Why this open source license comparison?

At EasyData, we regularly receive questions from people struggling with choosing the right open source license. “Which license should I choose for my project?”, or “Can I use this software freely within my organization?”, “Can I use this commercially?” “What does copyleftCopyleft is an application of copyright law that gives the public the freedom to modify and redistribute a work and all derivative works, while making it impossible to redistribute the work or derivative works under conditions that restrict that freedom actually mean?” This confusion is understandable, the open source landscape seems complex, but with the right information it becomes clear.

The reality is that many companies are unnecessarily cautious or overly optimistic about what is possible. Some avoid all GPL-licensed software out of fear of legal problems, while others unknowingly use restrictive licenses in commercial products. Both scenarios cost time, money, and opportunities.

At EasyData, we have 25+ years of experience navigating these choices. We see daily how the right license strategy accelerates innovation, while the wrong choice can delay projects. That’s why we created this practical comparison – no legal jargon, but concrete guidance for businesses.

The main misconceptions we encounter

Complete comparison: open source licenses for 2025

The most important open source licenses analyzed based on suitability:

Complexity legend: 🟢 = Simple, 🟡 = Medium, 🔴 = Complex

Legal implications may vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a legal expert for specific implementations and commercial applications.

Which license fits your project?

Organizations regularly get stuck on unexpected license restrictions in their document processing stack. As technicians, we often see projects that get stuck halfway through because nobody really read the fine print. We know the situation ourselves of wanting to integrate our own OCR technology into a SaaS product, but then discovered that the solution was suddenly no longer free for commercial enterprise use. EasyData preferably uses permissive open source libraries (MIT/Apache 2.0) in our architecture, with clear documentation about what is and isn’t allowed. Our architecture prevents vendor lock-in, so your data remains your data, and you can always switch later without technical or legal problems.

Our recommendation based on 25+ years of experience:

Still in doubt? EasyData helps organizations choose the right open source stack for their application. We analyze not only your tech stack and compliance requirements, but also the total cost of ownership. Open source seems free, but security patches, dependency updates and breaking changes cost on average more than a comparable commercial alternative. We calculate in advance what the actual maintenance costs will be, so your IT budget has no surprises.

Our managed service takes the maintenance off your hands: automatic updates, security monitoring and backwards compatibility.
The result: predictable costs, no vendor lock-in, and a document processing solution that scales without your developers constantly busy with maintenance.

💡 Smart advice: Send us your project details and we’ll advise you which license fits best, 25+ years of expertise that protects you from costly mistakes.