Freedom251 › Open Source License Compliance Software
LicenseRec
What LicenseRec is
LicenseRec is a free, open-source tool for developers checking license compatibility in software projects and selecting an open-source license. It analyzes project code plus direct and indirect dependencies, looking for conflicts between the project license and component licenses or among components. Python analysis reads requirements.txt, setup.py, and import statements, then resolves dependencies to particular package versions. Java and JavaScript checks cover direct dependencies only. When incompatibilities appear, constraint solving can suggest migration, upgrades, downgrades, or removal. An interactive wizard helps choose a license according to open-source style, business model, and community development. LicenseRec runs on Linux, through the web, or self-hosted, with Docker or manual installation. The project uses the MulanPubL-2.0 license. Its PyPI data is current through June 19, 2024, while JavaScript and Java data from Libraries.io is dated October 2022.
Who it suits
It is aimed at developers choosing licenses for open-source projects and reviewing dependency compliance. Teams needing self-hosted or Docker deployment can use those options.
What it does well
- Checks project and dependency license conflicts
- Resolves Python dependencies to package versions
- Suggests remediation for incompatible dependencies
- Includes an interactive license wizard
- Free and open source
What to know first
- Java and JavaScript checks cover direct dependencies only
- Java and JavaScript data is dated October 2022
- PyPI data is current through June 19, 2024
- Requires Docker or manual installation for deployment
Verdict
LicenseRec combines compatibility analysis with license-selection guidance and remediation suggestions. Its language-specific limits and stated data dates should be considered before relying on results.
Facts from LicenseRec's own pages
- Compatibility checks
- It checks license compatibility across project code and dependencies. · osslab-pku.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Conflict detection
- It checks for incompatibilities between the project license and component licenses, and between licenses of project components. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Conflict types
- It checks whether dependency or component licenses conflict with the project license and whether project component licenses conflict with one another. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Data currency
- The repository says its PyPI dependency and license data is current to June 19, 2024, while its Java and JavaScript data is from Libraries.io as of October 2022. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Dependency analysis
- It analyzes project code and direct and indirect dependencies for license compatibility. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- LicenseRec can be installed using Docker or manually. · osslab-pku.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The maker describes LicenseRec as a tool for developers choosing a license for open source software projects. · osslab-pku.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Java and JavaScript limits
- Java and JavaScript compliance checks cover direct dependencies only, and their dependency and license data are from Libraries.io as of October 2022. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Java and JavaScript support
- Java and JavaScript projects are supported for direct dependency checks only. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- License
- LicenseRec is licensed under MulanPubL-2.0. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- License recommendations
- An interactive wizard guides license choice based on open-source style, business model, and community development. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Open source license
- The project is licensed under Mulan Public License v2. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- LicenseRec helps developers analyze open source license compliance and choose a license for their projects. · osslab-pku.org, 8 Oct 2026
- PyPI data limit
- The PyPI package version and license data used by the tool are current through June 19, 2024. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Python dependency analysis
- For Python projects, it parses requirements.txt, setup.py, and code import statements to identify direct dependencies and version constraints, then resolves direct and indirect dependencies to specific versions. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Python support
- For Python, it resolves dependencies to specific package versions using requirements.txt, setup.py, and import statements. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
- Recommendation wizard
- Its interactive license recommendation wizard covers personal open source style, business model, and community development. · osslab-pku.org, 8 Oct 2026
- Remediation
- For incompatible dependencies, it suggests a least-cost strategy that may include migration, upgrading or downgrading, or removal. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
- Version level analysis
- Version 2.0.0 added compliance analysis precise to package versions and SMT-Solver-based license incompatibility remediation. · osslab-pku.org, 8 Oct 2026