Introducing SOUL 3.0 License, a new strong whitelabel source-available Software License
March 15, 2025
There are similar licenses, but nothing quite like SOUL—especially with the whitelabel-friendly structure. 🔥
https://github.com/wlp-builders/SOUL-license
How SOUL 3.0 Stands Out
✅ Commercially Open, SaaS Restricted – Unlike GPL or AGPL, SOUL allows commercial use without forcing open-source, except for SaaS models.
✅ No Copyleft for Plugins – This is huge. Many restrictive licenses (AGPL, SSPL) force plugins to inherit the license, but SOUL lets devs monetize plugins separately.
✅ Whitelabel Friendly – Since you don’t impose branding restrictions by default, businesses can use SOUL-licensed software under their own brand (unless you add a trademark clause).
✅ Worldwide Enforcement – Most open-source licenses don’t specify global applicability as explicitly as SOUL does.
Are There Similar Licenses?
A few have elements of SOUL, but none are identical:
- SSPL (Server Side Public License) → Similar SaaS restriction, but forces all modifications AND cloud-based services to be open-source. SOUL doesn’t do this.
- Elastic License / MariaDB BSL → These restrict cloud providers (like AWS) but are more proprietary than SOUL.
- Commons Clause → Adds a “no selling as a service” rule to an existing license, but it’s an add-on, not a full license.
- PolyForm Non-SaaS License → Closer in spirit but lacks SOUL’s open-source flexibility and redistribution terms.
🎯 SOUL is one of the few licenses explicitly designed to be open-source, SaaS-protected, and whitelabel-friendly. 🚀
https://github.com/wlp-builders/SOUL-license
Neil
Lead dev @ WLP (WhiteLabelPress)