Cargo vs MSYS2
Cargo
doc.rust-lang.orgMSYS2
msys2.orgSide by side
| Figure | Cargo | MSYS2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Package Managers | 8.8 (#6) | 7.5 (#69) |
| CI integrations | The Cargo guide gives build and test examples for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, builds.sr.ht, and CircleCI. | The CI guide recommends GitHub Actions and also documents use with GitLab, AppVeyor, Docker, and other systems. |
| Dependency resolution | Yes | Yes |
| Offline installation | Yes | Yes |
| Package formats | Rust crates; crates.io packages; alternate registry packages; Git dependencies; local path dependencies | tar.zst,tar.xz |
| Purpose | Cargo is the Rust package manager. | MSYS2 provides a tool and library environment for building, installing, and running native Windows software. |
| Support | Cargo asks users to report bugs through its GitHub issue tracker. | The project directs users to its documentation, Discord server, and GitHub issue trackers for MSYS2 and mingw-w64 packages. |
| Supported platforms | Windows; macOS; Linux; other Unix-like systems | Windows 10 1809+ x86_64; Windows 10 ARM64 |
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.