semrel is an open-source, plugin-based semantic release automation tool written in Go. It reads Conventional Commits, determines the correct Semantic Versioning (SemVer) bump, generates a changelog, updates version manifests across 15+ ecosystems, and publishes releases — automatically. It ships as a single static binary (~12 MB) with zero runtime dependencies.

Does semrel require Node.js?

No. semrel is a single static Go binary with zero Node.js dependency. There is no npm install, no node_modules, and no V8 startup overhead. It runs natively in Alpine Linux containers, air-gapped CI/CD pipelines, and minimal runners for Go, Rust, Python, Java, .NET, TypeScript, Docker, and Kubernetes projects.

Is semrel a drop-in semantic-release alternative?

Yes. semrel is the Go-native, zero-dependency alternative to Node.js semantic-release. It implements the same Conventional Commits-driven SemVer automation, changelog generation, and multi-registry publishing without requiring Node.js. It runs in seconds instead of minutes on large repositories, eliminates the 400+ transitive npm supply-chain attack surface, and works offline in air-gapped CI environments.

How does semrel compare to GoReleaser and release-please?

GoReleaser OSS requires manual git tags and charges $3,300/yr for GoReleaser Pro features, whereas semrel automatically computes the next SemVer version from Conventional Commits and includes monorepo workspaces, Linux packaging (.deb/.rpm/.apk via packager-nfpm), and enterprise GHES support 100% free under Apache 2.0. Compared to release-please, semrel requires no intermediate Release PRs and supports 46 standalone plugins in any language.

Does semrel work in air-gapped or restricted CI environments?

Yes. semrel is purpose-built for air-gapped CI/CD. Pin plugins with SHA-256 checksums in .semrel.lock and run semrel plugin restore from cache or a private mirror. Release execution requires zero outbound internet access, satisfying strict NIS2, DORA, and enterprise compliance mandates.

Is semrel supply-chain secure?

Yes. Every official semrel binary and plugin is signed with Sigstore Cosign v3, ships with CycloneDX and SPDX SBOMs, and includes SLSA Level 1 build provenance attestations. Because semrel is a compiled static binary with zero runtime dependencies, it eliminates npm post-install script attacks.

Does semrel support monorepos and multi-language repositories?

Yes. semrel supports both independent per-package versioning and lockstep monorepo workspaces via semrel workspace release, complete with topological dependency ordering, sharedPaths/ignorePaths filtering, and 15 official manifest updaters (Go, npm, Cargo/Rust, Python/PyPI, Maven, Gradle, NuGet/.NET, Composer/PHP, Dart/Flutter, Zig, Docker, Helm, Terraform, Homebrew, and regex replace).

Is semrel free and open source?

Yes. semrel and all 46 official plugins are 100% free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license. There is no Pro tier, no paywall for monorepos or GitHub Enterprise Server (GHES), and no usage limits. Source code is available at https://github.com/SemRels/semrel.

Semantic Release Automation Without Node.js

Name: semrel
Author: SemRels

Zero Node.js. Zero runtime overhead. One static Go binary (~12 MB) that parses Conventional Commits, computes SemVer, generates changelogs, and ships supply-chain secure releases across 15+ ecosystems — automatically.

Get Started View on GitHub Join Discord

v0.28.2 · 46 Official Plugins Go-Native · Zero Node.js Cosign v3 · SBOM · SLSA L1 Apache 2.0 · 100% Free 💬 Join Discord (Release Ping) →

THE NEXT-GEN SEMANTIC RELEASE ENGINE

Semantic Releases.
Fully Automated. Zero Node Tax.

semrel is the uncompromising successor to legacy release tools: a single static Go binary (~12 MB) that parses Conventional Commits, computes SemVer, updates 15+ package ecosystems, generates rich changelogs, and ships supply-chain-attested releases — in seconds instead of 35 minutes.

✓ No Node.js, no node_modules: Eliminates 400+ transitive npm dependencies and 60s CI cold starts.
✓ 46 Production-Ready Plugins: GitHub/GHES, GitLab, Gitea, Bitbucket, npm, PyPI, Crates, Docker, OCI, Helm, Zig, Flutter, nFPM, Discord, Slack, Teams & more.
✓ Reproducible & Air-Gap Ready: Pinned SHA-256 checksums in .semrel.lock and semrel plugin restore with zero outbound network calls.
✓ No Paywalls, No "Pro" Tier: Monorepo workspaces, Linux packaging, and enterprise features are 100% Open Source forever (Apache 2.0).

