Elasticsearch did it in 2021, Hashicorp followed in 2023: They switched from open source licenses to a more restricted licensing model. And the trend goes on, unfortunately for Open Source enthusiasts like me; Redis has just announced to adopt commercial dual source licensing and ditching the previously used open source BSD license.
![Redis logo](https://www.geekersdigest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3398-redis-1024x342.png)
Starting yesterday, March 20th 2024, all future versions of Redis will be released with a dual-license: The Redis Source Available License (RSALv2) and Server Side Public License (SSPLv1).
Although the source code will continue to be available for free, the new license has a large effect on how Redis can be used. Hosting providers offering Redis as a service will no longer permitted to do so, unless they specifically agreed to the new licensing terms of Redis (which most likely can be translated to a paid license).
The reason, according to Redis Inc., is the lack of of managing commercial uses of Redis.
A questionnaire has been put together on the Redis announcement, giving answers as to WHY?, implications for developers and providers and more.