standard-version
standard-version: A free CLI for Conventional Commit releases, but the project is deprecated. Ranked #19 of 29 in Release Automation Tools by our editors (6.8/10); pricing: Free plan; best for projects needing free SemVer bumps and Git changelogs.
At a glance
- Editor score6.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forProjects needing free SemVer bumps and Git changelogs
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Semantic versioningYes
- Facts checked5 Oct 2026
Where it wins
- Calculates semantic version bumps from Conventional Commit history
- Generates changelogs and updates configurable version files
- Creates release commits and Git tags, with prerelease and dry-run support
Where it doesn't
- The project is deprecated; maintainers recommend alternatives
- Does not automatically push to GitHub or publish to npm
- No publishing or release-host integrations are listed
Our verdict on standard-version
standard-version is a free, open-source command-line utility that automates versioning and CHANGELOG generation from Conventional Commits. It is aimed at projects that want to calculate semantic version bumps, update version files, and record a release in Git without building those steps into a custom script. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and its deployment model is self-hosted. Its scope is the local release workflow, not publishing the resulting package or release elsewhere.
The workflow combines several release steps: standard-version determines the current version, calculates a bump from commit history, updates configured files, generates a changelog, then creates a release commit and Git tag. It supports prerelease versions and named prereleases, custom changelog configuration, lifecycle scripts, and dry-run previews. These options make it useful for teams with a Conventional Commit history and version files or changelog conventions they want to preserve. According to the project README, it does not automatically push to GitHub or publish to npm; release handling affects the local Git repository.
The main consideration is project status: standard-version is deprecated. Its maintainers recommend release-please for GitHub users or the commit-and-tag-version fork for users who need an alternative. That matters more than the tool's free pricing for anyone choosing a release workflow to maintain going forward. Projects that specifically need local SemVer bumps, changelog generation, commits, and tags may still find its feature set aligned with that task, while teams seeking active development, automatic publishing, or release-host integrations should consider the recommended alternatives instead.
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standard-version pricing
standard-version fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Semantic versioning | Yes |
| Changelog generation | Yes |
| Release note automation | Not verified |
| Release artifacts | Not verified |
| Source platforms | Not verified |
| Package registries | Not verified |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Support | Community |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | github.com |
| Facts checked | 5 Oct 2026 |
Alternatives to standard-version
- semantic-releaseAn open-source CI release tool that turns commit history into versions, notes, and published releases.9.1
- LernaLerna combines monorepo task orchestration with npm package versioning and publishing.8.1
- release-itA flexible release CLI that handles Git workflows, release notes and npm publishing.7.9
See all standard-version alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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