🚀 Quick Start (5 min) ⭐ Star on GitHub 💬 Join Discord 🧩 Explore 46 Plugins

semrel release --github-output ~1.4s · 0 npm deps

$ semrel plugin restore && semrel release
✓ lockfile   verified 6 plugins from .semrel.lock (SHA-256 OK)
✓ condition  @semrel/condition-github-actions passed (main)
✓ analyzer   @semrel/analyzer-conventional 18 commits → minor
→ version    v1.8.2 → v1.9.0 (4 contributors, MVP: @alice)
✓ generator  @semrel/generator-changelog-md wrote CHANGELOG.md 🤖
✓ pre-tag    updater-go + updater-helm + updater-npm
✓ git        committed & pushed signed tag v1.9.0 (Cosign v3)
✓ packager   @semrel/packager-nfpm built .deb, .rpm, .apk
✓ publisher  @semrel/publisher-oci pushed ghcr.io/acme/app:1.9.0
✓ provider   @semrel/provider-github released & commented on 7 PRs
✓ hook       @semrel/hook-discord + hook-slack notified #releases
🚀 Release v1.9.0 completed in 1.42s!

46 Official Plugins

0 Node.js / Runtime Deps

~12 MB Single Static Binary

8 Modular Pipeline Categories

15+ Languages & Ecosystems

$0 Apache 2.0 · Zero Paywalls

COMPETITOR SHOWDOWN

Why Legacy Tools Fall Short of What semrel Delivers

Other tools either force a 350 MB Node.js dependency tree into your container (semantic-release, release-it, changesets), cannot compute SemVer from commits (GoReleaser OSS), or lock enterprise features behind a $3,300/yr paywall.

Capability / Criterion	🚀 semrel v0.28.2	semantic-release v24.x	GoReleaser v2.x OSS/Pro	release-please v17.x	release-it / changesets v17.x / v2.x
Runtime & Footprint	✅ ~12 MB Static Go Binary	❌ Node.js + ~350 MB npm	✅ ~45 MB Go Binary	❌ Node.js / GH Action	❌ Node.js + ~200 MB npm
Auto SemVer from Commits	✅ Conventional + Regex	✅ Conventional Commits	❌ Manual Git tag required	✅ Via Release PR only	⚠️ Partial / Manual files
Scope-Based Bump Rules	✅ Native (incl. `scope: false`)	✅	❌	❌	❌
Air-Gap & Offline CI	✅ Native via `.semrel.lock`	❌ Requires npm network access	✅	❌ Cloud API bound	❌ Requires npm network access
Multi-Language Version Updaters	✅ 15 Ecosystems (Go, npm, Cargo, PyPI, Helm, Maven, Gradle, NuGet, Composer, Pubspec, Zig, Terraform, Docker, Homebrew, Regex)	⚠️ JS-centric / 3rd-party	❌ Go build focus only	⚠️ Hardcoded updaters	❌ JS/TS only (package.json)
Multi-Registry Publishers & nFPM	✅ OCI, Docker, npm, PyPI, crates.io, HTTP + .deb/.rpm/.apk	⚠️ Via npm plugins only	✅ (Partially Pro)	❌ No artifact publishers	⚠️ Primarily npm
Git Forges & Self-Hosted	✅ GitHub, GHES, GitLab, Gitea/Forgejo, Bitbucket, Git	✅ via plugins	✅ GitHub, GitLab, Gitea	❌ GitHub only	⚠️ GitHub / GitLab
Auto PR/MR Release Comments	✅ GitHub, GitLab, Gitea & Bitbucket (idempotent)	⚠️ GitHub/GitLab only	❌	⚠️ Release PR only	❌
AI Disclosure & Contributor MVP	✅ 🤖 AI-Badges + 🏆 Release MVP + First-Timers	❌	❌	❌	❌
Supply-Chain Attestation	✅ Cosign v3 + CycloneDX/SPDX + SLSA L1	❌ High npm supply-chain risk	✅ Cosign + SBOM	❌	❌
Large Repos (460+ Tags)	⚡ < 90 seconds (concurrent Go)	🐢 35+ minutes (timeouts)	⚡ Fast	⚠️ API rate limits	🐢 Slow
License & Enterprise Cost	✅ Apache 2.0 · 100% Free	✅ MIT · Free	💰 Pro costs $3,300/yr	✅ Apache 2.0	✅ MIT

ℹ️ Comparison snapshot as of October 2026 (semrel v0.28.2, semantic-release v24.x, GoReleaser v2.x OSS/Pro, release-please v17.x, release-it v17.x, @changesets/cli v2.x) based on each project’s publicly documented default capabilities. If any compared tool has added features since this date, please open an issue or PR so we can update this table.

