Publishing scoped npm package for free?

Question

Am I correct that publishing a scoped npm package (@foo/bar), even as --access=public, is not free?

It results in a Failed PUT 404 (or 402) error. Is this because one needs a (paid) npm organization @foo?

Update (Mar '17): Npm organisations are now free

Adrenocorticotropic

Answer 1

Yes, because to publish a module with scope @foo you need an organization named @foo. So the scope is defined by having created an organization of the same name, and organizations per se are not free.

Basically the rules are:

• If you want to publish a package for free, don't scope it.
• If you want to scope a package, you have to pay for it.

Tratner

As of 2017-03-22 public orgs are free blog.npmjs.org/post/158718200065/announcing-free-orgs – Diary

Answer 2

You can publish a scoped package for free if you are logged in to npm as user 'foo'.

Trelu

What is the password then? :) – Adrenocorticotropic

Anyway I've just tried, attempting to publish to under @myuser still results in Failed PUT 402 You need a paid account to perform this action. For more info, visit: https://www.npmjs.com/private-modules – Adrenocorticotropic

Scoped packages are by default private and private modules are not free. You need to explicitly publish them as public. – Kowalewski