ScyllaDB Shift to Source-Available Licensing FAQs

ScyllaDB has decided to focus on a single release stream – ScyllaDB Enterprise. Starting with the ScyllaDB Enterprise 2025.1 release (ETA Q1 2025):

ScyllaDB Enterprise will change from closed source to source available.
ScyllaDB OSS AGPL 6.2.x will stand as the final OSS AGPL release.
A free tier of the full-featured ScyllaDB Enterprise will be available to the community. This includes all the performance, efficiency, and security features previously reserved for ScyllaDB Enterprise.
For convenience, the existing ScyllaDB Enterprise 2024.2 will gain the new source available license starting from our next path release (in December), allowing easy migration of older releases.
The source available Scylla Manager will move to AGPL and the closed source Kubernetes multi-region operator will be merged with the main Apache-licensed ScyllaDB Kubernetes operator.
Other ScyllaDB components (e.g., Seastar, Kubernetes operator, drivers) will keep their current licenses.

Can I still use ScyllaDB OSS for free?

Yes. You can continue using ScyllaDB OSS 6.2.x or any previous release. Note that ScyllaDB Open Source 6.2.x is expected to be the final minor version under AGPL and no further releases are planned under that license.

Who is eligible for the “free tier” of ScyllaDB Enterprise? How is the 10TB/50vCPU limit defined?

Starting with ScyllaDB Enterprise 2025.1, the full-featured ScyllaDB Enterprise will be available for free with a 10TB limitation (total hard drive space of all ScyllaDB servers per organization).
The maximum total amount of virtual CPUs (vCPUs, hyperthreads) of all servers across all clusters is 50. The logic is to provide a free tier for small-medium size deployment which can do approximately 200,000 operations per second (this isn’t the limit).

For example, a cluster of 3 nodes, each having 3TB of disk space with 16 vCPUs each, is permitted under the free tier. Such a cluster can run 100k-200k operations per second.
5 clusters of 3 nodes each, with 0.5TB in each node and 2 vCPUs, is permitted too.

Docker deployment for testing, continuous integration and other means should be within the same terms while the limits apply to the resources exposed to the container/virtualized environment and not the whole host. The motivation is to allow you flexibility in your deployments.

How will you check and monitor the 10TB/50vCPU limit?

Initially, the terms of the license are based on trust and lawful usage. In the future, we may add a license manager; if so, paid and free usage of ScyllaDB Enterprise will require a license key. Telemetry may be required to measure the usage volume. We will not surprise you with enforcement without prior communication.

What if I need to temporarily cross the 10TB/50vCPU limit?

In general, that goes beyond the terms of the license. The best practice is to contact us so that we can evaluate your specific situation. If appropriate, temporary permits will be issued.

My organization is currently using ScyllaDB OSS and does not qualify for the Enterprise Free tier. What will happen if I don’t take action?

Nothing would happen. ScyllaDB 6.2.x and previous releases will remain under the AGPL in perpetuity. If you want to upgrade to ScyllaDB Enterprise and you do not qualify for the Free tier, please contact us for guidance. Old releases will not receive bug fixes or new functionality.

How does this impact the ScyllaDB release lifecycle?

The rapid release and short lifecycle of ScyllaDB OSS will be retired with ScyllaDB Open Source 6.2.x. ScyllaDB Enterprise will move to more frequent quarterly releases and a yearly long term support release. The naming convention of the Enterprise release will be maintained, using the – year-minor-patch release convention.

Will free users of ScyllaDB Enterprise have any functional limitations?

No. All features of ScyllaDB Enterprise will be available. For example, ICS, LDAP, KMIP, KMS encryption, PGO (35% faster compute), tablet file streaming, k8s operator multi-region, backup & restore using Scylla Manager, etc.

Does ScyllaDB distinguish between production and non-production workloads?

No. There is no distinction between production and non-production as it relates to licensing.

Can I use ScyllaDB to study it?

Yes.

Would ScyllaDB Source Available License allow code contributions?

Yes, as with the former license, we will allow contributions and a contributor license agreement (CLA) should be signed.

Does this mean ScyllaDB is no longer open source?

The source code for ScyllaDB Enterprise will become openly available under the new license. ScyllaDB will continue to contribute major components under various open source licenses. For example, seastar, ScyllaDB’s C++ core engine (Apache), ScyllaDB Kubernetes operator project (Apache), ScyllaDB Rust driver, etc. See https://github.com/scylladb for details. Apart from ScyllaDB Enterprise, those projects do not require a CLA.

Will bugs discovered in ScyllaDB OSS 6.2.x still be addressed?

Yes. ScyllaDB OSS 6.2.x bugs will continue to be addressed in the usual manner within the 6.2.x lifetime.

Where can I find the source code?

The source code will be available at https://github.com/scylladb/scylladb. Commit notes and comments will also be available in the same repo.

Will you offer any special accommodations for non-profits?

Please reach out to our team and we will be happy to contribute to worthy causes.

Will ScyllaDB offer a non-production license for Enterprise (e.g., for evaluation or testing)?

The free tier usage should allow evaluations. Evaluations that require larger volumes should be discussed with the sales team. All other non-production workloads are subject to the standard license terms.

Where will the source code be available for viewing? Will commit notes/comments from engineering be visible?

The source code is available at the same location as before: https://github.com/scylladb/scylladb. This is the original git tree. Commit notes and comments will also be available in the same repo. The ScyllaDB developer patch mailing list, Community Forum, and Slack channel will remain active.

Will customer issues become public?

Of course not. Customer issues are managed separately using a private system. There is no change in the public git repository; only the license change and previously closed-source code from ScyllaDB Enterprise becomes available.

Where can I review the new Source Available license terms?

The details will be available upon the release of ScyllaDB Enterprise 2025.1.

Who should I reach out to with additional questions or concerns?

If you need help evaluating the benefits of upgrading from your current ScyllaDB Open Source version to ScyllaDB Enterprise 2025.1, we invite you to connect with our team to discuss the potential business and technical advantages. Our technical experts are available for customized roadmap discussions focusing on your specific ScyllaDB workloads and use cases.

What Open Source Upgrade Paths Are Available?

OSS users will be able, and encouraged to upgrade from 6.2.x to 2025.1. Older OSS releases can upgrade to 2024.2. Read the upgrade documentation for more details.

Apache® and Apache Cassandra® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. Amazon DynamoDB® and Dynamo Accelerator® are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. No endorsements by The Apache Software Foundation or Amazon.com, Inc. are implied by the use of these marks.

Why ScyllaDB?

Is ScyllaDB right for me?

ScyllaDB University

Check out the ScyllaDB Blog