Best virtualenv Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 tools from Python package managers ranked against virtualenv on the same published basis.
- 1virtualenv vs ActiveState Platform
- 2virtualenv vs pip-tools
- 3virtualenv vs Pixi
- 4virtualenv vs Hatch
- 5virtualenv vs pip
- 6virtualenv vs uv
- 7virtualenv vs Anaconda Notebooks
- 8virtualenv vs Astral
- 9virtualenv vs conda-lock
- 10virtualenv vs Miniconda
- 11virtualenv vs Miniforge
- 12virtualenv vs conda
- 13virtualenv vs PDM
- 14virtualenv vs Poetry
- 15virtualenv vs Spack
- 16virtualenv vs Twine
- 17virtualenv vs Maturin
- 18virtualenv vs setuptools
- 19virtualenv vs build
- 20virtualenv vs Mamba
virtualenv alternatives compared
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ActiveState Platform | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 2 | pip-tools | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 3 | Pixi | 7.4 | Free plan | €42/mo | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | Hatch | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | pip | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 6 | uv | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 7 | Anaconda Notebooks | 7.1 | Free plan | $15/mo | Web |
| 8 | Astral | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 9 | conda-lock | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | Miniconda | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 11 | Miniforge | 7.0 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | conda | 6.9 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 13 | PDM | 6.9 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 14 | Poetry | 6.9 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 15 | Spack | 6.3 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 16 | Twine | 6.3 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 17 | Maturin | 6.2 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 18 | setuptools | 6.2 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 19 | build | 6.1 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 20 | Mamba | 6.0 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
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Questions about virtualenv alternatives
What is the best alternative to virtualenv?
ActiveState Platform, number 1 in Python package managers with a score of 7.9 out of 10. The others here: pip-tools, Pixi, Hatch and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to virtualenv?
ActiveState Platform is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 10 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, the fullest spec sheet first: how deeply the product is documented, the platforms it runs on, a free tier or trial to test it, and its standing.