---
title: Open source
description: Which parts of c15t are open source, the Apache-2.0 license, where
  the code lives, and how the hosted Inth backend relates to the self-hostable
  c15t backend.
group: reference
lastModified: "2026-10-10T16:01:45+01:00"
---
## What is open source

Every c15t package is open source. That covers the consent engine (`c15t`),
the framework adapters, the stock UI, the vendor helpers in
`@c15t/integrations`, the IAB TCF addon, the CLI and the consent backend,
`@c15t/backend`. The code and the source of these docs live in
[c15t/c15t on GitHub](https://github.com/c15t/c15t).

## Why consent code should be readable

A consent manager decides when analytics and ad scripts may run and what gets
recorded about a visitor. With the source public, you can check how c15t
stores a choice, which requests it sends before and after consent, and how it
maps categories to Google Consent Mode or IAB TCF purposes. You can also run
the same code in your own tests instead of trusting a vendor's description of
it.

## Hosted and self-hosted backends

The consent backend serves policies and stores consent records.
[Inth](https://inth.com) runs it for you, and the guides use it. You can also
run `@c15t/backend` on your own server with your own database; your app talks
to it the same way it talks to Inth, with a different URL. See the
[backend overview](/docs/self-host/overview) to decide.

## License

c15t is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. You can use, modify and
distribute it, including in commercial products, as long as you keep the
license and notices. See [License](/docs/oss/license).

## Contribute

Read [Contribute to c15t](/docs/oss/contributing) before opening a pull
request, and the [code of conduct](/docs/oss/code-of-conduct).