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Chocolatey vs vcpkg

Chocolatey

chocolatey.org

vcpkg

vcpkg.io

Side by side

FigureChocolateyvcpkg
Price from$1.50/moFree
Free planYesYes
Free trial——
Open source——
WindowsYesYes
macOSYesYes
LinuxYesYes
iOS—Yes
Android—Yes
Plans published41
Spec score · Package Managers9.1 (#2)8.7 (#12)
Spec score · Package Management Software9.2 (#1)7.9 (#10)
Dependency resolutionYesYes
Founded20112016
Free planYesYes
Offline installationYesYes
Package formatsnupkg,nuspec,packages.configC/C++ libraries
Private registry authYesYes
Supported platformsWindows; Linux; macOSWindows,macOS,Linux,Android,iOS

Plans

Chocolatey

  • Open SourceFree
  • Pro$96 a year
  • Business (C4B)$18 a year
  • Chocolatey for Business PerpetualPriced on request

Chocolatey pricing →

vcpkg

  • FreeFree

vcpkg pricing →

In their own words

Chocolatey

Chocolatey has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.

Visit chocolatey.org

vcpkg

vcpkg is a free package manager for acquiring and managing C/C++ libraries. Its curated registry contains over 2,300 open-source libraries, with dependency resolution across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Projects can declare dependencies, optional features, and version constraints in manifest files; baseline version sets and individual package pins help keep dependency choices reproducible. vcpkg integrates with CMake and MSBuild, while manual integration is supported for other build systems. Built packages can be cached for reuse across developer machines and continuous integration runs. Asset caching can mirror source assets and build tools for offline or air-gapped environments. Users can also create custom registries for private libraries, patches, or other packages. Documented editor integrations include Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, CLion, and Qt Creator. The project says most ports use libraries' original build systems and obtain source code and tools from their official distribution locations. vcpkg collects anonymous usage data, with opt-out options. Firewall access needs depend on the ports installed.

Visit vcpkg.io