Read the full deep-dive comparison & benchmarks → Migrate from semantic-release, GoReleaser, or release-please in 15 minutes →

ARCHITECTURE & CAPABILITIES

Engineered for Cloud-Native & Regulated Enterprise Pipelines

From single-binary tools to massive enterprise monorepos with hundreds of services (with zero artificial limits) under NIS2 and DORA mandates — semrel covers the entire release lifecycle without brittle glue scripts.

Core

Conventional Commits & Scopes

Analyses your commit history and automatically computes major, minor, or patch bumps. Includes scope-based bump rules (e.g. deps(major)) and hidden changelog types.

Zero Node.js

Single Static Go Binary

No Node.js, no npm install, no 400+ transitive packages, and zero V8 cold starts. Runs instantaneously in minimal Alpine containers and hardened CI runners.

Security

Supply-Chain Security by Default

Signed releases with Sigstore Cosign v3 (--bundle), CycloneDX & SPDX SBOMs, SLSA Level 1 provenance, DCO sign-off, and REUSE/SPDX compliance.

Air-Gap

Lockfile (.semrel.lock) & Air-Gap

Reproducible plugin versions with cross-platform SHA-256 checksums in .semrel.lock. Cache once — zero outbound network calls during CI release execution (NIS2 / DORA ready).

Pipeline

8 Modular Plugin Categories

Condition, Analyzer, Generator, Updater, Packager (.deb/.rpm/.apk), Publisher (OCI/Docker/npm/PyPI/Crates/HTTP), Provider & Hook — language-agnostic via subprocess contract.

Monorepo

Monorepo Workspace Engine

Multiple independent packages in one repository — each with its own tag series and config. Topological dependency ordering and parallel execution via semrel workspace release.

Enterprise

GHES, GitLab, Gitea & Bitbucket

First-class support for GitHub Enterprise Server (/api/v3 & custom CA), Data Residency (*.ghe.com), GitLab CI job tokens, and automatic PR/MR comments on every release.

AI & Community

AI Disclosure & Contributor MVPs

Automatically detects AI co-author trailers for transparent changelogs and celebrates first-time contributors and the 🏆 Release MVP across Markdown, HTML, and Discord.

DX & Tooling

Doctor, Commitlint & JSON Schemas

Pre-flight checks via semrel doctor, Git-hook ready semrel commitlint (--commit-msg-file), Sprout env interpolation, and IDE autocomplete via registry.semrel.io.

THE 8-CATEGORY PIPELINE

One Deterministic Lifecycle — 4 Execution Phases, 8 Plugin Roles

Every step is an isolated subprocess binary driven by environment variables (SEMREL_*) and verified via SHA-256 checksums.

Phase 1 · condition Conditions (6)

CI & Branch Gate

Verifies GitHub Actions/GHES, GitLab CI, CircleCI, Bitbucket, Gitea, or custom shell gates.

Core + Analyzer Analyzers (2)

SemVer & Contributors

Computes major/minor/patch, scopes, commit hashes & contributor statistics.

Phase 2 · generator Generators (3)

Release Notes & AI Audit

Renders Markdown/HTML changelogs with PR links, 🤖 AI disclosure, and 🏆 Release MVP.

Phase 3 · pre-tag Updaters (15)

Patch Manifests & Tag

Updates versions across 15 ecosystems, creates a single release commit & pushes the Git tag.

Phase 4 · release Packagers · Publishers · Providers · Hooks (20)

Build, Publish, Release & Notify

Builds .deb/.rpm, pushes to OCI/Docker/npm/PyPI/Crates, creates forge releases, comments on PRs & notifies ChatOps.

COMPLETE ECOSYSTEM

46 Official Plugins — Ready for Every Stack

Install any plugin via semrel plugin install @semrel/<name>. Every plugin ships as a Cosign-signed multi-arch binary and GHCR container image.

