apache, GPL, or BSD. Enter the project name and author information requested by the form. The selection determines the license text, while the entered values populate identifying fields or notices in that text. They do not turn one license into another or alter its core grant and conditions.

Review the license file

Inspect the generated license name, any stated version or BSD variant, the spelling of the author's name, the project name, and every remaining placeholder before using the result. Generation happens entirely in the browser, so the entered identity and project information is not uploaded. Place the reviewed text where recipients of the source can find its applicable terms.

Good uses

Creating a LICENSE file for a new public repository after its maintainers have already selected MIT and need the intended project and author information inserted.
Preparing an Apache, GPL, or BSD license draft for review without manually finding a reference copy and searching through it for fields that need customization.
Correcting a license draft before release after discovering that a previously copied template contains a sample holder name, an outdated project name, or unfilled placeholders.

Limits and checks

The generator does not assess whether the selected license is compatible with the project's dependencies, contribution model, employer ownership rules, or planned distribution. License selection remains a separate decision.
GPL and BSD each identify license families rather than one unambiguous text. Confirm the exact GPL version or BSD variant displayed by the result instead of relying only on the short selector label.
A generated license cannot grant rights to code, media, or dependencies that the named author does not control. It also does not automatically satisfy separate attribution, notice, source-distribution, or contributor requirements.

Common questions

Will this tool tell me which license I should use?

No. The generator produces text for the option you select; it does not determine whether permissive, copyleft, patent, redistribution, or source-availability terms fit your project. Read the exact candidate license, check compatibility with dependencies and contribution policies, and obtain qualified advice when ownership, employer rights, or commercial distribution makes the choice consequential.

Is placing the generated text in LICENSE all I need to do?

Not always. A repository-level LICENSE is an important statement of terms, but the chosen license or the project's circumstances may call for copyright notices, source-file headers, a NOTICE file, attribution, an offer of source, or other materials. The generator creates the selected license text; verify the exact license's instructions and your release contents separately.

References and verification

The behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.