License

Business Source License 1.1

Orch8 uses the Business Source License 1.1 (BUSL-1.1) — the same license used by MariaDB, CockroachDB, Sentry, and HashiCorp. It protects the project while keeping the source code available and free for the vast majority of users.

The short version

You CAN

✓Use Orch8 in production for your own applications
✓Self-host for your team, company, or clients
✓Modify the source code for your needs
✓Build commercial products powered by Orch8
✓Use it in internal tools, microservices, and pipelines
✓Read, study, and learn from the source code

You CANNOT

✗Offer Orch8 as a hosted workflow service to third parties
✗Embed Orch8 inside your SaaS and sell access to it
✗Resell Orch8 as a managed platform

These restrictions only apply if you are competing directly with Orch8's own hosted offering. If in doubt, ask us.

License parameters

LicensorOrch8.io

Licensed WorkOrch8 workflow engine

LicenseBusiness Source License 1.1 (BUSL-1.1)

Additional Use GrantYou may use the Licensed Work for any purpose except offering it to third parties as a hosted or embedded workflow orchestration service that competes with Orch8 Cloud.

Change DateFour years from each release date. After the Change Date, the license for that release converts automatically to Apache License 2.0.

Change LicenseApache License 2.0

Common scenarios

I'm a startup using Orch8 to run my internal workflows

Fully permitted. No license needed. You can self-host Orch8, modify it, and use it in production for your own business.

I'm building a SaaS product and Orch8 runs my backend workflows

Fully permitted. As long as your product is not itself a workflow orchestration service, you're free to use Orch8 as your backend infrastructure.

I'm an agency deploying Orch8 for my clients

Permitted. You can install and configure Orch8 for clients. Each client self-hosts their own instance.

I want to offer a managed workflow platform built on Orch8

This requires a commercial license. Contact us at hello@orch8.io for OEM/white-label pricing.

I want to embed Orch8 inside my product so my customers can build workflows

This requires a commercial license. This is the specific use case BUSL-1.1 restricts — offering the engine's capabilities as a service to third parties.

I'm a contributor — can I fork and modify the code?

Yes. You can fork, modify, and run modified versions for any permitted use. You cannot redistribute modified versions as a competing hosted service.

Automatic conversion to Apache 2.0

Every release of Orch8 automatically converts to the Apache License 2.0 four years after its release date. Once converted, there are no restrictions — you can use, modify, distribute, and embed that version for any purpose, including competing services.

This means the BUSL-1.1 restriction is temporary. It exists to give us a window to build a sustainable business around Orch8 while keeping the source code available from day one.

Commercial license

If your use case falls outside the BUSL-1.1 grant — for example, embedding Orch8 in a managed platform or white-labeling it — we offer commercial licenses with terms tailored to your needs.

Commercial licenses include:

—OEM / white-label rights to embed Orch8 in your product
—Redistribution rights for managed hosting
—Priority support and SLA guarantees
—Custom integrations and dedicated infrastructure

Full license text

The full BUSL-1.1 license text is available in the engine repository. The canonical specification of the Business Source License 1.1 is maintained by MariaDB at mariadb.com/bsl11.

This page is a summary for convenience. In case of any conflict between this page and the license text in the repository, the repository version controls.