License
Tessera is source-available, not open source. The full source code lives on GitHub — anyone can read it, fork it, contribute. But the right to use Tessera depends on what you use it for.
TL;DR
- Personal, learning, OSS, non-profit, government → free. PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0.
- Client work, SaaS, internal for-profit tools → paid. Solo / Studio / Enterprise tier — see Pricing.
- Generated code is yours in both cases.
Why "source-available" and not "open source"
The Open Source Initiative reserves the term open source for licences that allow commercial use without restriction. PolyForm Noncommercial does not — it explicitly excludes commercial use. Calling it "open source" would be both factually wrong and insulting to people who actually maintain OSS licences.
So we use the accurate phrase: source-available. You get to read it, fork it, build with it personally; you pay for the right to deploy it commercially. We think that's a fair trade and we say so plainly.
Two lanes
| Noncommercial — free | Commercial — paid | |
|---|---|---|
| Personal projects, hobby sites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learning, research, university | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open-source contribution | ✓ | ✓ |
| Non-profits, schools, government | ✓ | ✓ |
| Client work for pay (agency / freelance) | ✗ | ✓ |
| SaaS or revenue-generating product | ✗ | ✓ |
| Internal tools for a for-profit company | ✗ | ✓ |
| Source access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Contribute upstream | ✓ | ✓ |
| Generated code is yours | ✓ | ✓ |
| Updates | latest published version | guaranteed during term |
| Support | GitHub issues, community | tier-defined |
| Written grant for audits | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cost | €0 | from €249 / yr |
Full terms: PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 · Commercial License Agreement.
Frequent questions
Can I use Tessera to build my personal blog?
Yes — personal use is always free. You don't owe anyone anything.
Can I use it to learn Laravel/Filament?
Yes — educational use is free, including bootcamps and university courses.
Can I build a client's e-commerce site with it?
That is commercial use — you need a paid licence. Even one paying client triggers the commercial tier.
Can I use it inside my employer's company on internal tools?
If your employer is a for-profit company and the tool is part of how it makes money — yes, commercial. The Studio tier is the usual fit.
Can I contribute to Tessera without a license?
Yes — open-source contributions don't require a licence. Pull requests, issues, docs improvements — all free, and welcome.
What about the generated code?
It is yours, in both lanes. The licence covers the Tessera installer itself — not the projects it creates. You can sell, fork, open-source, or keep private anything Tessera generates. See Commercial License § 5.
Can I redistribute or repackage Tessera?
No — neither lane allows redistributing Tessera as part of another product or as a hosted service. That's an OEM/redistribution arrangement; talk to us via Enterprise contact.
I bought a Solo licence and now my team is 5 people. What do I do?
Upgrade to Studio. The difference is prorated for the remaining months. There's no penalty for outgrowing a tier — only for ignoring it.
Does Tessera "phone home" to verify my licence?
No. There is no licence server, no telemetry by default, no dial-back. The licence is honour-based. We may ask you, in writing, to confirm developer counts during a friendly audit (Commercial License § 8) — but the CLI itself does not check.
Buying a commercial licence
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Full legal text
- PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0 — applies to noncommercial use.
- Tessera Commercial License Agreement — applies once you purchase a tier.