Conan

Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinuxMacWindows

What Conan is

Conan is a free, open-source package manager for C and C++ projects. It handles dependencies and binary packages through Conan recipes, with dependency resolution, lockfiles, workspaces, private registry authentication, and offline installation. Packages can be configured for different architectures, compilers and versions, runtimes, and C++ standard libraries. If a suitable binary is unavailable, Conan can build one from source on demand.

The package manager supports Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, and embedded and bare-metal targets. It also works with FreeBSD and other operating systems, and can target desktop, server, and mobile environments. Build integrations include CMake, MSBuild, Makefiles, Meson, SCons, and proprietary build systems. Other listed integrations include Docker, MinGW, WSL, and JFrog Artifactory.

Teams can share and reuse native binaries across an organization. For private packages, Artifactory Community Edition offers a self-hosted server with a WebUI, authentication, permissions, a generic CLI, and generic repositories. Conan is released under the MIT License. Its installation support is available through documentation, Slack, and GitHub.

Who it suits

Conan suits developers and teams managing C and C++ dependencies across different operating systems, architectures, compilers, and runtimes. It is also relevant to organizations that want to share native binaries or host private packages on their own server.

What it does well

Free and open source under the MIT License.
Supports dependency resolution, lockfiles, workspaces, and offline installation.
Works across desktop, server, mobile, embedded, and bare-metal targets.
Can build unavailable binaries from source on demand.
Integrates with a range of build systems and development tools.
Artifactory Community Edition supports self-hosted private packages.

What to know first

The listed Conan and Artifactory Community Edition plans show no price amount.
Private package hosting through Artifactory Community Edition requires a self-hosted server.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Conan	Free and open source · C and C++ package management · Dependency and binary management · Local cache and remote repositories	On request
Artifactory Community Edition	—	On request

As conan.io lists them, read 28 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit the Conan website.
Install Conan using the documentation.
Choose Conan recipes and binary packages for dependency and binary management.
Connect Conan with a supported build system or tool.
For private packages, set up Artifactory Community Edition on your own server.

Verdict

Choose Conan for free C and C++ dependency and binary management across varied platforms and build systems. Teams needing private packages can pair it with Artifactory Community Edition on their own server. Consider that self-hosting requirement when choosing how to share private packages.

Questions

Is Conan free?

Yes. Conan is listed as free and open source, and it is released under the MIT License.

Which operating systems and targets does Conan support?

It supports Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, embedded, and bare-metal targets. It also works with FreeBSD and other operating systems.

Does Conan support offline installation and lockfiles?

Yes. Offline installation and lockfile support are listed.

Which build systems does Conan integrate with?

Listed integrations include CMake, MSBuild, Makefiles, Meson, SCons, and proprietary build systems.

Can a team host private packages?

Yes. Artifactory Community Edition lets developers host private packages on their own server.

What support channels are available?

Installation support is available through documentation, Slack, and GitHub.

Facts from Conan's own pages

Repository Features: Artifactory CE includes WebUI, advanced auth, permissions, generic CLI, and generic repositories. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Binary Configurations: Supports different architectures, compilers, compiler versions, runtimes, and C++ standard libraries. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Build Integrations: Integrates with CMake, MSBuild, Makefiles, Meson, SCons, and proprietary build systems. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Community Group: The Conan 2.0 community includes more than 70 expert users and contributors. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Monthly Downloads: The page reports 3.4M monthly PyPI downloads. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
License: Conan is released under the MIT License. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Recipes Count: The page reports 1,948 recipes. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
References Count: The page reports 10,287 references. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Latest Conan Version: The downloads page lists Conan 2.32.0. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Dependency resolution: Yes · conan.io, 22 Sept 2026
Free plan: Yes · conan.io, 22 Sept 2026
Lockfile support: Yes · conan.io, 22 Sept 2026
Maintainer Support: Conan has full-time maintainers supporting many thousands of users. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Offline installation: Yes · conan.io, 22 Sept 2026
Package formats: Conan recipes and binary packages · conan.io, 22 Sept 2026
Private Packages: Artifactory CE lets developers host private packages on their own server. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Private registry auth: Yes · conan.io, 22 Sept 2026
Source Fallback: Unavailable binaries can be built from sources on demand. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Support Channels: Installation support is available through Docs, Slack, and GitHub. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Operating Systems: Works with Windows, Linux, OSX, FreeBSD, and other operating systems. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Supported platforms: Linux,Windows,macOS,Android,iOS,embedded and bare-metal targets · conan.io, 22 Sept 2026
Target Platforms: Targets desktop, server, mobile, embedded, and bare metal platforms. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Team Sharing: Teams can create, share, and reuse native binaries across their organizations. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026
Tool Integrations: Integrates with Docker, MinGW, WSL, and JFrog Artifactory. · conan.io, 28 Sept 2026

Where Conan stands on Freedom251

Package Managers#4 of 93
Package Registries#5 of 28