Best Package Registries in 2026
Updated
In short: CPAN is ranked #1 of 28 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Inedo ProGet and npm. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Inedo ProGet. The lowest first paid tier on this page is PyPI at $5/mo.
For development teams, package registries provide a way to store and distribute packages across software ecosystems. Compared on package ecosystems, private packages, and access controls, the entries can be weighed against the formats you use and how packages should be shared. Download limits, storage limits, and package size limits add practical constraints to consider. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help frame cost. Inedo ProGet, npm, and Hex are among the options shown. Start with the ecosystems your work requires, then consider which access controls and listed limits fit the way you manage packages.
28 package registries ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
12 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 | CPANWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | Inedo ProGetWeb · Windows · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $199.58/mo | 6.6 | |
| 3 | npmWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $7/mo | 6.6 | |
| 4 | R-universeWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 5 | CocoaPodsMac · iPhone | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | HexWeb · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $7.50/mo | 6.4 | |
| 7 | Maven CentralWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | MELPAWeb · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | PackagistWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | €2,500/mo | 6.4 | |
| 10 | PyPIWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $5/mo | 6.4 | |
| 11 | VerdaccioWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | GNU ELPAWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 13 | ConanWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 5 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 14 | NuGetWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 15 | RubyGems.orgWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · API | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.7 |
| 16 | NonGNU ELPAWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 17 | devpiWeb · Linux · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 18 | RWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 19 | LuaRocksWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 20 | opamWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 21 | PureScript RegistryWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 22 | BioconductorWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 23 | aptlyMac · Linux | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | Go Module MirrorNo platforms listed | No signal | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | JSRWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Package ecosystems | Private packages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CPAN | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | single | — |
| 2 | Inedo ProGet | 6.6 | Free plan | $199.58/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | npm | 6.6 | Free plan | $7/mo | Yes | 7 /mo | — | — |
| 4 | R-universe | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | single | — |
| 5 | CocoaPods | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 6 | Hex | 6.4 | Free plan | $7.50/mo | Yes | — | multi | Yes |
| 7 | Maven Central | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | single | No |
| 8 | MELPA | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | single | — |
| 9 | Packagist | 6.4 | Free plan | €2,500/mo | Yes | — | single | No |
| 10 | PyPI | 6.4 | Free plan | $5/mo | Yes | — | single | No |
| 11 | Verdaccio | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | GNU ELPA | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | — | — | single | — |
| 13 | Conan | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | NuGet | 5.7 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | RubyGems.org | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | single | No |
| 16 | NonGNU ELPA | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | single | — |
| 17 | devpi | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | R | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 19 | LuaRocks | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | opam | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | PureScript Registry | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | single | — |
| 22 | Bioconductor | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | single | No |
| 23 | aptly | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 24 | Go Module Mirror | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | single | No |
| 25 | JSR | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | single | No |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which package registrie is ranked first on Freedom251?
CPAN is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 6.6. Inedo ProGet is second and npm third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, PyPI has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/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.