Obsidian License (freeware)
LicenseRef-Obsidian-LicenceFree, not open sourceNot an OSI-approved open-source licence
Not open source. Free for all use, including commercial; the commercial licence is optional. Sync and Publish are paid.
Verify with a lawyer. This is guidance, not legal advice. Check with a lawyer before deciding.
What the licence means per use case
The verdict applies to the licence family (Free, not open source). An individual product can have its own terms; you get the full per-product analysis when you sign in. Confidence: low.
| Use case | Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| U1 Self-hosted, internal use, unmodified | Conditions apply | Free to use under the vendor's terms; check that business use is allowed. |
| U2 Self-hosted and modified | Not allowed without an agreement | No right to modify: the source is not open. |
| U3 Novro hosts it for you (single-tenant) | Not allowed without an agreement | Hosting it for others needs the vendor's permission. |
| U4 Shared multi-tenant instance | Not allowed without an agreement | A shared hosted service needs the vendor's permission. |
| U5 In your cloud, managed by Novro | Conditions apply | Each user/organisation accepts the terms itself; check whether a managing party may install it for you. |
| U6 Redistribution (builds, images, appliances) | Not allowed without an agreement | Redistribution needs the vendor's permission. |
| U7 Commercial use | Conditions apply | Check whether the free tier covers commercial use; terms can change at any time. |
| U8 AI acceptable use (AUP, EU AI Act) | Not applicable | Not applicable to this licence type. |
Building on it: what may you do?
Short answers based on the licence, for the version in the catalog.
- B1 Change the code for internal use in your company No No. There is no source code and no right to modify.
- B2 Build your own product or service on top and offer it to customers as SaaS No No, not without the vendor's permission.
- B3 Make a closed-source derivative and sell or distribute it No No.
- B4 Use the project's name and trademark No No, not without permission. The licence covers the code, not the name or logo.
This is guidance, not legal advice. Check with a lawyer before deciding.
Common pitfalls
- Closed source. Notes are plain Markdown files, though, so you're not locked in.
- Third-party plugins have their own licences and full vault access; review them.
The licence text
- Read the official licence text
- More about the family: Free but not open source (freeware/proprietary)
Last reviewed:
Products in the catalog under LicenseRef-Obsidian-Licence
This is guidance, not legal advice. Check with a lawyer before deciding.