# Is Conda actually free?


The [conda](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/reference/conda.md) package manager is open source and always free. The [Anaconda](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/reference/anaconda.md) repository that ships as the default package source for Anaconda Distribution and Miniconda is not. Confusing "conda" with "Anaconda" causes organizations to either pay for licenses they don't need or violate terms they didn't know existed.

## What costs money

Anaconda, Inc. operates a curated package repository at `repo.anaconda.com`. Accessing that repository requires a paid license for any organization (for-profit, nonprofit, or government) with more than 200 employees or contractors. The threshold counts all employees across the entire organization, including affiliates.

Anaconda introduced these commercial terms in April 2020, then clarified the 200-employee threshold in September 2020. At the time, universities, nonprofits, and research institutions were explicitly exempt. A [March 2024 update](https://mfisher87.github.io/posts/anaconda-tos-2024/) quietly removed those exemptions: nonprofits and government agencies above the threshold now require a paid license, and university research that falls outside classroom curricula does too. Anaconda later [walked back the academic restrictions](https://www.anaconda.com/blog/update-on-anacondas-terms-of-service-for-academia-and-research), reaffirming free use for course-based education, but the policy for research labs and nonprofits remains ambiguous enough to warrant caution.

The licensing applies to any product that pulls packages from the Anaconda repository, including Miniconda. Installing Miniconda itself is free, but running `conda install` against the default channel triggers the commercial terms.

## What stays free

Two components of the [conda ecosystem](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/explanation/understanding-the-conda-anaconda-ecosystem.md) carry no licensing restrictions regardless of organization size:

- The conda package manager. The CLI tool is BSD-licensed open source software.
- [conda-forge](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/reference/conda-forge.md). This community-maintained channel hosts over 25,000 packages, updated within hours of upstream releases, and is free for all use, including commercial.

The licensing question reduces to one thing: which channel your packages come from.

## How to use conda without paying

The practical fix is to avoid the Anaconda repository entirely. [Miniforge](https://github.com/conda-forge/miniforge) ships conda, mamba, and Python with [conda-forge](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/reference/conda-forge.md) as the default channel. No commercial license applies.

For existing Miniconda or Anaconda installations, switching the default channel achieves the same result:

```bash
conda config --add channels conda-forge
conda config --set channel_priority strict
conda config --remove channels defaults
```

Setting `channel_priority strict` ensures conda never falls back to the Anaconda repository when resolving dependencies.

[Pixi](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/reference/pixi.md), a newer conda-compatible package manager, also defaults to conda-forge and carries no Anaconda licensing obligations. See [uv vs. Pixi vs. Conda for scientific Python](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/explanation/uv-vs-pixi-vs-conda-for-scientific-python.md) for a comparison.

> [!WARNING]
> The terms of service have changed multiple times since 2020, and Anaconda has sent enforcement letters to organizations (including nonprofits) it believes are out of compliance. Check the [current terms](https://www.anaconda.com/legal/terms/terms-of-service) before assuming your organization qualifies for free use.

## Learn more

- [Understanding the Conda/Anaconda ecosystem](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/explanation/understanding-the-conda-anaconda-ecosystem.md)
- [Why should I choose Conda?](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/explanation/why-should-i-choose-conda.md)
- [conda-forge reference](https://pydevtools.com/handbook/reference/conda-forge.md)
- [Anaconda Terms of Service](https://www.anaconda.com/legal/terms/terms-of-service)
- [Miniforge on GitHub](https://github.com/conda-forge/miniforge)