Cargo vs CPAN Minus
Cargo
doc.rust-lang.orgCPAN Minus
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Cargo | CPAN Minus |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Package Managers | 8.8 (#6) | 7.4 (#76) |
| Dependencies | Cargo supports dependencies from crates.io, other registries, Git repositories, and local filesystem paths. | The documentation lists Perl 5.8.1 or later, tar or Archive::Tar, make, and a C compiler when building XS modules. |
| Dependency resolution | Yes | Yes |
| Installation | The documented rustup installer installs Cargo alongside the stable Rust release. | The documentation describes installation through system package managers, installation into system or local Perl, and downloading a standalone executable. |
| Offline installation | Yes | Yes |
| Package formats | Rust crates; crates.io packages; alternate registry packages; Git dependencies; local path dependencies | Perl modules,CPAN distributions,tar.gz archives |
| Purpose | Cargo is the Rust package manager. | cpanminus is a script to get, unpack, build and install modules from CPAN. |
| Supported platforms | Windows; macOS; Linux; other Unix-like systems | Perl 5.8.1 or later |
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.