Freedom251 › Monorepo Management Tools
Melos

What Melos is
Melos is a free command-line tool for managing Dart and Flutter projects, especially workspaces containing multiple packages in a monorepo. It links local packages, installs dependencies, synchronizes shared dependencies during bootstrap, and can run commands across packages at once. Filters let users target packages by scope, category, dependencies, or changes. Melos also lists workspace packages and their dependencies, automates versioning and changelog generation, and can publish packages to pub.dev. It is designed for CI/CD automation and provides a GitHub Action. Single-package projects can use it for versioning, publishing, and changelog generation too. The tool can integrate with IntelliJ by creating project modules and run configurations; its VS Code extension provides configuration validation, autocompletion, tasks, and package graphs. Melos installs globally with `dart pub global activate melos`. Version 8.x.x requires Dart SDK 3.9.0 or newer. Publishing requires permission for every package and a machine authenticated with Pub, and dry-run is enabled by default. The project is licensed under Apache License, Version 2.0.
Who it suits
Melos suits developers managing Dart or Flutter projects with multiple packages, as well as teams automating package work in CI/CD. Single-package projects can also use it for versioning, publishing, and changelog generation.
What it does well
- Links and installs local workspace packages.
- Runs commands across packages simultaneously.
- Automates versioning and changelog generation.
- Provides a GitHub Action for CI/CD automation.
- VS Code extension includes tasks and package graphs.
What to know first
- Version 8.x.x requires Dart SDK 3.9.0 or newer.
- Publishing requires Pub authentication and permission for every package.
- IntelliJ integration is supported only through Melos v6 and lower.
Limits
Melos 8.x.x requires Dart SDK 3.9.0 or newer. Publishing needs permission for all packages and Pub-authenticated machine access, while documented IntelliJ integration is limited to Melos v6 and lower.
Getting started
- Open the Melos documentation website
- Install Melos globally with `dart pub global activate melos`
- Use Dart SDK 3.9.0 or newer for Melos 8.x.x
- Run the bootstrap command to install and synchronize workspace dependencies
- Connect the workspace to a supported repository host if needed
- Authenticate a machine with Pub before publishing packages
Verdict
Melos brings workspace package management, command execution, versioning, and publishing into a CLI workflow, with editor integrations and CI/CD support. Confirm the Dart SDK requirement and publishing prerequisites for your setup.
Questions
Is Melos free?
Yes. Melos has a free plan.
Which platforms are supported?
The listed platforms are Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows.
How is Melos installed?
It is installed globally with the command `dart pub global activate melos`.
Can Melos publish packages?
Yes. It can publish packages to pub.dev. Publishing requires permission for all packages and a machine authenticated with Pub; dry-run is enabled by default.
Does Melos support single-package projects?
Yes. Single-package projects can use Melos for versioning, publishing and changelog generation.
What license does Melos use?
The Melos repository is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
Facts from Melos's own pages
- Bootstrap
- The bootstrap command installs package dependencies, synchronizes shared dependencies and runs bootstrap lifecycle scripts. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- CI/CD
- Melos is designed for CI/CD automation and provides a GitHub Action. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Command execution
- Melos can execute simultaneous commands across packages. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Community support
- The official documentation links to a Melos Discord community. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Dart requirement
- Melos 8.x.x requires Dart SDK 3.9.0 or newer. · pub.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Dependency listing
- Melos lists local packages and their dependencies. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Filtering
- Commands support filters including scope, ignore, category, changed packages, Flutter dependencies and package dependencies. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- IDE integrations
- Melos integrates with IntelliJ by generating project modules and run configurations, and its VS Code extension provides validation, autocompletion, tasks and package graphs. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- IDE limit
- The documented IntelliJ integration is supported only for Melos v6 and lower. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Installation
- Melos is installed globally with the command `dart pub global activate melos`. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- IntelliJ integration
- Melos generates IntelliJ project modules and run configurations during bootstrap. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- License
- The Melos repository is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. · github.com, 1 Oct 2026
- Local linking
- Melos links and installs local packages within a workspace. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Maker history
- Invertase was founded in 2016 as a GitHub organisation developing open-source software for React Native. · invertase.io, 1 Oct 2026
- Package linking
- Melos provides local package linking and installation. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Product type
- Melos is a CLI tool for managing Dart and Flutter projects with multiple packages in a monorepo. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Publishing
- Melos can publish packages to pub.dev. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Publishing requirement
- Publishing requires permission for all packages and a machine authenticated with Pub; dry-run is enabled by default. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Melos is a CLI tool for managing Dart and Flutter projects with multiple packages. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Repository integrations
- Workspace configuration supports GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps repository hosts. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Single-package use
- Melos supports repositories containing a single application or package. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Support community
- The official documentation links to an Invertase Discord community. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- Versioning
- Melos provides automatic package versioning and changelog generation. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
- VS Code integration
- The Melos VS Code extension provides melos.yaml validation and autocompletion, script CodeLenses, tasks, and package-graph viewing. · melos.invertase.dev, 1 Oct 2026
Where Melos stands on Freedom251
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