ScyllaDB is Changing its License from AGPL to Source Available

ScyllaDB is a distributed NoSQL wide-column database for data-intensive apps that require high performance and low latency. It is a drop in replacement for Apache Cassandra and Amazon DynamoDB.

ScyllaDB has Open source and Enterprise variants of its product, They follow open core model, where open source version is released under AGPL license. Enterprise product has more feature targeting for enterprise customers. 

They need to maintain two version of the product, feature and bug fixes has to go in two streams. Eventhough the base version is same for both, they are actually two different product. From development stand point, work is actually doubled and it is really hard for them to maintain.

Starting 2025, ScyllaDB will focus solely on ScyllaDB Enterprise and the code will be available as Source Available license. All features of Enterprise version will be available for public to try.

ScyllaDB Open Source version 6.2 will be its last release available under AGPL. To facilitate a smooth transition, the existing ScyllaDB Enterprise 2024.2 version will adopt the new source-available license starting with the patch release in December 2024. ScyllaDB other components, such as Seastar, the Kubernetes operator, and drivers, will retain their current licenses. 

Whether this license change is the right decision for ScyllaDB ?

Elastic search did the same but they quickly reverted back to AGPL. Open Source users want simple product with minimal features. They basically don't want enterprise version as it will be bulky and resource intensive. Enterprise version will also comes with more add-on components which open source users may not require.

From development and maintainence stand point, this is a good move from ScyllaDB but open source users might suffer. We need to wait and watch, how ScyllaDB license change is getting accepted in the open source world.