CocoaPods
CocoaPods manages dependencies for Swift and Objective-C projects built with Cocoa.
What CocoaPods is
CocoaPods manages dependencies for Swift and Objective-C projects built with Cocoa. Developers list project dependencies in a Podfile and install them with `pod install`; CocoaPods then integrates them into Xcode workspaces, adding configuration and build steps. Podfile.lock keeps a record of installed pod versions so later installs can retain them unless dependencies change. The catalog contains over 108,000 libraries, and the homepage says CocoaPods is used in over 3 million apps. Dependencies can come from git, svn, bzr, http, or hg, and teams can share components through private Spec repositories. It also supports plugins and offline installation. CocoaPods supports iOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS, and watchOS, while its listed platforms are iOS and macOS. It is free. The project is built with Ruby and recommends using the default Ruby available on macOS for installation. The project plans to make trunk read-only on December 2, 2026, after which it will not accept new Podspecs.
Good
- Integrates dependencies into Xcode workspaces
- Lockfile records installed pod versions
- Supports offline installation
- Private Spec repositories support shared components
Watch out
- Trunk is planned to stop accepting Podspecs December 2, 2026
- Installation recommendation is tied to macOS Ruby
Who it suits
CocoaPods suits app developers who need public or private dependencies and library developers distributing libraries. It is aimed at projects using Swift or Objective-C with Cocoa.
Verdict
CocoaPods brings dependency installation and version tracking into the Xcode workflow. Its planned trunk change is important for teams expecting to add new Podspecs after December 2, 2026.
Plans and prices
From CocoaPods's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| CocoaPods | Free | No paid plans listed |
The facts
Each one read from CocoaPods's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- The site describes CocoaPods as a tool for app developers who want to use public or private dependencies and for library developers distributing libraries.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Dependency resolution
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Dependency setup
- Projects describe dependencies in a Podfile and install them with the `pod install` command.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Dependency sources
- CocoaPods supports source code from git, svn, bzr, http and hg.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Extensions
- CocoaPods supports plugins, and its about page names packager, keys, roulette, deintegrate, repo-svn, release and sorted-search as examples.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Install requirement
- CocoaPods is built with Ruby and the site recommends installing it with the default Ruby available on macOS.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Library catalog
- The homepage states CocoaPods has over 108,000 libraries and is used in over 3 million apps.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Lockfile support
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Offline installation
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Package formats
- Pod,podspecchecked 22 Sep 2026
- Private dependencies
- Teams can use their own private Spec repository to share components across projects.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- CocoaPods is a dependency manager for Swift and Objective-C Cocoa projects.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Security
- The legal page says CocoaPods has no formal security bounty system and invites private security contact by email.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The guide directs users to Stack Overflow and the CocoaPods mailing list for support, and to GitHub issues for tool bugs.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Trunk change
- The project plans to make CocoaPods trunk read-only on December 2, 2026, after which it will no longer accept new Podspecs.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Version consistency
- Podfile.lock records installed pod versions so later installs use those versions unless dependencies are updated.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Workspace support
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
- Xcode integration
- CocoaPods integrates dependencies into Xcode workspaces and adds project configuration and build steps.checked 4 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Supported platforms
- iOS,macOS,tvOS,visionOS,watchOSchecked 22 Sep 2026
