Best CPAN Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from package registries ranked against CPAN on the same published basis.
- 1CPAN vs CocoaPods
- 2CPAN vs Conan
- 3CPAN vs Hex
- 4CPAN vs Inedo ProGet
- 5CPAN vs npm
- 6CPAN vs Maven Central
- 7CPAN vs Packagist
- 8CPAN vs PyPI
- 10CPAN vs GNU ELPA
- 11CPAN vs MELPA
- 12CPAN vs R-universe
- 13CPAN vs Verdaccio
- 14CPAN vs NuGet
- 15CPAN vs R
- 16CPAN vs RubyGems.org
- 17CPAN vs devpi
- 18CPAN vs NonGNU ELPA
- 19CPAN vs Private Packagist
- 20CPAN vs PureScript Registry
- 21CPAN vs opam
CPAN alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CocoaPods | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | iOS, Mac |
| 2 | Conan | 7.3 | No | — | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 3 | Hex | 6.4 | Free plan | $7.50/mo | API, self-hosted, Web |
| 4 | Inedo ProGet | 6.4 | Free plan | $199.58/mo | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 5 | npm | 6.4 | Free plan | $7/mo | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 6 | Maven Central | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 7 | Packagist | 6.3 | Free plan | €2,500/mo | API, Web |
| 8 | PyPI | 6.3 | Free plan | $5/mo | API, Web |
| 10 | GNU ELPA | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 11 | MELPA | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Web |
| 12 | R-universe | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 13 | Verdaccio | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 14 | NuGet | 5.8 | No | — | API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 15 | R | 5.8 | No | — | Mac, Windows |
| 16 | RubyGems.org | 5.8 | No | — | API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 17 | devpi | 5.7 | No | — | Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 18 | NonGNU ELPA | 5.6 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 19 | Private Packagist | 5.5 | No | €15.58/mo | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 20 | PureScript Registry | 5.5 | No | — | API, Web |
| 21 | opam | 5.4 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
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Questions about CPAN alternatives
What is the best alternative to CPAN?
CocoaPods, number 1 in package registries with a score of 7.8 out of 10. The others here: Conan, Hex, Inedo ProGet and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to CPAN?
CocoaPods is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 11 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.