What the Timescale License Means for Database Administrators in the Cloud Era

You're responsible for reliability, performance, and compliance. So when a database vendor introduces a custom license, what does that really mean for you?

As a database administrator, you’ve got a long list of priorities: uptime, scalability, query performance, cost-efficiency, data governance, vendor relationships—the works.

And in this landscape, open-source databases have long been the go-to. They offer freedom, transparency, and control. But now, with the rise of cloud-first everything, we’re seeing a shift: more and more open-source projects are adopting non-OSI licenses—like the Timescale License (TSL).

So what is the Timescale License?
Why did Timescale adopt it?
And most importantly: what does it mean for DBAs like you?

Let’s break it down.

First, a Quick Primer: What Is TimescaleDB?

If you’re not already familiar, TimescaleDB is a PostgreSQL-based time-series database built for scale, speed, and SQL simplicity.

It’s widely used for workloads like:

1. IoT metrics
2. Application performance monitoring
3. Financial tick data
4. Sensor streams
5. Infrastructure observability

And it powers systems at companies like Comcast, Bosch, Netflix, and DigitalOcean.

Why Timescale Introduced a Custom License

Back in 2018, Timescale made a move that turned heads: they introduced the Timescale License (TSL)—a source-available license designed to address one specific issue:

Cloud providers were monetizing open-source databases without contributing to their development.

This isn’t theoretical. AWS forked Elasticsearch into OpenSearch and began offering it as a managed service, sidestepping Elastic entirely. Similar stories happened with MongoDB, Redis, and others.

The Timescale License was created to prevent public cloud vendors from offering TimescaleDB as a hosted database service, while still giving everyday users, like DBAs and developers, the freedom to run and modify the software.

The Core Principle: No TimescaleDB-as-a-Service

Here’s the TL;DR of the license:

You can use, deploy, and modify TimescaleDB all you want. You just can’t package and sell it as a managed database service.

This matters only if you're in the business of reselling TimescaleDB. If you're using it as part of your infrastructure stack, whether on-prem, in containers, or on the cloud, you're in the clear.

Let’s look at this from your perspective.

What the Timescale License Means for DBAs

✅ You Can Still Do Your Job. Fully.

The TSL allows you to:

• Run TimescaleDB in your infrastructure (on-prem or cloud)
• Use all its features—including native compression, continuous aggregates, and time-series tooling
• Modify the source code for internal needs (bug fixes, patches, extensions)
• Deploy at any scale, internally or as part of your SaaS product stack

As long as you’re not offering a hosted TimescaleDB service to third parties, you’re free to go.

🔐 It Helps Protect Against Vendor Lock-In

For many DBAs, “source-available” raises red flags—especially around long-term sustainability or vendor lock-in.

But here’s what the Timescale License doesn’t do:

• ❌ It doesn’t lock you into proprietary cloud deployment
• ❌ It doesn’t restrict internal use or self-hosting
• ❌ It doesn’t prohibit commercial use or embedding in your applications

In fact, it explicitly supports right-to-repair and right-to-improve. If you need to tweak something under the hood, you can. If you want to upstream those changes, you can do that too.

🤝 It Maintains Compatibility with the Open-Source Ecosystem

TimescaleDB builds on PostgreSQL, and none of the core PostgreSQL components are re-licensed. The open-source foundation remains intact. You still get:

• Standard PostgreSQL behavior
• Compatibility with tools like pgAdmin, Grafana, Prometheus exporters
• Extensions support
• Transparent data handling

The only differentiation lies in advanced time-series features, like continuous aggregates, compression, and tiered storage—licensed under the TSL.

🚫 The Only Thing You Can't Do

If your company is a cloud provider, or if you're thinking of turning TimescaleDB into a standalone managed service offering (think: your own "Timescale-as-a-Service"), that’s where the restriction kicks in.

You can’t run a hosted TimescaleDB service unless you’re Timescale Inc. or you have an explicit agreement with them.

This is how Timescale funds continued innovation, R&D, and support for the product you're using.

Why This Matters in the Cloud Era

For DBAs working in hybrid or multi-cloud environments, the rules of open-source are changing.

The classic “run it yourself, buy support if you need it” model is being replaced by “click to deploy on someone else’s cloud”—and the business models behind open-source need to adapt.

The Timescale License is one answer to that shift. It ensures that the teams actually building the software (and fielding your GitHub issues) aren’t cut out of the ecosystem by trillion-dollar cloud platforms.

It’s not about limiting use—it’s about preserving sustainability.

TL;DR for Database Admins

Here’s your cheat sheet:

Final Thoughts

As a DBA, your main concern is building reliable, performant, and maintainable systems. The Timescale License doesn't get in your way—it gives you modern time-series capabilities, full control, and source-level transparency, with just one restriction that doesn’t affect 99.999% of use cases.

If anything, it gives you confidence that the company behind the tech has a viable future and a reason to keep improving the database you rely on.

Want to deploy TimescaleDB today? You can. Want to modify it? You’re free to. Just don’t repackage it as a service, and you’re all good.