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REUSE Tool

reuse.software

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Spec score 7.6 #19 of 28 in Open Source License Compliance Software

What it is

REUSE Tool helps software projects keep their own Free Software licensing information complete and machine-readable. Its command-line tools can download full license texts, add copyright and license details to file headers, and lint projects for problems. It can generate a software bill of materials with a command, while the REUSE API displays ongoing compliance status and can provide a badge and JSON output. Teams can run checks in CI/CD workflows such as Drone, Woodpecker CI, Forgejo Actions, GitHub Actions and Docker-based setups. A pre-commit hook can run linting at each Git commit and stop the commit if it reports an error. Installation options include Debian and Fedora packages, pipx, pip and source; Python 3.10 or newer is required. The tool is free, needs no registration and can be used offline. Its scope does not include checking whether a project complies with the licenses of its dependencies. The source code is GPL-3.0-or-later, documentation is CC-BY-SA-4.0, and some configuration and data files are CC0-1.0.

Spec sheet

Purpose
REUSE provides recommendations and tools to make Free Software licensing easy, comprehensive, unambiguous, and machine-readable.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.software
API
The REUSE API continuously checks and displays compliance status and can provide a badge and generated JSON output.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.software
Privacy
FSFE says it strictly limits personal-data processing and will not sell user data to third parties.Read 1 Oct 2026 · fsfe.org
Support
Users can report issues and feature requests on GitHub, and the [email protected] mailing list is available for discussion and support.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.readthedocs.io
CI/CD
REUSE can be integrated into CI/CD processes, including Drone, Woodpecker CI, Forgejo Actions, GitHub Actions, and Docker-based workflows.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.software
Commands
The CLI includes annotate, download, lint, lint-file, spdx, supported-licenses, and convert-dep5 commands.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.readthedocs.io
Compliance assistance
The REUSE tool downloads full license texts, adds copyright and license information to file headers, and contains a linter to identify problems.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.software
Docker
An fsfe/reuse Docker image is available for running compliance checks in CI/CD.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.readthedocs.io
Installation
The documentation lists Debian and Fedora packages, pipx, pip, and source installation methods.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.readthedocs.io
Licensing
The original source code of the tool is licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later, documentation under CC-BY-SA-4.0, and some configuration and data files under CC0-1.0.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.readthedocs.io
Pre-commit
A pre-commit hook can run reuse lint on every Git commit and prevent the commit from proceeding when there is an error.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.software
Runtime requirement
The tool requires Python 3.10 or newer; Git, Mercurial, Pijul, and Jujutsu are optional version-control dependencies.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.readthedocs.io
SBOM generation
The tool can generate a software bill of materials with a simple command.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.software
Scope limit
REUSE does not check whether a project respects the licenses of its dependencies; that requires different tools and processes.Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.software

Plans and prices

REUSE Tool Free no registration required · can be used offline Read 1 Oct 2026 · reuse.software

Every REUSE Tool plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Downloads license texts and adds file-header information.
  • Generates a software bill of materials.
  • Integrates with several CI/CD workflows.
  • Free to use offline without registration.
  • Supports Debian, Fedora, pipx, pip and source installation.

Limits

  • Requires Python 3.10 or newer.
  • Does not check licenses of project dependencies.
  • Attribution reports are not available.

Who it suits

It suits software developers and project maintainers who want to check and organize licensing information for their own project. Teams can also add its checks to CI/CD or pre-commit workflows.

Verdict

REUSE Tool focuses on making a project's own licensing information clear and checkable, with command-line, API and automation options. Dependency-license compliance falls outside its scope.

Where Specifiction places it

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