Gemfury

Gemfury is a hosted package repository for developers and organizations distributing software across several package ecosystems. It is strongest for teams that want private packages in existing package-manager workflows without operating repository infrastructure. The free plan handles public packages, but private hosting starts at $9 a month.

Overview

Gemfury brings public and private package hosting together in a service that supports RubyGems, npm, PyPI, Go Modules, Composer, Maven, DEB, RPM, Bower and NuGet. That breadth is useful for teams distributing across different ecosystems; a project with a narrower repository need may not benefit as much from the range.

Packages can be uploaded through the web interface or command line, with transfers over SSL. Private packages can be deployed using a Gemfury Repo URL alongside existing package-management tools and workflows, so teams need not change their installation process. Gemfury says a secret token in the URL protects packages during deployment, and that uploads, deployments and installations use SSL. The service also supports an upstream proxy.

Key features

Collaboration and control

Users can share an account with coworkers to access packages. Business plans add separate billing, multi-ownership and fine-grained permission control, making them a better fit for organizations that need to manage access and ownership explicitly than a shared personal account. Customers can access service-account data through an API.

Gemfury says transmitted data is protected with SSL encryption and stored information and data are backed up. It asks people to report security concerns privately by email and says those reports receive its highest priority.

Pricing

Gemfury uses a freemium model and offers a 14-day trial without a credit card, with trial use described as without limits. Its plans pair collaborator counts with private-package capacity; all listed plans include unlimited public packages, unlimited versions, SSL protection and free setup.

Free: free, with unlimited collaborators and public packages but no private packages. It suits public distribution, not a private repository.

Personal 1C: $9 a month for one collaborator and unlimited private packages. This is the lowest-cost route to private hosting, but it does not accommodate a multi-person team.

Personal 5C: $14 a month for five collaborators and unlimited private packages; a modest step up for a small group.

Personal 10C: $23 a month for ten collaborators and unlimited private packages.

Team 10P: $25 a month for unlimited collaborators and 10 private packages. It favors broad collaboration over private-package capacity.

Personal 25C: $50 a month for 25 collaborators and unlimited private packages.

Team 20P: $50 a month for unlimited collaborators and 20 private packages.

Team 50P: $100 a month for unlimited collaborators and 50 private packages.

Personal 50C: $100 a month for 50 collaborators and unlimited private packages.

Team 125P: $200 a month for unlimited collaborators and 125 private packages.

The Personal plans trade a set collaborator ceiling for unlimited private packages; Team plans remove the collaborator cap but limit private-package counts. Larger plans or other pricing questions can be discussed by email. Packages are deleted one month after account cancellation and cannot be recovered after deletion, an important retention term for teams winding down an account.

Platforms

Gemfury supports API access and lists Linux, macOS, Windows and web platforms. It is hosted rather than self-hosted, so it is not the choice for teams that require repository infrastructure on their own servers.

Who it's for

Gemfury fits developers and teams that want to publish or consume packages in multiple formats, especially those seeking private package delivery through familiar package managers. The free plan is a reasonable fit for public-only projects. Teams needing private packages can choose between collaborator-limited Personal plans and collaborator-unlimited Team plans, depending on whether people or package count is the tighter constraint.

It is less suitable for users who require self-hosting, or for organizations that need private packages at no cost. Teams should also account for the one-month deletion window when planning cancellation or migration.

Pros and cons

Pros: Ten supported package formats, web and command-line uploads, and deployment through existing package-manager workflows give mixed-ecosystem teams a flexible hosted repository.

Pros: Every paid plan offers unlimited versions and public packages, with private-package and collaborator choices across multiple price points.

Pros: The 14-day trial requires no credit card, allowing prospective customers to evaluate the service before choosing a plan.

Cons: The free plan excludes private packages, so private use requires a recurring paid plan.

Cons: Plan limits force a choice between collaborator caps and private-package caps; organizations needing both many users and substantial private capacity may need to discuss a larger plan.

Cons: Cancelled accounts lose packages after one month, and deleted packages cannot be recovered.

Alternatives

For a wider comparison, browse Artifact repository software. Consider Cloudsmith if its free open-source plan's 50 GB of artifact data and 200 GB of package delivery suit your project. Packagecloud is another freemium option, with a free plan that includes 10 GB bandwidth and 2 GB storage.

Sonatype Nexus Repository is worth considering if you want a self-hosted option with a free Community Edition. Inedo ProGet may suit teams seeking unlimited feeds for private packages and Docker in its free edition, while accepting limited security and compliance features. Azure Test Plans and Buildkite are also alternatives to compare.

Buildstash is a paid alternative with a Starter plan at $49 a month. Ravenstash offers a free plan with one artifact repository and 1 GB of storage.

Verdict

Choose Gemfury if you need hosted package distribution across its supported formats and want private packages to work with existing package-management workflows. Its clearest advantage is the choice between collaborator-limited plans with unlimited private packages and team plans with unlimited collaborators. Look elsewhere if private hosting must be free, self-hosting is required, or cancellation must not put packages on a one-month deletion clock.