Advantages and changes of the new Pimcore license
What does the change of Pimcore license mean for companies?
The switch to the POCL addresses key challenges that many companies had with the GPLv3. The new license offers:
- Clear terms of use: POCL allows free use of the Pimcore Community Edition up to an annual turnover of 5 million euros
- More legal certainty: GPLv3 often caused legal uncertainties and high audit costs in companies.
- Flexibility for extensions: Development of proprietary extensions without disclosure obligation becomes possible
Important facts about the POCL at a glance
The POCL retains the open source concept, but creates clearer framework conditions:
- Customizations and extensions are still possible
- Free access to the source code remains
- A commercial license is required for annual sales of €5 million or more, the Pimcore Professional Edition from €8,400 / year or the Enterprise Edition from €25,200 / year.
- Version 2024.4 is the last version under the GPLv3, the new version 2025.1 is already under the new license.
Migration of existing projects and extensions
For developers and companies with existing Pimcore projects, we recommend:
- Perform a code audit: Identify all extensions and their license status
- Version-specific strategy: Maintain separate versions for GPLv3 (≤ 2024.4) and POCL (≥ 2025.1)
- Relicense your own extensions: If you own the rights to the code, you can usually switch to the POCL without any problems.
Frequently asked questions about the Pimcore license
- POCL is not open source, but “source-available”.
- Version-specific licensing (GPLv3 for version ≤ 2024.4, POCL for ≥ 2025.1) is common practice.
- A commercial Pimcore license is required for sales of € 5 million or more.
- Old GPLv3 extensions remain usable for old Pimcore versions.
- Do not use GPLv3 plugins in POCL environments.
- Own extensions can be relicensed without reprogramming, provided that no third-party GPLv3 components are included.
- There is no obligation to disclose changes.
Our assessment as an e-commerce agency
Similar to Shopware, which we value for its clean technical architecture and scalability, we see Pimcore’s new license model as a strategically sensible step. The POCL offers companies more clarity and reduces legal risks while retaining the open core concept.
For companies that use or want to use Pimcore, this means improved planning security and less compliance work – particularly important in complex e-commerce projects, where the integration of different systems and licenses is often a challenge.
As an agency, we are happy to support you in assessing the impact on your existing projects or in planning new projects taking this license amendment into account.
Do you have questions about Pimcore migration or e-commerce solutions? Contact us – we will be happy to advise you on the technical and legal aspects of modern digital platforms.
