nuget-license
4.0.2
dotnet tool install --global nuget-license --version 4.0.2
This package contains a .NET tool you can call from the shell/command line.
dotnet new tool-manifest
dotnet tool install --local nuget-license --version 4.0.2
This package contains a .NET tool you can call from the shell/command line.
#tool dotnet:?package=nuget-license&version=4.0.2
The NuGet Team does not provide support for this client. Please contact its maintainers for support.
nuke :add-package nuget-license --version 4.0.2
The NuGet Team does not provide support for this client. Please contact its maintainers for support.
Nuget License Utility 
Nuget License Utility is a tool to analyze, print, and validate the licenses of dependencies in .NET and C++ projects. It supports .NET (Core), .NET Standard, .NET Framework, and native C++ projects.
Features
- Analyze project or solution files for NuGet package licenses
- Validate licenses against an allowed list
- Download license files for auditing
- Supports transitive dependencies, custom mappings, and overrides
- Flexible output: table or JSON (pretty/minified)
- Exclude or ignore specific packages or projects
- Works with .NET Core, .NET Framework, and native C++ projects
Project Structure
This repository provides two main tools:
| Tool | Description | Supported Project Types |
|---|---|---|
| NuGetLicenseCore<br/>(dotnet tool) | Cross-platform .NET Core global tool, installed via dotnet tool install. |
.NET Core, .NET Standard, partial .NET Framework<sup>1</sup> |
| NuGetLicenseFramework.exe | Standalone .NET Framework executable. | .NET Core, .NET Standard, .NET Framework, native C++ |
<sup>1</sup> .NET Framework support via the dotnet tool may vary due to MSBuild/environment differences.
Compatibility Matrix
| Tool | .NET Core | .NET Standard | .NET Framework | Native C++ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NuGetLicenseCore<br/>(dotnet tool) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ⚠️<br/>Partial support | ❌ |
| NuGetLicenseFramework.exe | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Installation
NuGetLicenseCore (dotnet tool)
dotnet tool install --global nuget-license
NuGetLicenseFramework.exe
Download the latest release from GitHub Releases and run the executable directly.
Usage
Basic Command
nuget-license [options]
Common Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--version |
Show version information. |
-i, --input <FILE> |
Project or solution file to analyze. |
-ji, --json-input <FILE> |
JSON file with an array of project/solution files to analyze. See docs/input-json.md. |
-t, --include-transitive |
Include transitive dependencies. |
-a, --allowed-license-types <FILE> |
JSON file listing allowed license types. See docs/allowed-licenses-json.md. |
-ignore, --ignored-packages <FILE> |
JSON file listing package names to ignore (supports wildcards). See docs/ignored-packages-json.md. |
-mapping, --licenseurl-to-license-mappings <FILE> |
JSON dictionary mapping license URLs to license types. See docs/licenseurl-mappings-json.md. |
-file-mapping, --licensefile-to-license-mappings <FILE> |
JSON dictionary mapping license files to license types. Paths are relative to the JSON file. See docs/licensefile-mappings-json.md. |
-override, --override-package-information <FILE> |
JSON list to override package/license info. See docs/override-package-json.md. |
-d, --license-information-download-location <FOLDER> |
Download all license files to the specified folder. |
-o, --output <TYPE> |
Output format: Table, Markdown, Json or JsonPretty (default: Table). |
-err, --error-only |
Only show validation errors. |
-include-ignored, --include-ignored-packages |
Include ignored packages in output. |
-exclude-projects, --exclude-projects-matching <PATTERN\|FILE> |
Exclude projects by name or pattern (supports wildcards or JSON file). See docs/exclude-projects-json.md. |
-isp, --include-shared-projects |
Include shared projects (.shproj). |
-f, --target-framework <TFM> |
Analyze for a specific Target Framework Moniker. |
-fo, --file-output <FILE> |
Write output to a file instead of console. |
-?, -h, --help |
Show help information. |
Examples
Show Help
nuget-license --help
Validate licenses for a project
nuget-license -i MyProject.csproj
Validate licenses for a solution
nuget-license -i MySolution.sln
Use a custom allowed license list
nuget-license -i MyProject.csproj -a allowed-licenses.json
Generate pretty JSON output
nuget-license -i MyProject.csproj -o JsonPretty
Download all license files
nuget-license -i MyProject.csproj -d licenses/
Map license files to license types
nuget-license -i MyProject.csproj -file-mapping license-file-mappings.json
Note: License file paths in the JSON are relative to the JSON file's directory.
