The quick answer
| License | Business and client sites | Visible credit needed | Change it | Main condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIT | Yes | No | Yes | Keep the license text in the files |
| CC BY 3.0 or 4.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Credit the author |
| CC BY-NC | No | Yes | Yes | Non-commercial only |
| GPL | Yes | No | Yes | Share under the GPL if you distribute it |
| Marketplace regular license | Yes, one end product | No | Yes | One license per site, free for visitors |
| CC0 | Yes | No | Yes | No conditions at all |
| StyleShout template license | Yes | Yes | Yes | Credit link; no redistributing the template |
| Personal use only | No | Varies | Varies | Not for business |
MIT License
The MIT License lets anyone use, copy, change, merge, publish, share and even sell the code, as long as the copyright notice and the license text are included with it (MIT License). For a website template that means you can use it for your own business or a paying client and change everything. Leave the LICENSE file in your project folder. You do not need a visible credit on the page.
Templates from Start Bootstrap, Tailwind Toolbox, Creative Tim's free kits and AdminLTE use the MIT License.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)
CC BY lets you share and adapt the work for any purpose, including commercially, as long as you give appropriate credit, link to the license and indicate if changes were made (CC BY 3.0). For templates, credit usually means a small "Design by" link in the footer.
HTML5 UP templates use CC BY 3.0. Their license page says you can use the templates for personal and commercial work and change them however you like, as long as you credit HTML5 UP, and points to its paid Pixelarity plan if you want to drop the credit (HTML5 UP license).
Custom licenses (for example StyleShout)
Some makers write their own license. StyleShout's lets you use its free templates in personal and commercial projects and change them freely, but you must give a visible credit link to styleshout.com, and you may not sell or redistribute the templates, even for free (StyleShout license). That is why we link to StyleShout to download them.
CC0
CC0 means the authors waived their rights as far as the law allows. The classic GitHub Pages themes use CC0, so you can use them with no conditions.
CC BY-SA and CC BY-NC
CC BY-SA adds "share alike": if you share your changed version, it must use the same license. CC BY-NC means non-commercial: not for a business site or paid client work.
GPL
Most WordPress themes are licensed under the GPL. You can use and change them on your own sites. If you distribute the theme (sell it or give it away), you must pass on the same freedoms, including the source code.
Marketplace licenses (for example ThemeForest)
Envato's marketplaces sell items under a Regular License or an Extended License. Both cover a single end product. The Regular License fits an end product that is free for its visitors, such as a business website; the Extended License fits an end product that is sold or where users pay for access (Envato license FAQ). Freelancers buy one license per client site.
Images, fonts and icons have their own licenses
A template's code license does not always cover the photos in its demo. Many demos use stock photos with their own terms, and fonts and icon sets have separate licenses. The safest habit: replace demo photos with your own or with images whose license you have checked.
Check a license in 30 seconds
Use our license checker: pick the license and what you want to do, and get a plain yes or no.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. When the stakes are high, read the full license or ask a lawyer.
