Side by side

REUSE Tool vs ScanCode Toolkit

Both stand on open source license compliance software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

REUSE Tool

Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

REUSE Tool focuses on project licensing records, checks, and SBOM generation, with options for local use and automated workflows. Dependency-license compliance is outside its stated scope.

Visit REUSE Tool

ScanCode Toolkit provides free code scanning with several output formats and integration options. Users should account for its documented platform and Python requirements, and should not treat scan output as legal advice.

Visit ScanCode Toolkit

The facts

	REUSE Tool	ScanCode Toolkit
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	API, Linux, Self-hosted, Windows	API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	reuse.software	scancode-toolkit.readthedocs.io
On open source license compliance software	#14 of 28	#18 of 28

REUSE Tool: what it does well

Downloads license texts and adds file-header information.
Lints projects for licensing problems.
Generates a software bill of materials.
Integrates with several CI/CD workflows.
Free, offline use requires no registration.

What to know first

Does not check licenses of project dependencies.
Requires Python 3.10 or newer.

ScanCode Toolkit: what it does well

Scans for origins, licenses, vulnerabilities and dependencies.
Runs from the command line or as an application library.
Exports to JSON, YAML, HTML, SPDX and other formats.
Supports recursive archive scanning.
Free software for Linux, macOS and Windows.

What to know first

CSV output is marked deprecated.
64-bit operating system and Python requirements apply.
Scan output is not legal advice and has no warranty.

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