solderpad.org

One-line overview

solderpad.org is a platform focused on open hardware licensing services. Its core product, the “Open Hardware License,” is a customized extension based on the well-known Apache 2.0 license, mainly aimed at developers, teams, and companies working on open hardware projects. Launched by the solderpad.org team, it has a degree of recognition in the open hardware community and is noted for its suitability for hardware-specific materials such as design documents, schematics, and PCB layouts. Users typically choose it when they want legal protection that better fits hardware projects than general-purpose software licenses, while still following the spirit of open source and keeping code, design files, and documentation under a unified and compliant licensing model.

Business details

The core service provided by solderpad.org is the publication and management of an “Open Hardware License.” It is not a traditional SaaS tool or cloud service, but rather a legal framework and licensing template. Its background can be traced to the rise of the open hardware movement. With the success of projects such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi, hardware developers began looking for licenses similar to GPL and MIT in the software world to protect their designs from misuse or being closed off. The solderpad.org license was created in response to this need. It is based on Apache 2.0, but modified for the characteristics of hardware—for example, by clearly distinguishing between “design files” and “derivative works,” and by adding clarification around the licensing scope for “physical products.” In terms of industry position, the solderpad.org license has been adopted by a number of well-known open hardware projects, including some RISC-V chip designs and FPGA development boards. However, it is not the only standard in the market—competing options include CERN OHL and TAPR OHL. Its typical users include hardware startups, contributors in open source communities, and small to medium-sized companies that want to protect intellectual property without going fully closed-source.

Who it is best for

The solderpad.org license is best suited to the following user profiles. First are individual hardware developers, especially those publishing open hardware projects on GitHub or GitLab, who want to ensure that their design files—such as KiCad or Eagle project files—are not simply taken by commercial companies for production without giving anything back to the community. Second are small teams, such as 2–5 person hardware startups, that need a license balancing openness with commercial protection to prevent competitors from directly copying PCB layouts. Third are mid-sized companies, especially those involved in open hardware supply chains, such as manufacturers of development boards or modules; they can use the solderpad license to regulate how partners are allowed to use their work. The best-fit scenario is: you are developing an open hardware project, plan to sell finished products or provide design files for download, and want to retain some control over derivative works, such as requiring attribution or sharing modifications. It is not suitable for purely software projects, which should use Apache 2.0 directly, or for commercial hardware that you want to keep fully closed-source.

Key features and highlights

• Customized terms based on Apache 2.0: Its core strength is that it inherits the permissive nature of Apache 2.0—allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution—while adding clear licensing terms for “design files” and “physical products” in the hardware domain, reducing legal ambiguity.
• Distinguishes between “design files” and “derivative works”: It clearly defines schematics, PCB files, BOMs, and similar materials as design files, while physical products manufactured from those files are treated as derivative works with a different licensing scope. This is more detailed than general-purpose licenses.
• Includes patent licensing terms: Like Apache 2.0, the solderpad license includes an explicit patent grant from contributors, helping protect users from patent litigation. This is especially important in hardware, where patents are often involved.
• Compatible with the open hardware definition: It follows the definition of the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA), helping projects gain recognition from the international open hardware community and making certification or showcasing easier.
• No mandatory share-alike requirement: Unlike GPL-style licenses, the solderpad license does not force derivative works—such as devices manufactured based on your design—to also be open source, leaving more room for commercial use.
• Free to use with no registration required: The license text can be downloaded or referenced directly from the solderpad.org website, with no payment or account creation required, lowering the barrier to adoption.

Pricing analysis

The “Open Hardware License” from solderpad.org is provided free of charge, with no publicly listed monthly or annual plans. Users do not need to pay anything to use the license text, which is consistent with other open source licenses such as GPL and MIT—they are free legal tools. However, if you need legal advice or customized modifications to the license terms, such as adjusting the licensing scope for a specific project, you may need to hire a lawyer. This is an implicit cost, and the solderpad website does not provide such value-added services. Among comparable products, CERN OHL and TAPR OHL are also free, so solderpad sits firmly in the “free” category and offers excellent cost-effectiveness. That said, there is no clear refund policy—but since the service is free to use, a refund policy is not really applicable. Overall, its pricing advantage is obvious, but it lacks paid support options, which may be insufficient for companies that need professional legal guidance.

