Is OpenDyslexic free to use, and under what license?

Updated

Yes. OpenDyslexic is free to download and use, with no mandatory fees, and the newest version is released under the SIL-OFL license. That license explicitly covers personal use, business use, education, commercial projects, books, ebook readers, applications, websites, and other projects or purposes. Donations are optional.

What the license allows

According to the OpenDyslexic site, the SIL-OFL license gives you the freedom to use the typeface across a wide range of contexts. The site lists these uses directly:

  • Personal use
  • Business use
  • Education
  • Commercial projects
  • Books
  • Ebook readers
  • Applications
  • Websites
  • Any other project or purpose you need

If you are deciding whether you can embed the font in a product, a publication, or a site, the site's own description places all of those within the permitted scope.

Cost and optional support

There are no mandatory fees to download or use OpenDyslexic. The site states you can download and use it for free, and that donations are optional but appreciated.

Support channels mentioned on the site:

Channel What it is for
Itch.io Download the font and optionally donate any amount
Patreon Subscribe to help cover ongoing costs
Email Alternative donation arrangements

The site does not present Patreon or Itch.io donations as a condition of use — they are described as optional support for continuing costs.

Practical takeaways

  • Downloading: Get the font from the official site's Download section, which points to Itch.io for the newest builds.
  • Using it commercially: The SIL-OFL license is described as covering commercial use, so business and commercial projects are within scope per the site.
  • Redistributing or embedding: The site frames the license as allowing use in books, ebook readers, applications, and websites. For the precise terms governing modification and redistribution, the SIL-OFL license text itself is the authoritative reference.
  • Contributing: Development uses Glyphs.app, and the source is hosted on the Hackers.town Forgejo instance; bug reports and requests are welcomed there.

In short: no payment is required, the license is SIL-OFL, and the permitted uses named by the project span personal, commercial, educational, and embedded contexts.