Commercial access models are for projects that want to earn revenue by gating commercial terms, premium usage, paid rights, or open-core capabilities. They are structurally different from Donations or Grants: the income comes from selling access or licensing rights, not from voluntary support.

This approach can be powerful when a project has clear commercial demand, differentiated value, and users willing to pay for convenience, compliance, or production features. It is harder to introduce casually because packaging, licensing, and pricing decisions become part of the product itself.

Good references in this category include XS Code, License Zero, and Scarf. Use commercial access models when the project has a credible path to productized revenue; use broader Revenue options when you want to monetize expertise, content, or services without gating the core offer.