RubyGems.org
by RubyGems.org
What RubyGems.org is
RubyGems.org is a community-run service for finding, installing, and publishing RubyGems. Its website and HTTP API support gem queries and publishing, version and download lookups, owner management, profiles, webhooks, and site activity. New gems are usually ready to install within seconds of publication. Guides cover Bundler with Rails, Sinatra, Docker, and CI, while Trusted Publishing lets configured CI workflows publish with short-lived tokens instead of long-lived API tokens. RubyGems.org recommends multi-factor authentication through WebAuthn or one-time passwords; gem owners can require MFA for owners, and API keys can be scoped to specific actions. Weekly PostgreSQL data dumps omit user information. The service is free, and its code is available under the MIT license. Ruby Central oversees the service, which relies on supporters, sponsors, memberships, and infrastructure donors. It began in April 2009, started by Nick Quaranto.
Who it suits
RubyGems.org suits Ruby developers who need to discover or install packages, and gem authors who publish and manage them. Its API and CI publishing options are relevant to teams building package workflows.
What it does well
- Free service for finding, installing, and publishing gems
- HTTP API covers publishing and gem management
- Trusted Publishing uses short-lived CI tokens
- Weekly database dumps exclude user information
What to know first
- Private packages are not supported
- The service documents rate limits
- No monetary bug bounty rewards are offered
Getting started
- Visit https://rubygems.org/ in a web browser.
- Use the service to find RubyGems to install.
- Install or update RubyGems from the command line, or follow the manual installation documentation.
- Gem authors can publish through the HTTP API; configured CI workflows can use Trusted Publishing.
Verdict
RubyGems.org brings package discovery, publishing, and management together with API and CI workflows. Its lack of private packages and documented rate limits are worth considering for teams evaluating package hosting.
Questions
How much does RubyGems.org cost?
RubyGems.org is free and has a free plan.
Is there a free trial?
No, there is no free trial.
What platforms does it support?
Its listed platforms are API, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows.
Is RubyGems.org open source?
Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.
Can it host private packages?
No. Private packages are not supported.
How can users get publishing or account help?
RubyGems.org directs users to [email protected] for account or gem-publishing help.
Facts from RubyGems.org's own pages
- Account security
- RubyGems.org recommends multi-factor authentication using WebAuthn or one-time passwords, for both web and API account activity. · guides.rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- API
- The HTTP API supports gem queries and publishing, version and download lookups, owner management, profiles, webhooks, and site activity. · guides.rubygems.org, 3 Oct 2026
- API key security
- API keys can be scoped to specific actions, and RubyGems.org says keys are stored in its database after one-way encryption. · guides.rubygems.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Audience
- The service is aimed at Ruby developers and gem authors who need to discover, install, or publish Ruby packages. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Community funding
- RubyGems.org is a community-run service overseen by Ruby Central and relies on supporters, sponsorships, memberships, and infrastructure donors for funding. · rubygems.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Data access
- RubyGems.org provides weekly PostgreSQL data dumps with user information removed. · rubygems.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Dependency security
- Bundler can record and verify gem checksums in lockfiles and can exclude recently released versions through cooldown settings. · guides.rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Discovery
- The site lets users find, install, and publish RubyGems. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2009 · rubygems.org, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · rubygems.org, 20 Sept 2026
- Hosting and delivery
- The site says its infrastructure is hosted on AWS, gems are hosted on Amazon S3 and served by Fastly, and new gems are usually ready to install within seconds of publishing. · rubygems.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Infrastructure
- RubyGems.org says its infrastructure is hosted on AWS, gems are hosted on Amazon S3, and served by Fastly. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Installation
- RubyGems can be updated from the command line with `gem update --system`, and manual installation is also documented. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The guides document Bundler use with Rails, Sinatra, Docker, and continuous integration systems including GitHub Actions and GitLab CI. · guides.rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Open source
- The RubyGems.org code is available on GitHub under the MIT license. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Project goals
- The project aims to provide a better API for gems, make project pages more transparent and accessible, and let the community improve the site. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Publishing speed
- The time between publishing a new gem and having it ready for installation is usually a few seconds. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- RubyGems.org is the Ruby community's gem hosting service. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Rate limits
- RubyGems.org documents rate limits for its service and API. · guides.rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Security reporting
- Security issues in RubyGems, Bundler, or RubyGems.org can be reported to [email protected] or through HackerOne; the service says it no longer offers monetary bug bounty rewards. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Started
- The project was started in April 2009 by Nick Quaranto. · rubygems.org, 3 Oct 2026
- Support
- For trouble pushing a gem or help with a RubyGems.org account, the site directs users to [email protected]. · rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
- Trusted publishing
- Trusted Publishing uses GitHub Actions and OpenID Connect to publish gems with short-lived tokens instead of long-lived API tokens. · guides.rubygems.org, 4 Oct 2026
Where RubyGems.org stands on Freedom251
- Package Managers#48 of 93
- Package Registries#24 of 28