Looking Ahead with Clarity and Purpose for NATS.io
Nearly 15 years ago, I created NATS as an OSS project. It has been a labor of love, and substantial effort, to guide its growth and witness its widespread adoption.
Recently, there has been public discussion around NATS and its future, notably prompted by communications from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), available here. Synadia acknowledges the CNCF’s commitment to OSS; however, we respectfully disagree with certain characterizations. Our aim is always to move forward constructively, prioritizing support for the vibrant global NATS community. Our mission remains unchanged: to power modern and innovative distributed systems in the cloud and at the edge through a robust, lightweight, and secure messaging technology accessible to all developers and organizations.
More detailed information about Synadia’s vision for NATS’ future will follow soon, but today I want to clearly articulate several important points.
Commitment to Open Source
Synadia has always championed open source, and this foundational principle remains unwavering. Throughout our discussions with CNCF, we consistently reinforced our commitment to keeping NATS clients and a version of the server open source under the Apache 2.0 license.
We recognize the unique role Synadia plays in fostering the growth, innovation, funding, and development of NATS since its inception. We never considered blanket relicensing of the codebase. However, we did evaluate a potential commercial server variant.
At the same time, we must acknowledge the challenging incentive structures within the open source world. Paradoxically, improved stability, extensive documentation, and exemplary reference architectures have led some organizations to discontinue financial support, even when relying heavily on the software in mission-critical environments. As a passionate believer in the open source model, I nonetheless recognize that sustainable OSS requires users who derive substantial value and have the means to support it financially.
For the NATS ecosystem to flourish, Synadia must also thrive. This clarity has guided our decision-making and planning.
Server Licensing Considerations
Synadia’s customers, partners, and the broader NATS ecosystem derive tremendous value from the features and capabilities of the NATS server. Synadia and its predecessor company funded approximately 97% of the NATS server contributions1. To sustain long-term company and project viability, we explored excluding some advanced features and enhancements from the NATS server and licensing them separately instead. Ultimately, we considered a more community-minded approach: to include them in the NATS server while exploring a BSL license model for future versions. While the BSL is not OSI-approved, it ensures source code remains transparent and publicly accessible, reverting to Apache 2.0 after a defined period (typically 2-4 years). An Apache 2.0 licensed server version will always remain available and supported.
Our intent is to ensure minimal disruption, extending generous usage allowances which permit most users to continue operating as they have been if they choose to use the BSL version of the server. Transparency, essential to maintaining trust, remains a core commitment.
Open Source Project Profiles
Open source projects come in various forms: some are heavily funded by multiple large corporations, others emerge from smaller teams or individuals evolving into enterprises. Single-company-backed projects seeking sustainability through commercial offerings naturally face unique challenges.
NATS is primarily funded, supported, and maintained by Synadia. This does not align neatly with the CNCF’s model. Over recent years, it has become apparent that the CNCF may no longer be the best strategic fit for NATS. Rather than face forced archival, Synadia proactively initiated internal discussions with CNCF about a joint announcement regarding a departure, ensuring NATS’ continued health and development.
While we understand CNCF’s perspectives on project governance and continuity, we believe a project’s real value lies with its maintainers, contributors, and vibrant community. Their well-being ultimately defines the project’s future.
Moving Forward with Optimism
Understandably, license changes evoke uncertainty. We are committed to sharing comprehensive information transparently as our plans solidify. We intended to do this on our own timeline and in conjunction with the CNCF, but felt it was important to provide as much clarity as possible at present.
Synadia remains deeply proud of the NATS community, grateful for the innovations it has enabled, and optimistic about the future. Despite differing perspectives on recent events, we choose to focus constructively on what truly matters: creating exceptional technology and supporting those who depend on it.
=derek
1The first non-Synadia or non-Apcera employed/contracted contributor is at position 22.
