[Qgis-user] QGIS Licensing in Production Development

[Vincent Picavet]

Hello,

On 09/12/2025 04:20, Mustafa Cayci via QGIS-User wrote:
> Dear QGIS Team,
>
> I am planning to build a commercial solution for my customers that uses QGIS together with an object detection model (YOLO). The idea is to:

There is a difference between "commercial" and "proprietary". Any OpenSource software can be "commercial" in nature, as it is allowed to sell it, sell service around it, or documentation… The commercial aspect is not impacted by opensource licences.

The business models are different though, as any end-user or other person obtaining the software is allowed to copy and redistribute it, leading to a situation where "licence-based" or "royalties-based" business models are not really possible.

Proprietary software is any software not respecting the 4 foundamental principles of OpenSource, usually by using a non-opensource ( non-OSI-approved ) licence.

> Use QGIS as the main GIS platform / interface,
> Integrate or call a YOLO-based object detection workflow (e.g., as a plugin, script, or external service),
> Package this as a solution that I sell to my customers (either as a service or as software they install).
>
> I would be grateful if you could clarify the following points:
>
> Licensing and redistribution
>
> QGIS is licensed under the GPL. Under what conditions may I bundle QGIS with my own code and distribute it as part of a commercial offering?

QGIS code is licenced under GPLv2 or later. Therefore, you can only bundle code that is compatible with GPL version 2 or version 3. As soon as other code is linked with QGIS ( e.g. a python plugin *importing* qgis modules, or c++ code dynamically linked by a compiler), then this code needs to be GPL-compatible. Also note that GPL version 2 and 3 are not compatible.

If you bundle QGIS and other codes *not linked*, but working together by other means, then the GPL "virality" does not apply.

> If I write a QGIS plugin that uses YOLO (for example, a Python plugin calling external inference code or a remote API), does this plugin also need to be GPL-licensed, or can it be under a different license?

Your plugin and any library/module it imports needs to be GPL compatible, therefore GPL or a more permissive licence ( e.g. MIT ).

> Are there specific requirements for how I should provide source code, notices, or license information when distributing QGIS together with my own software?

As far as licence compliance is required there is no specific requirement, you must provide access to source code, and licence informations for any user, but _how_ you do it is up to you. If you want to distribute your plugin, there may be additional requirement though, according to the platform you use.

> Commercial use and charging customers
>
> Am I allowed to charge customers for installation, customization, training, and ongoing support of a QGIS-based solution that includes my own YOLO-based object detection tools?

Yes, as said above, there is no commercial aspect in opensource software.

There are trademark rights for QGIS you have to comply with though :

https://qgis.org/community/organisation/guidelines/


All of this said, you should think twice about your business model and the way you will develop your activity and product. It is generally speaking not advised to fork projects. Maintenance costs will be your sole concern if you do not contribute anything back upstream. Also, packaging is a hard task and should not be taken lightly.

Also, keep in mind that you will necessarily be part of an ecosystem and a community, be it technical or economic. You should stay fair with it, and not act as a freeloader towards the QGIS community at large, the YOLO developers, or any other contributor who shares time and money for the public goods.


Hope this helps,


Vincent


> Thank you very much for your time.
> Mustafa
>
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