Does the AGPL apply to SaaS?

Yes. "GPLv3 PLUS a network clause: making the software available over a network (SaaS) counts as distribution, so you must offer source to remote users. The clause that catches startups who assumed SaaS never 'distributes'." The sections below take the questions one at a time, with obligations generated by the same engine that powers the checker.

Does the AGPL apply to SaaS?

Yes. Making AGPL-3.0 software available over a network counts as distribution; you must offer source to users interacting with it remotely.

Dataset rule for public SaaS: "Permissive and weak copyleft: no source disclosure. GPL/LGPL: no disclosure either (hosting is not distribution). AGPL: YES, you must offer source to users interacting over the network. This is the decision that most often surprises people."

What is the GPL 'SaaS loophole'?

The gap the AGPL exists to close. Under ordinary GPL, hosting is not distribution — a company can run modified GPL code as a public service without releasing its changes. AGPL-3.0 adds a network clause that makes network availability count as distribution.

The ordinary-GPL side of that gap is covered in Can I use GPL code in a commercial product?

Can I use AGPL software commercially?

Commercial use is permitted, but distributing the combined work requires releasing the whole work under AGPL-3.0-only with source. A closed-source binary is not possible. Offering it as a network service also triggers source disclosure.

What must I do if my SaaS uses AGPL code?

Offer complete corresponding source to users who interact with the software over the network, license the combined work AGPL-3.0-only, retain notices, and state significant changes. The checklist below is the engine's output for AGPL code under the public-SaaS model.

AGPL-3.0: retain the copyright notice and license text.
AGPL-3.0: state significant changes made to the code.
AGPL-3.0: offer the source to users interacting with the software over the network.

Does internal-only use trigger the AGPL?

Distribution-triggered obligations do not attach to purely internal use. The dataset flags the AGPL exception: network access by users outside your organization can count, so 'internal' must mean your own people, not customers on a private deployment.

Dataset rule for internal use: "Copyleft obligations are triggered by DISTRIBUTION. Internal-only use of GPL/LGPL/MPL/EPL imposes no source-disclosure duty. The exception is AGPL, where network access by users outside your organization can count."

Which open-source licenses trigger SaaS disclosure?

In this dataset, only AGPL-3.0. GPL-2.0, GPL-3.0, LGPL, MPL, and EPL do not treat hosting as distribution, and permissive licenses never require source disclosure at all.

Copyleft license	SaaS triggers disclosure
MPL-2.0	No
EPL-2.0	No
LGPL-2.1	No
LGPL-3.0	No
GPL-2.0-only	No
GPL-2.0-or-later	No
GPL-3.0-only	No
AGPL-3.0	Yes
LGPL-2.1-or-later	No
LGPL-3.0-or-later	No
GPL-3.0-or-later	No
AGPL-3.0-or-later	Yes

Do I have to release my whole application's source?

Yes — on distribution and on network use. The network clause extends source disclosure to users who interact with the software over a network.

Which licenses can I combine with AGPL-3.0?

GPLv3 family — compatible with GPLv3, AGPLv3, and LGPLv3. Verify any specific pair in the compatibility matrix; the combined distributed work must be licensed AGPL-3.0-only.