Conditions 6

Validate CI/CD environments & branch gates

@semrel/condition-github-actions GHES

GitHub Actions, GHES & Data Residency (*.ghe.com)

@semrel/condition-gitlab-ci

GitLab CI/CD pipelines & components

@semrel/condition-gitea-actions

Gitea & Forgejo Actions workflows

@semrel/condition-bitbucket-pipelines NEW

Bitbucket Cloud Pipelines gate

@semrel/condition-circleci NEW

CircleCI workflows & branch validation

@semrel/condition-generic

Arbitrary shell gates & custom checks

Analyzers 2

Inspect commit history & compute SemVer bump

@semrel/analyzer-conventional

Conventional Commits, scopes & breaking changes

@semrel/analyzer-default

Multi-pattern regex commit matching

Generators 3

Changelogs, AI disclosure & contributor MVPs

@semrel/generator-changelog-md AI + MVP

Keep-a-Changelog Markdown, archiving, AI badge & MVP

@semrel/generator-changelog-html AI + MVP

Styled HTML changelog with custom templates & MVP

@semrel/generator-release-notes

Concise release notes with custom section mapping

Updaters 15

Stamp versions across 15 ecosystems before tagging

@semrel/updater-go

Go version variables & constants

@semrel/updater-npm

package.json + package-lock.json sync

@semrel/updater-cargo

Rust Cargo.toml manifest

@semrel/updater-python

pyproject.toml & setup.py

@semrel/updater-docker

Dockerfile ARG / LABEL versions

@semrel/updater-helm

Helm Chart.yaml version & appVersion

@semrel/updater-maven

Java Maven pom.xml

@semrel/updater-gradle

Gradle gradle.properties & build.gradle

@semrel/updater-nuget

.NET .csproj & NuGet manifests

@semrel/updater-composer NEW

PHP composer.json manifest

@semrel/updater-pubspec NEW

Dart & Flutter pubspec.yaml (+build)

@semrel/updater-zig NEW

Zig build.zig.zon manifest

@semrel/updater-homebrew

Homebrew Formula URL & SHA256

@semrel/updater-terraform

Terraform module & variable versions

@semrel/updater-replace NEW

Regex & literal replacement with assertions

Packagers 1

Build distributable system packages

@semrel/packager-nfpm

.deb, .rpm & .apk Linux packages via nFPM

Publishers 6

Publish packages & containers to registries

@semrel/publisher-oci

OCI registries (GHCR, ECR, ACR, Harbor)

@semrel/publisher-docker

Push local Docker images with immutable SHA256 digest

@semrel/publisher-npm NEW

npm, pnpm & Yarn publish with provenance

@semrel/publisher-pypi NEW

Python wheel/sdist build & twine upload to PyPI

@semrel/publisher-crates NEW

Publish Rust crates & workspaces to crates.io

@semrel/publisher-generic-http

Generic HTTP PUT/POST artifact upload

Providers 5

Git forges, releases, assets & auto PR comments

@semrel/provider-github GHES + PR

GitHub & GHES releases, assets & PR comments

@semrel/provider-gitlab MR Comment

GitLab releases, job-token & MR comments

@semrel/provider-gitea PR Comment

Gitea / Forgejo releases & PR comments

@semrel/provider-bitbucket PR Comment

Bitbucket Cloud releases & PR comments

@semrel/provider-git

Pure Git tag & branch push operations

Hooks 8

ChatOps notifications, issue trackers & shell hooks

@semrel/hook-slack

Slack webhook release notifications with retries

@semrel/hook-teams

Microsoft Teams Adaptive Cards & @mentions

@semrel/hook-discord NEW

Discord embeds with Release MVP & New Contributors

@semrel/hook-matrix

Matrix / Element room notifications

@semrel/hook-jira

Automatically update Jira issues & versions

@semrel/hook-email

SMTP email release announcements

@semrel/hook-exec NEW

Phase-aware shell commands (@semantic-release/exec compatible)

@semrel/hook-gitplugin

Cross-repo Git commits & downstream triggers

🌐 Open Interactive Plugin Registry (registry.semrel.io) 🛠️ Write Your Own Plugin in 10 Mins

QUICK START

3 Steps to a Fully Automated Release Pipeline

Complete with IDE JSON Schema autocomplete, pre-flight doctor checks, and zero-risk --dry-run.

