Features

• Generate license files interactively or via command-line
• Dry-run mode to preview licenses without writing files
• Explain licenses in plain English
• Compare two licenses side-by-side
• Recommend a license based on basic needs
• Offline license support
• SPDX database updates

Installation

npm install -g simplify-license

Commands

Trigger commands using lic

• Interactive Mode

| Syntax | Description | | -------------- | ---------------------------- |
| lic flow | This opens guided menu | | lic generate | Generate a license |

• Non-interactive mode

| Syntax | Description | | -------------- | ---------------------------- |
| lic generate <License> | Generate a license | | lic generate <License> --dry-run | Check without writing a file | | lic explain <License> | Includes permissions, limitations, and a one-line summary in simple language | | lic compare <License1> <License2> | Comparsion table of both license | | lic recommend | Recommends license (Uses simple rules and is not company-specific or legal advice) | | lic update | Fetches the latest SPDX license list and updates the offline database | | lic update --force | Overwrite existing files |

Note: A few license are already available in this package

Offline behavior

• SPDX data is cached locally
• Common licenses are bundled with full text
• If offline, lic continues to work using bundled licenses

Cache location - .cache/lic/

Supported file formats

Choose a file format for your license:-

• Markdown (.md) – default
• Plain text (.txt)
• Plain License (no extension,default for non-interactive)

Notes & Limitations

• This tool does not provide legal advice
• License summaries are simplified for understanding
• Always review the full license text before publishing

Changelog

Read changes here in Changelog

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome, read the guide

If you add new licenses:

• Prefer curated versions when possible
• Ensure placeholders use {{year}} and {{author}}

Assets from https://flaticon.com

License

This project is licensed under MIT License