Best Package Managers in 2026
Updated
In short: npm is ranked #1 of 93 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of uv and Yarn. The best-ranked option with a free plan is uv. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Chocolatey at $1.50/mo.
For software projects that rely on packages and dependencies, package managers provide ways to resolve and install them. Compared on dependency resolution, lockfile support, workspace support, and package formats, the entries can be considered against the structure and needs of your projects. Offline installation and private registry authentication are other listed criteria, alongside supported platforms. Free plan and paid from offer pricing details to compare. npm, uv, and Yarn are among the options shown. Check which package sources and development environments you use, then weigh those requirements against each tool’s published support.
93 package managers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
11 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | npmWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $7/mo | 8.1 | |
| 2 | uvWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 8.1 | |
| 3 | YarnWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 8.0 | |
| 4 | GradleWindows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 8.0 | |
| 5 | CargoWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 8.0 | |
| 6 | ComposerWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.8 | |
| 7 | PixiWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | €42/mo | 7.8 | |
| 8 | NixWindows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 7.6 | |
| 9 | HexWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $7.50/mo | 7.4 | |
| 10 | CocoaPodsMac · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 7.3 | |
| 11 | pnpmWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 7.2 |
| 12 | ConanWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 7.2 |
| 13 | NuGetWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 7.0 |
| 14 | Go ModulesWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 7.0 |
| 15 | GNU GuixLinux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.0 | |
| 16 | condaWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.9 |
| 17 | PDMWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.9 |
| 18 | PoetryWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.9 |
| 19 | pipWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.8 |
| 20 | Apache MavenWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.8 |
| 21 | vcpkgWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 6.8 |
| 22 | Dart pubWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.7 |
| 23 | ChocolateyWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $1.50/mo | 6.7 |
| 24 | Swift Package ManagerWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.6 |
| 25 | BunWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 6.6 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which package manager is ranked first on Freedom251?
npm is ranked #1 of 93 with a score of 8.1. uv is second and Yarn third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Chocolatey has the lowest first paid tier we found: $1.50/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.