Install & Pin Plugins

go install github.com/SemRels/semrel/cmd/semrel@latest
semrel config init

semrel plugin install @semrel/condition-github-actions
semrel plugin install @semrel/generator-changelog-md
semrel plugin install @semrel/updater-go
semrel plugin install @semrel/provider-github
semrel plugin install @semrel/hook-discord

Configure (.semrel.yaml)

# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://registry.semrel.io/schemas/core/v1.json
tagPrefix: v
commit_changelog: false
branches:
  - name: main
  - name: next
    prerelease: beta

plugins:
  - uses: @semrel/condition-github-actions
    phase: condition
  - uses: @semrel/generator-changelog-md
    phase: pre-tag
    args:
      keep_releases: "10"
      ai_disclosure: "true"
  - uses: @semrel/updater-go
    phase: pre-tag
    args:
      file: internal/version/version.go
  - uses: @semrel/provider-github
    phase: release
    args:
      token: '${env.GITHUB_TOKEN}'
      comment_on_prs: "true"

Verify & Ship

# 1. Pre-flight check (config, plugins, tokens)
semrel doctor

# 2. Validate commit messages
semrel commitlint --commit-msg-file .git/COMMIT_EDITMSG

# 3. Preview without side effects
semrel release --dry-run

# 4. Ship production release (or monorepo: semrel workspace release)
semrel release --github-output

ROADMAP

The Road to semrel v1.0.0

Relentless execution focused on stability, ecosystem breadth, and enterprise readiness.

v0.1 – v0.10 ✓ Shipped

Zero-Dependency Core & Subprocess Runtime

Static Go binary without Node.js dependencies, subprocess plugin runtime, and semrel doctor pre-flight diagnostics.

v0.11 – v0.18 ✓ Shipped

.semrel.lock, Air-Gap & 8-Category Pipeline

SHA256-pinned lockfiles, air-gap plugin restore, monorepo workspaces, plus dedicated Generator, Packager, and Publisher categories.

v0.19 – v0.25 ✓ Shipped

Scope Rules, Contributor Metadata & AI Transparency

Scope-based bump rules, SEMREL_CONTRIBUTORS for MVP shoutouts, AI co-author disclosure badges, and registry download analytics.

v0.26 – v0.28.2 ✓ Shipped

Cosign v3, GHES, Workspace Scopes & 46 Official Plugins

Sigstore Cosign v3 (--bundle), env-var interpolation, monorepo sharedPaths/ignorePaths & package-scoped commits, automatic .gitignore generation, PR/MR release comments, GHES support, and 46 official plugins.

v0.29+ ⚡ In Progress

Ecosystem & Enterprise Adopter Expansion

Community plugin expansion, OIDC trusted publishing across registries, richer release analytics, and enterprise reference blueprints.

v1.0.0 🎯 Planned

v1.0 Long-Term Stability & Enterprise Guarantees

Long-term stability guarantees for Plugin Protocol v1, Core JSON Schema v1, and backward-compatible lockfile specifications.

COMMUNITY & CONTRIBUTING

Join the Movement — Help Us Build the Open-Source Release Standard

semrel is an independent open-source project created by Markus Waldheim (@mwaldheim) and Thomas Boerger (@tboerger). No VC lock-in, no artificial enterprise paywalls — built by engineers, for engineers.

🧩

Build & Submit Plugins

Write a new updater, publisher, or hook in Go, Rust, Python, or any language and publish it to registry.semrel.io.

Start Plugin Guide →

🐛

Good First Issues & Core

Whether you are a seasoned Go engineer or a first-time contributor, we mentor every PR. Grab a labeled Good First Issue!

Browse Good First Issues →

💬

Discord Community & Release Ping

Join our official Discord server! Get direct support from the maintainers, connect with adopters, and receive automatic Release Ping notifications.

Join Discord Server →

📚

Docs, Blueprints & CI Templates

Help us reach more engineering teams with CI/CD recipes, migration guides, translations, or share your setup in GitHub Discussions.

Contribute to Docs Repo →

Maintainers & Creators: Markus Waldheim (@mwaldheim) & Thomas Boerger (@tboerger)

Apache-2.0 License · DCO Sign-Off · REUSE Compliant