# GNU Affero General Public License v3

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/gnu-affero-general-public-license/

19 people recommended GNU Affero General Public License v3 in Hacker News comments, 2 had mixed feelings and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 12 months, in 17 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Copyleft license that extends source-sharing duties to software run as a network service and blocks tivoization; some with mixed feelings say it isn't a silver bullet for open source authors.

Summary written by Claude from the comments below.

## Why people recommend it

- Closes the network server loophole (3 comments in the sample): "the AGPL is a fine choice as it legally coerces the copyleft even behind network based software" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46094503)) "For that case AGPL is better, because it avoids the server loophole." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46413409)) "I am happy with the network solution AGPL provides on top of GPL" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48621136))
- Requires sharing changes upstream (3 comments in the sample): "Think AGPL, where you risk being forced to open source your entire unique-selling-point proprietary software stack." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47369583)) "you might want to consider GPL or AGPL as they might help some of the bad use cases you're trying to guard against" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47107330)) "AGPL would ensure that they can't just run with it; they have to contribute their changes upstream." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46297167))
- Clear, simple, unambiguous terms (3 comments in the sample): "The license is actually quite simple if a little wordy." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49203731)) "This is a FREE license, which is not just open source." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47202627)) "there is no ambiguity and you never have to wonder" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46861773))
- Blocks tivoization and app-ification (1 comment in the sample): "The anti-tivoization clause in Version 3 would allow users to modify and replace the rootkit with their own, more or less malicious version" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46670314))

## What people warn about

- Not a silver bullet for open source (1 comment in the sample): "AGPLv3 is not a silver bullet for people who write Open Source code" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47236614))

## Other open source licenses people recommend

- [MIT License](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mit-license/): 7 recommend, 2 mixed, 5 criticize
- [Mozilla Public License](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mozilla-public-license/): 7 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "GNU Affero General Public License v3", https://hackerapproved.com/p/gnu-affero-general-public-license/ (19 recommend, 2 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.