diff --git a/.versionrc.json b/.versionrc.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b880d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.versionrc.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "skip": {
+    "commit": true,
+    "tag": true
+  },
+  "types": [
+    {
+      "type": "feat",
+      "section": "Features"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "fix",
+      "section": "Bug Fixes"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "perf",
+      "section": "Improvements"
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0df4c73..ad98e6a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -18,26 +18,6 @@
     "gulp-insert": "^0.5.0",
     "gulp-rename": "^2.0.0",
     "gulp-uglify": "^3.0.2",
-    "standard-version": "^9.3.2",
     "uglify-js": "^3.14.3"
-  },
-  "standard-version": {
-    "skip": {
-      "commit": true,
-      "tag": true
-    },
-    "types": [{
-        "type": "feat",
-        "section": "Features"
-      },
-      {
-        "type": "fix",
-        "section": "Bug Fixes"
-      },
-      {
-        "type": "perf",
-        "section": "Improvements"
-      }
-    ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/tools/release.sh b/tools/release.sh
index 99e462e..2b55218 100755
--- a/tools/release.sh
+++ b/tools/release.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #
 # Usage: run on main branch or the patch branch
 #
-# Requires: Git, Node.js, NPX and RubyGems
+# Requires: Git, NPM and RubyGems
 
 set -eu
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ FILES=(
 TOOLS=(
   "git"
   "npm"
-  "npx"
+  "standard-version"
   "gem"
 )
 
@@ -143,9 +143,9 @@ resume_config() {
 # auto-generate a new version number to the file 'package.json'
 standard_version() {
   if $opt_pre; then
-    npx standard-version --prerelease rc
+    standard-version --prerelease rc
   else
-    npx standard-version
+    standard-version
   fi
 }