Loading TechDinoLoading TechDinoLoading TechDinoA Source-Code License provides complete access to the raw frontend, backend, and mobile application source code for internal modification and self-hosting for a single business entity. A Reseller License grants rights to deploy and commercialize white-label software instances or multi-tenant SaaS subscriptions to external third-party clients.
| Scope Parameter | Source-Code License | Reseller / Multi-Tenant License |
|---|---|---|
| Codebase Access | Full readable Git repository / ZIP archive | Platform deployment + white-label configuration panel |
| Client Commercialization | Single business entity operation | Resell instances / subscriptions to 3rd-party clients |
| Feature Modification | Unrestricted developer-level code edits | White-label branding, subdomains & pricing configuration |
A source-code licence gives you the code for the agreed scope and the right to run and modify it for your own business. A reseller licence gives you the right to deploy it for other companies under your brand and charge them for it. They answer different questions, and holding one does not imply the other.
This distinction is where most disputes start. Buyers frequently assume that receiving source code includes the right to sell copies of it, and it does not unless the written agreement says so. Confirm the resale clause before you build a business model on top of the assumption.
Four points decide whether a licence fits your plan: how many deployments you may run, whether you may sublicense to clients, whether the copyright transfers or stays with the developer, and what happens to modifications you make. Each has a defensible answer; the problem is only when the answer is unstated.
Also ask what happens to open-source dependencies inside the delivery. They keep their own licences regardless of your agreement, so a product containing a copyleft component may carry obligations your commercial terms do not mention.
If you are a business buying software to run your operations, a source-code licence is sufficient and usually cheaper. If you are an agency intending to deploy the same product for ten clients under your own brand, you need reseller terms and should price them into the engagement from the start rather than negotiating after the first client signs.