License fees apply if dbNSFP is incorporated into products or services that are sold or monetized. This model ensures the continued development and maintenance of dbNSFP resources for both academic and industry users.
Commercial users can preview the commercial use agreements and annual fees for dbNSFP in the commercial license application form.
Prospective commercial users can also apply to explore dbNSFP data through a web query service.
What is the definition of commercial use for dbNSFP ?
Any use within a for-profit organization
Use within any organization (including non-profits) where dbNSFP is incorporated into products or services that are sold or monetized
Commercial use example: Diagnosis and treatment for patients in a public hospital
Non-commercial use example: Research or training in a public hospital
If you are not sure whether your use of dbNSFP requires a commercial license, please contact license@dbnsfp.org.
What are the differences between dbNSFP v5.x and legacy versions (e.g. v4.x.x)?
We have re-built the variant set of all possible nsSNVs and ssSNVs based on the latest gene definitions in GENCODE Release 48 (May 2025). In contrast, dbNSFP v4.x.x was built 7 years earlier based on GENCODE v29 (October 2018). The updated GENCODE not only refined protein-coding transcripts of known genes but also added novel genes for novel nsSNVs and ssSNVs.
We have added new functional predictions scores and other annotation data to dbNSFP, and we are actively developing new tools to make the dbNSFP database more convenient to use. Please follow the progress of the recent developments in Releases.
Is a commercial license required for legacy versions of dbNSFP (v4.x.x)?
As a courtesy to users of previous versions of dbNSFP, a commercial license is not required for the c-branch in legacy versions.
However, we encourage dbNSFP users to update to the latest version to make use of the most up-to-date and comprehensive annotation resources in the field. Your commercial license support also helps with the active development and long-term sustainability of dbNSFP. Commercial license subscribers will receive updates at no additional cost during the license term.
Why are some scores present in the dbNSFP academic branch but not in the commercial branch?
Some scores (CADD, VEST, M-CAP, MutScore, and Polyphen-2) have individual licensing requirements for commercial use; therefore, we cannot include them in the dbNSFP commercial branch. Please note that academic users are also responsible for complying with the individual licensing requirements of these data when using them in the dbNSFP academic branch.