Host Your Own NuGet Feed: Local Source vs NuGet.Server vs NuGetGallery

If your team publishes internal .NET libraries, running a private NuGet feed gives you control over package distribution, versioning, and access. This guide explains three self-hosted approaches—local folder sources, NuGet.Server, and NuGetGallery—and shows how to publish and consume packages with each.

Originally published on 2015-11-21; fully revised and updated.

Choose the right hosting option

The best private feed setup depends on how much management, UI, and automation your team needs.

Option 1: Local file-based package source

A folder source is the fastest way to share packages. Packages are stored as .nupkg files on disk or a network share. It is easy to start, but there is no built-in web feed UI or server-side management layer.

mkdir -p /srv/nuget-feed
nuget add MyLibrary.1.0.0.nupkg -Source /srv/nuget-feed
nuget list -Source /srv/nuget-feedCode language: PHP (php)

Option 2: Host NuGet.Server in an ASP.NET app

This is the closest match to the original tutorial: create an empty ASP.NET web app in Visual Studio, install NuGet.Server, and use the generated /nuget endpoint as a private package source.

Minimal setup flow

• Create an empty ASP.NET web application in Visual Studio.
• Open Package Manager Console and install NuGet.Server.
• Run the app and browse to http://localhost:<port>/nuget.
• Configure an API key in app settings, restart, then publish with nuget push.

Install-Package NuGet.ServerCode language: CSS (css)

<appSettings>
  <add key="apiKey" value="CHANGE_ME" />
</appSettings>Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

nuget setApiKey SECRETKEY -Source http://localhost:42386/nuget
nuget push MyLibrary.1.0.0.nupkg -Source http://localhost:42386/nuget
nuget list -Source http://localhost:42386/nugetCode language: PHP (php)

Option 3: Run NuGetGallery for a full portal experience

If you need a richer, gallery-style package experience, use NuGetGallery. The original post pointed to this repository. Compared with NuGet.Server, it is a larger deployment with more operational overhead.

git clone https://github.com/NuGet/NuGetGallery.gitCode language: PHP (php)

Package publish and consume workflow

flowchart LR
    A[Developer creates nupkg] --> B[Publish package]
    B --> C{Feed type}
    C --> D[Folder source]
    C --> E[NuGet.Server]
    C --> F[NuGetGallery]
    D --> G[Consumer restores package]
    E --> G
    F --> G
    G --> H[Build and release]

Client configuration example

To make a private feed available to developers and CI agents, add it to NuGet.Config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <packageSources>
    <add key="PrivateFeed" value="http://nuget.example.com/nuget" />
  </packageSources>
</configuration>Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

Best practices and common pitfalls

• Start simple: use a folder source or NuGet.Server first, then move to NuGetGallery only if you need portal features.
• Secure publishing endpoints with strong API keys and controlled network access.
• Standardize feed configuration in source-controlled NuGet.Config files.
• Define package retention and cleanup policies to avoid uncontrolled storage growth.
• Validate commands and app settings against the exact NuGet tooling and server version you run.

Rajesh Kumar

I’m Rajesh Kumar, a DevOps, SRE, DevSecOps, Cloud, and Platform Engineering expert passionate about sharing practical knowledge, real-world experiences, and industry best practices. I have worked at Cotocus and regularly write about technology, travel, investing, health, product reviews, and digital marketing through my various platforms.

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