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MELPA

MELPA is a free archive of Emacs Lisp packages compatible with Emacs package.el.

Place
#19 of 28
Score
6.1
MELPA's website

What MELPA is

MELPA is a free archive of Emacs Lisp packages compatible with Emacs package.el. Its build servers create packages from upstream source using recipes, and packages are refreshed at intervals throughout the day. To install from the archive, add its URL to package-archives in Emacs, then browse and install packages through package.el. MELPA requires Emacs 24.1 or later with package.el. Recipes can use Git and Mercurial repositories, with dedicated fetchers for GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, and SourceHut. MELPA Stable is a separate archive that publishes packages from the latest tagged upstream code when version tags exist. The MELPA homepage describes the archive as curated to exclude obsolete, renamed, forked, or randomly hacked packages. Contributors can propose packages by submitting a recipe pull request. The project name expands to “Milkypostman's ELPA” or “Milkypostman's Experimental Lisp Package Archive.” The README lists official package-download mirrors, which do not include the website frontend, and says MELPA is not responsible for the contents of unofficial mirrors.

Good

  • Builds packages from upstream source using recipes
  • Packages are refreshed throughout the day
  • Dedicated fetchers cover GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, and SourceHut
  • Offers a separate archive based on tagged upstream code

Watch out

  • Requires Emacs 24.1 or later with package.el
  • Unofficial package mirrors are outside MELPA's responsibility

Who it suits

MELPA suits Emacs users who install Emacs Lisp packages through package.el and meet its Emacs version requirement. Developers can propose packages by submitting a recipe pull request.

Verdict

MELPA provides a package.el archive with frequent package builds and a separate tagged-code archive. It requires Emacs 24.1 or later, and users should note the stated boundary around unofficial mirrors.

Plans and prices

From MELPA's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.

All about pricing
PlanPriceWhat it gives you
MELPAFreeEmacs Lisp package archive; requires Emacs 24.1 or later with package.el

The facts

Each one read from MELPA's own pages, with the date it was checked.

What it does

Automatic updates
The MELPA homepage says new upstream commits result in new packages.checked 4 Oct 2026
Build process
MELPA builds packages on its servers from upstream source code using simple recipes.checked 4 Oct 2026
Contributing
People can propose packages by submitting a new recipe as a pull request.checked 4 Oct 2026
Curation
The MELPA homepage describes the archive as curated to exclude obsolete, renamed, forked, or randomly hacked packages.checked 4 Oct 2026
Installation
Users can browse and install packages through Emacs package.el after adding the MELPA archive URL to package-archives.checked 4 Oct 2026
Mirrors
The README lists official mirrors for package downloads and says they do not mirror the website frontend.checked 4 Oct 2026
Naming
MELPA expands to “Milkypostman's ELPA” or “Milkypostman's Experimental Lisp Package Archive.”checked 4 Oct 2026
Package updates
Packages are updated at intervals throughout the day.checked 4 Oct 2026
Product audience
MELPA is for Emacs users installing Emacs Lisp packages through package.el.checked 4 Oct 2026
Purpose
MELPA is a collection of package.el-compatible Emacs Lisp packages built automatically from upstream source using recipes.checked 4 Oct 2026
Requirements
MELPA requires Emacs with package.el, specifically Emacs 24.1 or greater.checked 4 Oct 2026
Security boundary
MELPA says it is not responsible for the contents of unofficial mirrors of its packages.checked 4 Oct 2026
Source integrations
Recipes support Git and Mercurial repositories and dedicated fetchers for GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, and SourceHut.checked 4 Oct 2026
Stable archive
MELPA Stable publishes packages built from the latest tagged upstream code when version tags exist.checked 4 Oct 2026

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