Which Creative Commons license is the most permissive?

CC0 is the most permissive — it is a public-domain dedication that waives all rights, so reusers do not even have to give attribution. Of the licenses that keep copyright, CC BY is the most permissive: it allows any use, including commercial use and derivatives, as long as you credit the author.

What does ShareAlike (SA) mean?

ShareAlike means that if you remix or adapt the work, you must release your new version under the same (or a compatible) Creative Commons license. It keeps derivatives open. CC BY-SA and CC BY-NC-SA carry this copyleft-style condition.

What is the difference between NC and ND?

NC (NonCommercial) forbids using the work for commercial purposes — anything primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary compensation. ND (NoDerivatives) forbids distributing modified or adapted versions; you may share the work only in its original, unchanged form.

Do I always have to give attribution?

For every license except CC0, yes — all six current CC licenses include the BY (Attribution) condition, so you must credit the creator, note the license, and link to it. CC0 waives this, though crediting the author remains good practice even when not legally required.

Does this reference store what I type?

No. The comparison table and filter run entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or stored.

Creative Commons License Reference

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The seven Creative Commons licensing tools

Creative Commons (CC) licenses let creators grant reuse permissions in advance, while keeping (or waiving) copyright. There are six current standardised licenses plus the CC0 public-domain dedication — seven tools in total. Each is built from a small set of conditions: BY (attribution), SA (share-alike), NC (non-commercial) and ND (no derivatives). This reference shows all seven side by side so you can pick the right one or understand what a work permits.

How it works

Every current license includes BY — you must credit the author. From there, the optional elements stack. SA requires derivatives to use the same license. NC bans commercial use. ND bans distributing adaptations. CC0 sits outside this scheme: it waives copyright entirely, placing the work in (or as close as possible to) the public domain. Ranked from most to least permissive: CC0 → CC BY → CC BY-SA → CC BY-NC → CC BY-NC-SA → CC BY-ND → CC BY-NC-ND. Note that SA and ND are mutually exclusive — you can require share-alike or forbid derivatives, not both.

Tips and notes

For maximum reuse with credit, choose CC BY; to dedicate to the public domain, choose CC0.
ND licenses block adaptations — avoid them if you want remixes.
NC is famously ambiguous; “commercial” is interpreted broadly.
Always retain the license notice and attribution when you reuse a CC work.