Microchip Xc8 License: A Complete Guide for Developers
Microchip picks up the tab for XC8 licensing. If you have an ADC10, you can get XC8 on the cheap ($25US for a SKU license) and use it to develop your own PIC or AVR projects, and the same goes for the XC8L compiler ($75US for a SKU license) if you have a much more sophisticated microcontroller in your project. In fact that same $75 license will work with the XC8L compiler and at least 3 different AVR chips. You can register for the license on the Microchip page by going to the XC8 page on the Microchip site.
Microchip Xc8 Licensel
I also picked Microchip over other compilers and tools, mainly because of the good reputation they have built up with developers through their development tools. I know my project is looking for a good free C compiler, I dont think I want to trust a piece of software that contains a lot of commercial IP. AFAIK, every single Microchip compilers can compile code freely and are open source.
I didnt really see a downside in Microchip picking up the tab for XC8 licensing (contrary to some comments here). I imagine theres no cost for 2nd layer "software/professional" licensing of XC8L.
Very much an 'above and beyond' offering from Microchip. An ideal chipset into which a lot of people will want to plunge. In fact its one of the few Microchip products I can quite understand the appeal of, and im only a few years away from having the need for it...
So while its nice that they are releasing MPLAB XC8, its not making the C compiler open source. When I bought the licensing from microchip I didnt know that yet, I think the license says that they are releasing all of the source code and documentation, but apparently they are not including the software license (A fast and free debug tool that is available to all ).