Anaconda Licensing Changes

How to use Conda without running afoul of Anaconda licensing.

Apr 14, 2025

Are you worried about the recently publicized changes at Anaconda and the rumors of back payments for ongoing license infractions?

Is the bioinformatics software your group depends upon still legal for you to use?

Summary:

Conda tooling from Anaconda is still free, but prefer miniforge tooling instead
Avoid using Anaconda owned channels (defaults, main, r) without a license
Use free and open-source channels conda-forge and bioconda instead
Block the defaults channel to avoid unintentional usage

Navigating the new license terms can be tricky.

Sudden Licensing Changes to Conda Ecosystem Raise Compliance Concerns

Anaconda Inc. changed its licensing terms for accessing any Anaconda owned channel (i.e. package repository) in 2020, requiring paid licenses for any organization of over 200 people (except academics only when using it to teach a class) and any organizations of any size mirroring or embedding the repository. The license requirement covers the defaults channel, which is in turn a shorthand for the main and r channels—channels that Anaconda owned installations of Conda will use by default.

However, this change was made without broad public announcement, leaving many users unaware of the potential costs and compliance risks. Now Anaconda Inc. has begun enforcing these terms, including pursuing payments retroactively—raising concerns among users and organizations who may have unknowingly violated the new terms.

The Conda ecosystem, widely used for managing precompiled software packages across multiple languages, relies on repositories (channels) maintained by both the community and private companies like Anaconda Inc. While the package and environment manager Conda remains free and community-supported, Anaconda Inc. now offers tiered licensing for its distributions and channel access, with free options limited to individuals and small organizations.

Complicating compliance, the installation process is not re-evaluated when installing packages with Conda. Unlike other software systems that require explicit agreement, Conda users may install free packages without realizing the installation process itself falls under newly enforced licensing terms. Anaconda Inc. has so far resisted implementing clearer acknowledgment mechanisms, making it difficult for organizations to ensure compliance.

With enforcement actions underway, responsible leaders must now assess whether their teams' past and current usage aligns with the revised licensing terms—before facing unexpected costs.

What Now? Free Alternatives and Compliance Strategies

The Conda ecosystem comprises three interconnected components:

Package Managers – The tools that install and manage software environments. Conda is the most widely used, but alternatives like Mamba and Pixi offer faster or lightweight options. All remain free and open source at time of publication.
Distributions – Pre-packaged setups that include a Conda-based Package Manager and a default set of configurations and packages. The Anaconda Distribution is the best-known, but its licensing terms now vary by user type; the same is true of the Anaconda owned miniconda.
Miniforge and Micromamba ship with configurations that rely on conda-forge and not Anaconda owned channels by default, offering a reliable way to sidestep Anaconda’s licensing constraints.
Channels – Repositories where packages are hosted. Some are free, fully open-source, and community-maintained. Others, like Anaconda’s 'defaults' channel, require a paid license for larger organizations.

If your organization values Anaconda Inc.’s commercial support, stability, and security, paying for access might make sense. However, to avoid potential licensing risks, many organizations choose to rely exclusively on community-driven channels, such as:

Conda-Forge which offers thousands of open-source packages and, as of 2024, no longer falls back to the “defaults” channel.
Bioconda which provides over 10,000 free-to-use packages tailored for biomedical research. All Bioconda packages are volunteer-maintained, ensuring transparency and accessibility.

Ensuring Compliance and Reducing Risk

While package managers simplify software installation, they can also obscure the origin and licensing of packages, creating potential compliance risks. Anaconda Inc. reserves the right to monitor network traffic on their platform, and organizations may unknowingly violate licensing terms.

To protect your organization from accidental license infractions, consider the following:

Listing the sources in your configuration settings (.condarc files, environment variables) to ensure that no nested or obfuscated dependencies on proprietary channels currently exist:
```
conda config --show channels
```
Removing the ‘defaults’ channel from all conda installations with the ~/.condarc file:
```
conda config --remove channels defaults
```
Adding nodefaults to your Conda configuration file and channel list in all conda environment (env.yaml) files you maintain.
```
conda config --add channels nodefaults
```
Override any legacy configurations by explicitly using conda-forge and override any other channels:
```
conda [create|install] --override-channels -c conda-forge 
```
Preventing unintentional downloads by asking your IT department to block domain access to repo.anaconda.com and anaconda.org/anaconda.
Educating your remote teams to ensure no unauthorized Anaconda Inc. distributions or channels are in use.
Reinstalling conda via miniforge, which uses conda-forge by default.
If needed, mirroring or building packages with acceptable licensing terms into a safe custom channel for your org.
Reviewing the environment files (such as env.yaml) in third-party bioinformatics tools for dependencies on paid repositories. Ensure each specifies the use of a free channel in the format:
```
channel::package[version-spec]
```

A thorough audit of all active channels, packages, and built environments in your organization is essential.

Below is an assessment of some popular channels and their level of licensing risk:

High Risk (Commercial/Proprietary)

anaconda: A mirror of the defaults channel, hosted at Anaconda.org, and still subject to the terms as the defaults channel, from Anaconda Inc.
defaults: a short-hand for the main and R channels Anaconda Inc.
main: general purpose libraries and tools from Anaconda Inc.
r: R and R packages from Anaconda Inc.

Low Risk (Fully Open-Source)

bioconda: General Biomedical Research tools, Open-source
conda-forge: General tools, an alternative to defaults, Open-source

By proactively managing software sources, organizations can maintain compliance while continuing to benefit from open-source tools.