Side by side
CocoaPods vs Conan
Both stand on package registries. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan iPhoneMac
CocoaPods provides dependency installation and version tracking for Swift and Objective-C Cocoa projects, with support for private repositories and offline installation. Developers should note the planned trunk change on December 2, 2026.
Visit CocoaPods
Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+2
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.
Visit ConanThe facts
| CocoaPods | Conan | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | iPhone, Mac | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | cocoapods.org | conan.io |
| On package registries | #9 of 28 | #5 of 28 |
CocoaPods: what it does well
- Free plan listed as free
- Supports offline installation
- Lockfile records installed pod versions
- Private Spec repositories support shared components
- Supports iOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS
What to know first
- Trunk is planned to stop accepting new Podspecs on December 2, 2026
- Site recommends installing with the default Ruby available on macOS
- No paid plans are listed
Conan: 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.
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.
Alternatives to CocoaPods Alternatives to Conan The whole list