In this article, I will explain exactly what MongoDB’s license means for your project, your startup, and your future compliance audits. I’ve seen teams migrate databases unnecessarily out of fear. Let’s make sure you fall into neither category.
Is MongoDB Open Source
The Short Answer: It is “Source-Available”
If you are just looking for a quick verdict, here it is:
MongoDB is technically NOT “Open Source”. It is “Source-Available.”
However, for 99% of users—students, hobbyists, and even most commercial startups building standard apps—it functions exactly like open source software. You can download it for free, view the code, modify it, and run it in production without paying a cent.
The restrictions only kick in if you are trying to do one specific thing: Sell a managed MongoDB service that competes with MongoDB Inc.
A Brief History
To understand where we are today, you have to understand where we came from. I remember back in 2017, MongoDB was licensed under the AGPL (Affero General Public License). This was a standard, OSI-approved open-source license.
But there was a problem in the market.
The “Amazon Loophole”
Cloud giants like AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure were taking the free, open-source MongoDB code and wrapping it into a paid service (like Amazon DocumentDB). They were making millions of dollars using MongoDB’s hard work without contributing a single line of code back to the community.
MongoDB Inc. realized it was effectively funding its own competitors.
So, in October 2018, they dropped the nuclear option. They switched their license from AGPL to the SSPL (Server Side Public License).
Understanding the SSPL (Server Side Public License)
The SSPL is the reason we have to have this conversation. It is a license created by MongoDB for MongoDB.
What the SSPL Actually Says
The SSPL is almost identical to the GPL (the license Linux uses), with one massive addition known as Section 13.
If you offer MongoDB as a service to others (i.e., you are building a database-as-a-service competitor), you must open-source your entire infrastructure stack that runs it—including your backups, monitoring, and management software.
This is a “poison pill” for cloud providers. There is no way Amazon is going to open-source their proprietary cloud infrastructure just to host MongoDB.
Why the OSI Rejected It
The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is the governing body that decides what “Open Source” means. They rejected the SSPL because it discriminates against a specific “field of endeavor” (cloud providers).
To be “True Open Source” (capital O, capital S), a license must allow anyone to use the software for anything, including selling it as a service without giving up their own secrets. Because SSPL restricts this, MongoDB lost its official “Open Source” badge.
Does This Affect Your Project?
This is the part where I see the most confusion. I have had CTOs ask me, “Do we need to buy a license if we use MongoDB for our SaaS app?”
The answer is almost always No.
Scenario A: You are building a standard Web/Mobile App
- Example: You are building a ride-sharing app for the US market. You use MongoDB to store user profiles and ride history.
- Verdict: You are safe. You can use the free Community Edition. You are not selling “MongoDB as a Service”; you are selling “Rides as a Service.” The SSPL does not trigger.
Scenario B: You are an Enterprise using it internally
- Example: A bank in New York uses MongoDB for internal fraud detection logs.
- Verdict: You are safe. You are not offering the database as a service to third parties.
Scenario C: The Danger Zone
- Example: You are a hosting company wanting to launch “SuperFast Mongo Hosting” and charge customers $50/month to host their databases.
- Verdict: STOP. You must either buy a commercial license from MongoDB Inc. or open-source your entire hosting platform.
Comparison: MongoDB vs. “True” Open Source
It helps to see how MongoDB stacks up against the other giants in the room.
| Feature | MongoDB (Community) | PostgreSQL | MySQL |
| License | SSPL (Source Available) | PostgreSQL License (MIT-style) | GPLv2 |
| OSI Approved? | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Free to use commercially? | ✅ Yes (with conditions) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Can you modify source code? | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Can you sell it as a Service? | ❌ No (unless you open source your stack) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Who owns the copyright? | MongoDB Inc. | The Community | Oracle |
The Three Flavors of MongoDB
When you go to download MongoDB, you will see different options. It is vital to pick the right one to avoid accidental compliance issues.
1. MongoDB Community Edition
This is the version we are discussing. It is free, source-available, and governed by the SSPL. For most of my clients, this is what they run on their own EC2 instances or Droplets.
2. MongoDB Enterprise Advanced
This is the proprietary version. It includes features that large US enterprises usually mandate, like LDAP integration, Kerberos security, and audit logs. You pay a hefty annual fee for this, and it comes with a standard commercial license (no SSPL weirdness).
3. MongoDB Atlas
This is their SaaS offering. You don’t worry about licenses here because you are renting the service. Interestingly, using Atlas is the easiest way to avoid any licensing headaches because you are paying MongoDB Inc. directly.
Pros and Cons of the SSPL Model
As someone who loves open source but understands business, I see both sides of the coin.
The Good
- Better Product: Because AWS can’t just steal the code, MongoDB Inc. makes more revenue. That revenue gets poured back into R&D. In my opinion, MongoDB has innovated much faster than many purely open-source projects in the last five years because they have the cash to hire top US engineering talent.
- Sustainability: It ensures the company creating the code actually survives.
The Bad
- Vendor Lock-in: Since you can’t easily move a MongoDB database to a cheaper, generic “managed mongo” provider (because they don’t exist due to the license), you are somewhat forced into using MongoDB Atlas if you want a managed service.
- Linux Distro Issues: Some strict open-source Linux distributions (like Red Hat or Debian) stopped including MongoDB in their default repositories because it isn’t “free software.” You have to install it manually.
Conclusion
So, is MongoDB open source? No.
Does it matter to you? Probably not.
Unless you are planning to launch a competitor to Amazon Web Services, the SSPL license acts effectively the same as a standard open-source license for your day-to-day development. You can build, scale, and monetize your applications using MongoDB Community Edition without fear.
However, words matter. When writing your company’s compliance documents or architecture briefs, use the term “Source Available” rather than “Open Source.” It shows you know what you are talking about.
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I am Bijay having more than 15 years of experience in the Software Industry. During this time, I have worked on MariaDB and used it in a lot of projects. Most of our readers are from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
Want to learn MariaDB? Check out all the articles and tutorials that I wrote on MariaDB. Also, I am a Microsoft MVP.
