license-gen

name	license-gen
description	Pick and generate the right license for your project. Use when licensing open source.

License Generator

Picking a license shouldn't require a law degree. This tool explains each license in plain English and generates the LICENSE file for you.

One command. Zero config. Just works.

Quick Start

npx ai-license

What It Does

• Interactive license selection with explanations
• Generates complete LICENSE files
• Explains what each license actually means
• Covers MIT, Apache, GPL, BSD, and more

Usage Examples

# Interactive mode
npx ai-license

# Quick MIT license
npx ai-license --type mit --name "Jane Doe"

# Explain a license before choosing
npx ai-license --explain apache-2.0

Best Practices

• MIT for simplicity - do whatever you want, just keep the copyright
• Apache for patents - includes patent protection
• GPL for copyleft - derivatives must also be open source
• Check dependencies - some licenses are incompatible

When to Use This

• Starting an open source project
• Not sure which license fits your needs
• Want to understand license implications
• Need to generate LICENSE file quickly

Part of the LXGIC Dev Toolkit

This is one of 110+ free developer tools built by LXGIC Studios. No paywalls, no sign-ups, no API keys on free tiers. Just tools that work.

Find more:

• GitHub: https://github.com/LXGIC-Studios
• Twitter: https://x.com/lxgicstudios
• Substack: https://lxgicstudios.substack.com
• Website: https://lxgicstudios.com

Requirements

No install needed. Just run with npx. Node.js 18+ recommended. Needs OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable.

npx ai-license --help

How It Works

Walks you through questions about how you want your code to be used, then recommends appropriate licenses. Uses GPT-4o-mini to explain license terms in plain English and generate the full LICENSE file.

License

MIT. Free forever. Use it however you want.