---
id: what-is-verdaccio
title: "What is Verdaccio?"
---
Verdaccio is a **lightweight private npm proxy registry** built in **Node.js**
Using a private npm registry like Verdaccio is one of the [Top 10 NPM Security Best Practices](https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/NPM_Security_Cheat_Sheet.html#6-use-a-local-npm-proxy)
recommended by the Open Web Application Security Project ([OWASP](https://owasp.org/)).
## What's a registry? {#whats-a-registry}
* A registry is a repository for packages, that implements the **CommonJS Compliant Package Registry specification** for reading package's information.
* Provide a compatible API with npm clients **(yarn/npm/pnpm)**.
* Semantic Versioning compatible **(semver)**.
```bash
$> verdaccio
```
![registry](/img/verdaccio_server.gif)
## Using Verdaccio {#using-verdaccio}
Using Verdaccio with any Node.js package manager client is quite straightforward.
![registry](/img/npm_install.gif)
You can use a custom registry either by setting it globally for all your projects
```bash
npm set registry http://localhost:4873
```
or by using it in command line as an argument `--registry` in npm (slightly different in yarn)
```bash
npm install lodash --registry http://localhost:4873
```
```bash
yarn config set registry http://localhost:4873
```
To have a more detailed explanation, I invite you to watch the full explanation **Angular Library: How To Use a Library in a poly-repo Using Verdaccio** by [_Fanis Prodromou_](https://twitter.com/prodromouf) on his [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgJAoZCYx1Dk3iGPHSIgV1A).
## Private {#private}
All packages that you publish are private and only accessible based in your configuration.
## Proxy {#proxy}
Verdaccio cache all dependencies on demand and speed up installations in local or private networks.
## In a Nutshell {#in-a-nutshell}
* It's a web app based on Node.js
* It's a private npm registry
* It's a local network proxy
* It's a Pluggable application
* It's fairly easy to install and to use
* We offer Docker and Kubernetes support
* It is 100% compatible with yarn, npm and pnpm
* Verdaccio means **A green color popular in late medieval Italy for fresco painting**.