This post is part of a special blog series covering key announcements, sessions, and behind-the-scenes moments from Pimcore Inspire 2025 in Salzburg, Austria. We’ll be updating this space with links to all related posts as they go live — so you can follow along with everything that’s happening during this unforgettable event. Because yes — this is huge. 🚀
As of Pimcore Platform Version 2025.1, the Pimcore Community Edition is no longer licensed under GPLv3, but under the new Pimcore Open Core License (POCL). This shift is a strategic response to the growing complexity of software compliance in enterprise environments — and a move toward more clarity, confidence, and commercial freedom.
POCL retains the spirit of openness while removing legal friction. It allows users to access, customize, and build on Pimcore — but introduces clear boundaries to avoid compliance risks associated with GPLv3’s “viral” nature. The result is a future-proof, business-ready license that still welcomes community participation and contribution.
Read on to understand the why, what, and how — and learn how this change supports your ability to scale with Pimcore.
Important note: This licensing change only affects users of the free and open-source Pimcore Community Edition previously licensed under GPLv3. If you're already using a Pimcore Professional Edition or Enterprise Edition under a commercial agreement, nothing changes for you. Your existing contracts, rights, and usage terms remain fully intact — POCL has no impact on your deployment or support.
With Pimcore 2025.1, we’re making one of the most important updates in our platform’s history: We are transitioning from GPLv3 to the Pimcore Open Core License (POCL). Version 2024.4 is the last release under GPLv3. All future versions will be licensed under POCL.
The GPLv3 served us well — enabling our open-source beginnings and fueling an incredible community. But times have changed. Today’s enterprises face a very different landscape, with strict compliance rules, security audits, and growing legal scrutiny over software dependencies. We’re evolving to meet those needs — and to support yours.
The GPLv3 was designed to protect software freedom through strong copyleft obligations. However, these same protections often backfire in enterprise environments:
They create legal uncertainty.
They require extensive audits and approvals.
They risk "license contamination" — where proprietary code may unintentionally become subject to open-source disclosure.
Legal and procurement teams frequently push back on GPLv3, which can slow or even block digital transformation efforts. As new regulations (like NIS2 in Europe) require clearer software governance, these issues are only growing. For many organizations, the message from legal teams is simple: “No GPL, no go.”
The Pimcore Open Core License (POCL) is our answer to that challenge. It’s designed to provide open access and development flexibility — without the legal overhead.
POCL gives you:
Access to the full source code for Pimcore Platform and Pimcore Studio
The ability to customize, extend, and build commercial solutions
The freedom to keep your own work private or share it on your own terms
A clear legal boundary between your proprietary work and Pimcore’s core
At the same time, POCL introduces safeguards to ensure fairness:
No redistribution of Pimcore core as a SaaS without a commercial OEM license
No combining POCL code with GPLv3 components (to prevent license conflicts)
Revenue-based thresholds: Free for companies earning under €5M annually, with a simple path to commercial licensing as you grow
In short, POCL is about open development with business clarity — a license built for how modern teams actually operate.
We want to be crystal clear about one thing: Pimcore remains open and community-driven. Everything you love about Pimcore’s collaborative model stays the same:
Public GitHub repositories remain public
GitHub Discussions, Issues, and Pull Requests are fully active
Our Contributor License Agreement (CLA) continues to govern contributions
Community contributions are still welcome and celebrated
Openness isn’t about a license label — it’s about access, transparency, and participation. And all of that stays 100% intact. What’s changed is the legal framework around the core — to give you more confidence and freedom to build with Pimcore at scale.
If you’ve developed Pimcore extensions under GPLv3, don’t worry — there’s a smooth migration path, and you stay in control of your code.
Here’s how it works:
If you own the code, you can relicense it under POCL — no rewrite required.
Dual-versioning is allowed: Maintain a GPLv3 version for Pimcore ≤ 2024.4, and a POCL version for 2025.1+.
Mixing GPLv3 and POCL code is prohibited: Keep those environments separate to avoid compliance issues.
If relicensing isn’t possible (e.g., third-party GPL code), you can either refactor, isolate, or request relicensing permission.
We've published a complete 5-step POCL migration guide in our whitepaper to walk you through every scenario.
Whether you’re a solo developer, digital agency, or global enterprise, POCL brings real, practical benefits:
No forced open-sourcing of your proprietary work
Legal clarity that simplifies audits and vendor onboarding
Commercial flexibility to monetize extensions, build solutions, or scale services
Better alignment with security, privacy, and compliance frameworks
And if you're just starting out? POCL Community Edition is free until your revenue reaches EUR/USD 5 million.
If you want to explore the details, we’ve got you covered: