npm vs R-universe

npm is a JavaScript package registry and command-line tool for sharing code and managing packages. The Registry and CLI are free for public package use, and the Free plan lets public package authors publish unlimited public packages. npm accepts package.json folders, gzipped tarballs, URLs, name-and-version or name-and-tag references, and Git URLs. Its tools support dependency resolution, lockfiles, workspaces, private registry authentication, and offline installation. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and other operating systems through Node.js installers or version managers. For private packages, the Paid user account plan is $7 a month; Pro is also $7 a month for individual creators, while Teams is $7 per user per month for teams and organizations. Pro includes unlimited private packages and package-based permissions; Teams adds team-based permissions. Organizations can manage members, teams, roles, permissions, and package access. All plans include basic support and automatic security warnings. Paid billing starts when card details are submitted, with the first month charged immediately.

R-universe is rOpenSci’s platform for publishing and discovering research software in R. Its searchable catalogue covers R software, articles, and datasets, using R-specific indexing and ranking. Package and universe pages provide detailed information and rendered material. Users and developers can run personal CRAN-like package repositories whether or not they publish packages on CRAN; R-universe builds and deploys packages from Git repositories into installation repositories. It also provides a continuous integration development environment without configuration to help identify potential breakage before release. WebAssembly binary support is experimental. Publishing a packages.json registry requires a GitHub account and the R-universe GitHub app, although package repositories may be hosted on other public Git servers such as GitLab. Unauthenticated APIs support listing universes and packages, retrieving package information, and searching. The service is free at free and is available through web, API, Linux, macOS, and Windows. rOpenSci initiated and governs the platform. R-universe does not vet packages; each universe owner is responsible for policies and quality control.