ILIMIB (If you Like It, Make It Better) is a code-available license designed for solo developers who want contributions without giving up control over their projects.
As a solo developer, ensuring code quality can be a challenge—there's no oversight, no team reviews, and no structured feedback loop. At the same time, making a project fully open source (GPL, MIT, etc.) isn't always a good fit, especially for unique or one-of-a-kind projects.
I created ILIMIB as a middle ground:
- Code-available, so others can contribute.
- Not open source, meaning the project remains under the original author's control.
- No forced distribution, but the author can grant permission for distribution at their discretion.
This ensures that developers can receive meaningful contributions without worrying about losing control over their work.
- Contributors can fork or clone the project, but all copies remain under ILIMIB licensing.
- Any modifications or improvements made must respect the terms of ILIMIB.
- The original author retains ownership of all forks and clones.
- The full licensing terms are outlined in the ILIMIB document.
ILIMIB is ideal for:
âś… Solo developers who need external contributions but want to retain control.
✅ Projects that scale beyond a single developer’s capacity.
âś… Free projects where the main featureset is accessible to everyone.
- Microtransactions, donations, and premium features are allowed under ILIMIB.
- However, the core functionality cannot be paywalled.
ILIMIB is free to use for any project that meets the following conditions:
- The primary featureset is not paywalled (subscriptions/microtransactions are allowed).
- The license text remains unchanged in the project.
- The original author’s ownership and control are respected.
Simply include the ILIMIB license file in your repository, and you're good to go!