MikeTeX is a cross-platform LaTeX/ TeX editor which a built-in package manager that allow the user to extend the core functionalities by downloading online packages.
MiKTeX is a modern TeX distribution for Windows, Linux and macOS.
MiKTeX's integrated package manager installs missing components from the Internet, if required. This allows you to keep your TeX installation as minimal as possible (“Just enough TeX”).
MiKTeX is open source. You are welcome to redistribute MiKTeX under certain conditions.
To the best of our knowledge, all software in the MiKTeX distribution is freely redistributable (libre, that is, not necessarily gratis), within the Free Software Foundation's definition and the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Where the two conflict, we generally follow the FSF. If you find any non-free files included, please contact us (reference given at the end).
That said, MiKTeX has neither a single copyright holder nor a single license covering its entire contents, since it is a collection of many independent packages. Therefore, you may copy, modify, and/or redistribute software from MiKTeX only if you comply with the requirements placed thereon by the owners of the respective packages.
To most easily learn these requirements, we suggest checking the MiKTeX package catalogue (reference given at the end). Of course the legal statements within the packages themselves are the final authority.
Windows, Linux, Docker, Portable (Windows)