Advanced Usage
- Multiple projects: Use
-jiwith a JSON file listing multiple projects/solutions. - Override package info: Use
-overrideto supply custom license info for specific packages. - Ignore packages: Use
-ignoreto skip in-house or known packages. - Exclude projects: Use
-exclude-projectsto skip test or sample projects.
Building from Source
- Clone the repository.
- Build with your preferred .NET SDK.
- For the dotnet tool:
dotnet pack NuGetLicenseCore - For the framework exe: build
NuGetLicenseFrameworkand use the resulting.exe.
License
See LICENSE for details.
| Product | Versions Compatible and additional computed target framework versions. |
|---|---|
| .NET | net8.0 is compatible. net8.0-android was computed. net8.0-browser was computed. net8.0-ios was computed. net8.0-maccatalyst was computed. net8.0-macos was computed. net8.0-tvos was computed. net8.0-windows was computed. net9.0 is compatible. net9.0-android was computed. net9.0-browser was computed. net9.0-ios was computed. net9.0-maccatalyst was computed. net9.0-macos was computed. net9.0-tvos was computed. net9.0-windows was computed. net10.0 is compatible. net10.0-android was computed. net10.0-browser was computed. net10.0-ios was computed. net10.0-maccatalyst was computed. net10.0-macos was computed. net10.0-tvos was computed. net10.0-windows was computed. |
Compatible target framework(s)
Included target framework(s) (in package)
Learn more about Target Frameworks and .NET Standard.
This package has no dependencies.
| Version | Downloads | Last Updated |
|---|---|---|
| 4.0.2 | 4,374 | 12/2/2025 |
| 4.0.2-beta.1 | 132 | 11/24/2025 |
| 4.0.1 | 22,918 | 11/12/2025 |
| 4.0.1-beta.2 | 88 | 11/7/2025 |
| 4.0.0 | 63,123 | 9/20/2025 |
| 4.0.0-beta.2 | 421 | 9/17/2025 |
| 4.0.0-beta.1 | 220 | 9/15/2025 |
| 3.1.7 | 40,907 | 8/21/2025 |
| 3.1.6 | 49,109 | 7/4/2025 |
| 3.1.4 | 44,860 | 6/2/2025 |
| 3.1.3 | 71,297 | 3/17/2025 |
| 3.1.2 | 11,405 | 3/6/2025 |
| 3.1.1 | 22,929 | 2/5/2025 |
| 3.1.0 | 3,341 | 2/3/2025 |
| 3.0.15 | 134,171 | 12/27/2024 |
| 3.0.14 | 11,163 | 12/11/2024 |
| 3.0.13 | 130,151 | 9/18/2024 |
| 3.0.12 | 993 | 9/16/2024 |
| 3.0.11 | 247 | 9/16/2024 |
| 3.0.10 | 3,375 | 9/4/2024 |
| 3.0.9 | 33,363 | 8/15/2024 |
| 3.0.9-beta.3 | 116 | 8/14/2024 |
| 3.0.9-beta.2 | 136 | 8/14/2024 |
| 3.0.9-beta.1 | 119 | 8/14/2024 |
| 3.0.8 | 1,952 | 8/12/2024 |
| 3.0.7 | 878 | 8/7/2024 |
| 3.0.6 | 3,131 | 7/25/2024 |
| 3.0.5 | 8,198 | 7/10/2024 |
| 3.0.4 | 1,885 | 7/4/2024 |
| 3.0.3 | 39,042 | 4/9/2024 |
| 3.0.3-beta.4 | 3,880 | 3/4/2024 |
| 3.0.3-beta.3 | 142 | 2/27/2024 |
| 3.0.2 | 10,047 | 2/20/2024 |
| 3.0.1 | 12,207 | 1/8/2024 |
| 3.0.0 | 1,995 | 12/9/2023 |
| 3.0.0-alpha.10 | 135 | 12/9/2023 |