With the release of LynxKite 5.4 we are changing the license of LynxKite from AGPL to Apache 2.0.
When we originally released LynxKite as open-source, we chose the AGPL license. AGPL is even stronger than normal GPL: it requires sharing the source code not only when someone distributes the software, but also when they run it as a service. Since LynxKite works great as an online service, AGPL was a natural choice.
AGPL allows anyone to run LynxKite for free locally or as a service. They just need to disclose their modifications. This sounds great on paper, but in practice it is a barrier to adoption. We have heard from multiple clients that the policies of their IT departments make it practically impossible to deploy AGPL software. With the growing need for graph RAG and graph+LLM solutions, the calls for a more permissive license have become louder.
Our new license, Apache 2.0 is a popular open-source license that is widely accepted in the industry. Not only does it allow companies to use LynxKite without sharing their modifications, it even provides some protection for them against patent lawsuits.
We believe that this change will make Lynxkite as popular with enterprises as it has been with the many data scientists and students who used it to solve a diverse set of graph AI challenges.
The license change is in PR #416. You can also find details for accessing the AGPL-licensed version after this change in that PR.