Is PostgreSQL free for commercial use? Yes. You can build a paid product on it, run it for paying customers or ship it inside your own software without paying a license fee. This post shows what the PostgreSQL License allows, the one condition it sets, and what it doesn’t cover, in plain words.
Before a team picks a database, someone usually asks whether it’s really free, or whether a bill arrives later. For PostgreSQL, the answer sits in a license that’s only a few paragraphs long, so you can check every claim below against the original.
Note: This post explains the license in plain words. It isn’t legal advice. For a specific product or contract, check with a lawyer.
Prerequisites
None. You don’t need PostgreSQL installed to read this post.
The Short Answer: Yes, PostgreSQL Is Free for Commercial Use
The PostgreSQL manual states that, because of its liberal license, anyone can use, modify and distribute PostgreSQL free of charge for any purpose, whether private, commercial or academic. The license itself is published on the License page of postgresql.org:
The page calls it a liberal Open Source license, similar to the BSD or MIT licenses. It has three parts: the copyright notices, one paragraph that grants permission, and two paragraphs of disclaimers. The sections below take them one at a time.
What the PostgreSQL License Lets You Do
The permission paragraph lets you use, copy, modify and distribute the software and its documentation for any purpose, without a fee and without a written agreement. Here’s what that means in practice:
| You want to | Allowed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Use PostgreSQL at work, for any project | Yes | The license allows any purpose, with no fee. |
| Build a paid app or website that stores its data in PostgreSQL | Yes | Using PostgreSQL is allowed for any purpose, and nothing in the license asks you to share your own app’s code. |
| Run PostgreSQL for paying customers, for example as a hosted service | Yes | Any purpose includes commercial services. |
| Change PostgreSQL’s source code and keep your changes private | Yes | The license doesn’t ask you to publish changes. The PostgreSQL FAQ says you can even resell binaries without the source code. |
| Ship PostgreSQL inside your own product, or sell copies of it | Yes, with one condition | The copyright notice and the license text must stay in the copies you hand on. |
| Put “PostgreSQL” in your product’s or company’s name | Needs approval | The names are trademarks, which the license doesn’t cover. See below. |
The One Condition: Keep the Copyright Notice
The license asks for one thing in return: the copyright notice and the license paragraphs must appear in all copies. In practice:
- When you hand someone a copy of PostgreSQL, for example inside your product’s installer or a container image, include the license text with it. The Open Source Initiative suggests a prominent file such as LICENSE, COPYRIGHT or COPYING.
- When your app only connects to a PostgreSQL server that you or your hosting provider run, you’re using PostgreSQL rather than handing out copies of it.
- The notice names two copyright holders: the PostgreSQL Global Development Group and the Regents of the University of California, where the project began.
What the Two Disclaimers Mean
The last two paragraphs are written in capital letters, which is common for legal disclaimers. In plain words:
- No liability: the University of California isn’t liable for damage or lost profits that come from using the software.
- No warranty: the software is provided “as is”, with no duty to provide maintenance, support, updates or fixes.
The FAQ sums it up: the only restriction is that you don’t hold the developers legally liable for problems with the software. If your business needs someone to answer to, companies sell commercial support, and postgresql.org lists them on its Professional Services page.
Is the PostgreSQL License Open Source?
Yes. The Open Source Initiative approved the PostgreSQL License in February 2010. Its short identifier, which you’ll see in software scanners and package files, is PostgreSQL.
Licenses like this one are called permissive: they let you do almost anything with the code, as long as you keep the notice. Copyleft licenses, by contrast, require software built from their code to be shared under the same license, with its source code. The PostgreSQL License has no such requirement.
Will the License Ever Change?
The License page answers this directly. The PostgreSQL Global Development Group says it remains committed to keeping PostgreSQL free and open-source software in perpetuity, and that there are no plans to change the license. The FAQ adds that the project has no controlling company: it’s directed by its community of developers and users.
What the License Doesn’t Cover
The PostgreSQL name and logo
The code is free, but the names Postgres and PostgreSQL, and the elephant logo called Slonik, are registered trademarks of the PostgreSQL Community Association of Canada. Its trademark policy allows fair use, such as naming PostgreSQL in articles and blogs, or saying truthfully that your software runs on PostgreSQL. Using the names in a company name, product name or domain name needs approval first.
Extensions and tools
Extensions and tools are separate projects with their own licenses, so check each one before you ship it. For example, pgAdmin 4, the graphical tool for PostgreSQL, is also released under the PostgreSQL License.
Paid services
Hosting, support and some extra tools cost money because companies sell them as services. A managed cloud database, for example, charges for the computing power, storage and management it provides. The PostgreSQL software stays free either way.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Thinking free means no conditions at all | PostgreSQL ships inside a product without its license text. | Include the license text with every copy of PostgreSQL you distribute. |
| Assuming every extension uses the same license | You ship an extension whose license sets different conditions. | Check each extension’s own license before you ship it. |
| Using PostgreSQL in a product or company name | You go against the trademark policy. | Ask for approval first, or describe your product as running on PostgreSQL. |
| Paying for a “PostgreSQL license” | You pay for something that’s free. | PostgreSQL itself costs nothing. Pay only for services you want, such as support or hosting. |
| Treating the PostgreSQL License like a copyleft license | You worry that you must publish your own code. | The PostgreSQL License doesn’t ask you to share your source code. |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A vendor quotes a fee for PostgreSQL. | The vendor sells its own distribution, support or hosting. | Ask exactly what the fee covers. PostgreSQL itself is free from postgresql.org/download. |
| Your legal team asks for the exact license terms. | They need the original text for a review. | Send them the License page on postgresql.org and the Open Source Initiative page for the PostgreSQL License. |
A software scanner reports a license called PostgreSQL. | That’s the license’s short identifier. | It’s the OSI-approved PostgreSQL License, so nothing is wrong. |
| You’re not sure whether a tool you use with PostgreSQL is free. | Tools and extensions have their own licenses. | Read the license on the tool’s own website, as in the pgAdmin example above. |
FAQ
Can I use PostgreSQL in a commercial product?
Yes. The license allows any purpose, including commercial use, with no fee. If you ship PostgreSQL itself as part of your product, include its license text.
Do I have to pay to use PostgreSQL in production?
No. There’s no fee for using PostgreSQL in production. You pay only if you choose a paid service, such as commercial support or a managed cloud database.
Do I have to publish my source code?
No. The PostgreSQL License doesn’t ask you to publish your own code, or even your changes to PostgreSQL.
Can I sell PostgreSQL?
Yes. The FAQ says users can even resell binaries without the source code. The copyright notice and the license text must stay in the copies you sell.
Is pgAdmin free too?
Yes. pgAdmin 4 is released under the PostgreSQL License as well.
Who owns the copyright?
The license names the PostgreSQL Global Development Group and the Regents of the University of California. No company controls the project.
Conclusion
PostgreSQL is free for commercial use. The PostgreSQL License lets anyone use, copy, change and distribute it for any purpose without a fee, as long as the copyright notice and license text stay with every copy. It comes with no warranty, the names and logo are trademarks with their own rules, and extensions bring their own licenses. With those points checked, you can build on PostgreSQL without a license bill.
Additional Resources
- PostgreSQL License on postgresql.org
- What Is PostgreSQL? in the PostgreSQL manual
- PostgreSQL FAQ, including its answer on the license
- The PostgreSQL License at the Open Source Initiative
- PostgreSQL Trademark Policy
- Professional Services for PostgreSQL
- pgAdmin licence
Related
Postgres, PostgreSQL and the Slonik Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of the PostgreSQL Community Association of Canada, and used with their permission.
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