Apache software is always available for download free of charge from Apache projects.
As a non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide open source
software for the public good at no cost, the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) ensures that
all Apache projects provide both source and (when available) binary releases
free of charge on our official Apache project download pages.
Our corporate bylaws explicitly state that Apache projects create
"open-source" software for distribution to the public at no charge.
Apache projects will never charge a fee for downloading or using their software.
Yes. Over 200 Apache projects and podlings provide software products that may be downloaded and used at no cost, including everything from the world-famous Apache HTTP Server, to Apache Hadoop, to Apache Lucene, to Apache OpenOffice, and many, many more.
Yes. Apache source code is always released under the Apache License, a pragmatic and permissive license that provides broad freedoms for users of our software. You can use the software for just about anything, whether using the product itself, or modifying the source code to change functionality, or to create new software products. The primary restriction in the license is protecting Apache trademarks: you generally may not use Apache trademarks or brands for your own software; that use is reserved to the ASF and Apache projects.
You can read about the Apache License for details, and learn more about the Legal Affairs Committee if you have questions.
Yes. The Apache License meets both the Open Source Initiative's (OSI) Open Source Definition, and the Free Software Foundation's definition of "free software".
These definitions ensure that the Apache license provides certain key freedoms to users of Apache software in terms of what you as a user may do with or use Apache source code or software
The Apache License does not prohibit other organizations for selling Apache software for money or for a profit. This may provide a useful service for certain users, for example for software distributed on a CD-ROM or a USB key. However in most cases, it's just as simple (and always free / at no cost) to download the Apache software directly from the appropriate Apache project.
In most cases, you can simply remember that Apache source code is always available free of charge from the appropriate Apache project directly. If you see a non-Apache.org website that is confusingly similar to the Apache brand, or leads consumers to believe that it is an official Apache website, you can read about the Apache Trademark Policy for our contact details.
Note that many other organizations sell their own branded software products that may include or be integrated with Apache software; this type of use is also permitted by our license. Similarly, many other organizations sell consulting, training, or other services or hosting related to Apache software. As long as these organizations aren't confusing users into believing the services or products are coming from Apache, they're generally OK.
The ASF provides a listing of all Apache projects and most Apache software products available. The best way to learn more about Apache projects is to ask questions on each Apache project's own mailing list. Mailing lists at Apache are also free to use by anyone, and are archived publicly for reference and searching as well.
