What is the difference between ThemeForest and GitHub for Attribution?

ThemeForest (Regular License): no. GitHub (Free): varies.

What is the difference between ThemeForest and GitHub for Redistribution?

ThemeForest (Regular License): no. GitHub (Free): yes.

What is the difference between ThemeForest and GitHub for Print Use?

ThemeForest (Regular License): no. GitHub (Free): limited.

What is the difference between ThemeForest and GitHub for Indemnification?

ThemeForest (Regular License): limited. GitHub (Free): no.

What is the difference between ThemeForest and GitHub for Refund Policy?

ThemeForest (Regular License): limited. GitHub (Free): no.

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ThemeForest vs GitHub

Side-by-side comparison of licensing terms between ThemeForest and GitHub.

License Comparison

Hover or tap any field name to see what it means. Highlighted rows indicate differences.

Field	ThemeForest Visit ThemeForest	GitHub Visit GitHub
	✓	✓
	✓	✓
	✓	✓
	Not required	Varies
	✗	✗
	✗	✓
	✗	~Depends on repository license. Most open-source licenses do not restrict the medium of use.
	✓	✓
	✓	✓
	✓Published	✓Published
	~Envato provides limited buyer protection.	✗
	~Refunds within 30 days for items materially different from their description or with technical defects.	✗

Prices may vary by region and are subject to change.

ThemeForest:

GitHub:

ThemeForest

Regular License

Visit Platform

GitHub

Free

Visit Platform

Price

Per-item, from $13

Free

Prices may vary by region and are subject to change.

Download

Yes

Commercial Use

Regular License covers one end product (one website) that is not sold to multiple users.

Public and private repositories are available; no explicit restriction on commercial use of hosted code at the plan level.

Editing

Yes

Depends on the repository license. Most open-source licenses (MIT, Apache, GPL) allow modification. No license = no modification rights.

Attribution

Nice to

Exclusive Rights

Redistribution

Cannot redistribute the theme files. The end product must not allow extraction of the original theme.

Public repositories are accessible to anyone; no plan-level restriction on redistribution of code hosted.

Print Use

Website themes/templates - not applicable to print use.

Depends on repository license. Most open-source licenses do not restrict the medium of use.

Digital Use

Yes

Depends on repository license. Most open-source licenses permit digital use.

Client Work

Licensed for one website for one client. Multiple client sites require separate licenses.

Depends on repository license. MIT and Apache 2.0 allow client work. GPL may require your client to also open-source derivative works.

Survives Cancellation

Forever

ThemeForest:

One Regular license covers ONE website. Using the same theme on multiple sites requires a separate license for each.

Extended license is required if you're building a product (like a SaaS) that end users pay to access, even if based on a single theme.

GitHub:

GitHub Copilot suggestions may include code from repositories with various licenses. Review suggestions carefully for license compliance.

Key Differences

Fields where these platforms differ

Attribution

ThemeForest:Not required

GitHub:Varies

Redistribution

ThemeForest:✗

GitHub:✓

Print Use

ThemeForest:✗

GitHub:~Depends on repository license. Most open-source licenses do not restrict the medium of use.

Indemnification

ThemeForest:~Envato provides limited buyer protection.

GitHub:✗

Refund Policy

ThemeForest:~Refunds within 30 days for items materially different from their description or with technical defects.

GitHub:✗

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Informational Only - Not Legal Advice

LicenseOrg provides informational summaries of platform license terms for educational purposes only. This is not legal advice. Always consult the platform’s official license page and a qualified legal professional.

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