How Chinese users can use it

In terms of connectivity, the solderpad.org website can be accessed directly from mainland China, with no apparent blocking and relatively fast loading speeds, making it “China direct-connection friendly.” As for payment methods, since the license itself is free, there are no payment barriers. However, if you need community support or want to participate in discussions, you may need to use GitHub or other international platforms, which can sometimes require special network access from China. For Chinese users, domestic alternatives include CERN OHL Chinese translations and open hardware license templates available from local open source communities such as “开源中国” or “Gitee,” but their legal effectiveness and international recognition are generally lower than solderpad’s. It is worth noting that there is limited judicial practice in China around open hardware licenses, so Chinese users are advised to consult a local lawyer before use to ensure the terms comply with Chinese intellectual property law, such as patent law and copyright law. In addition, the solderpad website does not provide a Chinese translation, so users with limited English may need to rely on translation tools.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• ✅ Free to use, with no hidden costs, making it suitable for individuals and startups.
• ✅ Based on the mature and widely recognized Apache 2.0 license, giving it a solid legal foundation.
• ✅ Optimized for hardware-specific needs, making it more practical than general-purpose licenses, such as by distinguishing between design files and products.
• ✅ Includes patent licensing, reducing infringement risk in hardware development.
• ✅ Well recognized by the international community and compatible with OSHWA standards, helping with project promotion.

Cons:

• ❌ No Chinese-language support; both the website and license text are in English, creating a language barrier for Chinese users.
• ❌ No official legal consulting service; users must hire lawyers themselves when facing complex licensing disputes.
• ❌ Its legal effect in China has not been sufficiently tested, which may create uncertainty in court practice.
• ❌ Compared with CERN OHL, the solderpad license has fewer community discussions and real-world cases, and its documentation is less detailed.
• ❌ No online tools or management dashboard are provided; users need to manually integrate the license text into their projects, making the workflow relatively basic.

Comparison with similar products

The main open hardware licenses competing directly with solderpad.org are CERN OHL and TAPR OHL. CERN OHL, the open hardware license from the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has strong reciprocal versions similar to GPL and weak reciprocal versions similar to LGPL. It places more emphasis on requiring derivative works to remain open source, making it suitable for projects that want community contributions to be shared back. By contrast, solderpad is more permissive, similar to Apache, and is better suited to business-friendly projects. TAPR OHL, created by an amateur radio organization, focuses more on patent protection and legal rigor, but its documentation is older. In comparison, solderpad’s advantages are simplicity and compatibility with Apache 2.0, but it lacks the “strong reciprocity” option offered by CERN OHL. If your project needs to require derivative works to be open source, choose CERN OHL; if you need maximum commercial flexibility, choose solderpad; if you care most about patent details, consider TAPR OHL.

Final recommendation

The solderpad.org license is suitable for Chinese developers or teams that want to open source hardware projects in a permissive way while preserving commercial flexibility. If you are developing an open source development board, sensor module, or embedded system and plan to sell it in China and overseas, it is a good option because it avoids the “viral” effect on derivative works associated with GPL-style licenses while still providing patent protection. However, if you need Chinese-language support, legal consulting services, or a strong reciprocal requirement that derivative works must also be open source, consider CERN OHL or a customized solution from a domestic platform. Since the license itself is free, it is worth downloading the text directly and reading the terms, ideally using it alongside the OSHWA certification process. It is not recommended for high-value patent projects without consulting a lawyer, because the domestic legal environment still lacks clear precedent. Overall, it is a reliable tool in the open hardware space, but users need a certain level of legal awareness.