How to Make Money from CLI Tools You Build

How to Make Money from CLI Tools You Build You built a CLI tool. People use it. But you're not making money from it. Most developer tools are free — and that's fine for open source contributions. But if you're spending serious time building and maintaining tools, there are legitimate ways to generate revenue without compromising the developer experience. This article covers 7 monetization models for CLI tools, with real examples and practical implementation details. Model 1: Freemium — Free Core, Paid Premium The most common model. The core tool is free and open source. Premium features require a license key. // lib/license.ts async function checkLicense(): Promise<'free' | 'pro' | 'team'> { const key = process.env.MYTOOL_LICENSE || await loadStoredKey(); if (!key) return 'free'; try { const response = await fetch('https://api.mytool.dev/license/verify', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ key }), }); const data = await respon