Gemfury

Gemfury is a hosted package repository for developers who want to publish or distribute software packages without running their own repository. It is strongest for teams whose package formats and collaborator needs fit its plans; its free tier is useful only when private packages are not required.

Overview

Gemfury hosts public and private packages across RubyGems, npm, PyPI, Go Modules, Composer, Maven, DEB, RPM, Bower and NuGet. That range can serve teams working across several ecosystems, while a team using just one format may have less reason to choose it over a narrower option. Gemfury is hosted rather than self-hosted and supports an upstream proxy.

Uploads work through either the web interface or command line, and transfers use SSL. Private packages can be deployed through a Gemfury Repo URL with existing package-management tools and workflows, so teams can keep their usual installation process. Gemfury says a secret token in the URL protects packages during deployment; uploads, deployments and installations use SSL.

Key features

Package access and collaboration

Users can share an account with coworkers to access packages. Business plans add separate billing, multi-ownership and fine-grained permission control, which is a better fit for organizations managing ownership and access across a larger group. Customers can also access service account data through an API.

All listed plans include SSL protection, unlimited public packages and unlimited versions. The free plan allows unlimited collaborators, but no private packages; paid plans trade collaborator caps for private-package quotas, or vice versa. That makes the plan choice hinge on whether the team needs more people or more private repositories.

Security and retention

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 messages receive highest priority. One important operational caveat is that packages are deleted one month after account cancellation and cannot be recovered afterward, so teams should preserve any package data they need before closing an account.

Pricing

Gemfury is freemium, with a free plan and a 14-day trial. The trial requires no credit card and is described as unlimited use. Paid plans are monthly and include unlimited public packages, unlimited versions, SSL protection and free setup; their main differences are collaborator counts and private-package limits.

• Free: free, with unlimited collaborators, unlimited public packages, unlimited versions and SSL protection, but no private packages. It works for public package hosting, not private team distribution.
• Personal 1C: $9 a month for one collaborator and unlimited private packages. It suits a solo account but gives up shared access.
• Personal 5C: $14 a month for five collaborators and unlimited private packages; a practical step up for a small group.
• Personal 10C: $23 a month for ten collaborators and unlimited private packages, for teams that need more seats without a package quota.
• Team 10P: $25 a month for unlimited collaborators and 10 private packages. It favors broad access over repository 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 make private-package capacity unlimited but cap collaborators; Team plans remove the collaborator cap while limiting private packages. Larger organizations can email Gemfury about custom pricing. Before choosing a plan, account for the one-month post-cancellation deletion window: deleted packages cannot be recovered.

Platforms

Gemfury supports API, Linux, macOS, web and Windows. Its web and command-line upload options provide two ways to publish packages, while private installation fits existing package-management workflows.

Who it's for

Gemfury is a good fit for developers and teams that need hosted package distribution across its supported formats, especially when they want private packages deployed through familiar package managers. The Personal plans suit groups that can work within a collaborator cap; Team plans make more sense when many coworkers need access and a defined private-package quota is acceptable. It is not a fit for private package hosting on a free tier, or for users who need a self-hosted repository.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Ten supported package formats and both web and command-line uploads make it useful across varied workflows.
• Pros: Private packages work with existing package managers, and the URL token plus SSL protections support a straightforward deployment workflow.
• Pros: Unlimited public packages, unlimited versions and unlimited collaborators make the free plan generous for public distribution.
• Cons: The free plan has no private packages, so private distribution requires a monthly paid plan.
• Cons: Paid plans force a choice between capped collaborators and capped private-package counts, which may not match teams that need both extensive access and large private repositories.
• Cons: Packages become unrecoverable one month after account cancellation, requiring deliberate migration or backup before leaving.
• Cons: Gemfury is hosted only, so teams needing self-hosted infrastructure should look elsewhere.

Alternatives

Artifact repository software is a useful category starting point if Gemfury's hosting model or plan structure does not fit.

Cloudsmith is another freemium, web-accessible option with a free open-source plan that includes 50 GB artifact data and 200 GB package delivery for a public repository; consider it when those published quotas suit an open-source project.

Sonatype Nexus Repository offers a free Community Edition with full ecosystem support, CI/CD integration and an external PostgreSQL database option; choose it when those capabilities matter, particularly if self-hosting is desired.

Inedo ProGet has a free edition with unlimited feeds for private packages and Docker, but limited security and compliance features; it may suit teams prioritizing feed capacity over those controls.

Packagecloud offers a free plan with 10 GB bandwidth, 2 GB storage and unlimited CI/CD minutes, so it is worth comparing when those quotas align with expected use.

Ravenstash has a free tier with 1 GB storage, unlimited transfer, one artifact repository, 5,000 reads per month and one person; it is an alternative for a single-user, small-storage setup.

Nexspence is a free option with no license fees, for readers who want a no-cost alternative.

pypiserver is a free, self-hosted, minimal PyPI-compatible package server, a more targeted option for PyPI needs and self-management.

Buildkite is another option to compare.

Verdict

Choose Gemfury if you want hosted public or private package distribution across its ten supported formats and can match your team to either collaborator-based Personal plans or quota-based Team plans. Its strongest case is combining familiar package-manager workflows with a range of ecosystems and plans that include unlimited versions. Look elsewhere if you need private packages without a subscription, self-hosting, or packages retained beyond the one-month cancellation window.