Cargo vs Coursier
Cargo
doc.rust-lang.orgCoursier
get-coursier.ioSide by side
| Figure | Cargo | Coursier |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Package Managers | 8.8 (#6) | 7.7 (#57) |
| Dependency management | Cargo downloads and builds package dependencies and helps ensure repeatable builds. | Coursier resolves and fetches dependencies using metadata and artifacts from Maven and Ivy repositories. |
| Dependency resolution | Yes | Yes |
| Offline installation | Yes | Yes |
| Package formats | Rust crates; crates.io packages; alternate registry packages; Git dependencies; local path dependencies | Maven,Ivy |
| Private registry auth | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | Cargo is the Rust package manager. | Coursier is a Scala application and artifact manager that installs Scala applications, sets up Scala development environments, and downloads and caches artifacts from the web. |
| Support | Cargo asks users to report bugs through its GitHub issue tracker. | The project invites users to open an issue for bugs, feature ideas, or questions, and accepts pull requests. |
| Supported platforms | Windows; macOS; Linux; other Unix-like systems | Linux,macOS,Windows |
Plans
In their own words
Cargo
Cargo is the free package manager and build tool for Rust, used through a command-line interface. It downloads dependencies, builds packages, and supports repeatable builds with lockfiles. Developers can compile, check, document, test, run, package, install, and publish Rust projects. The `cargo new` command creates a package, defaulting to a binary; adding `--lib` creates a library. Cargo uses crates.io by default and also handles alternate registries, Git dependencies, and local paths. Workspaces allow multiple packages to share a lockfile and output directory. Package features can enable conditional compilation and optional dependencies. In offline mode, Cargo avoids network access and attempts to use cached data. It supports authentication options for registries and new subcommands without modifying Cargo itself. Rustup installs Cargo with the stable Rust release, and installation instructions cover Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like systems. Cargo is open source under the MIT and Apache License, Version 2.0. Some documented capabilities remain unstable and require a nightly toolchain and `-Z` flags.