Nix vs npm
| Nix | npm | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Paid from | — | $7/mo |
| Open source | No | No |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Package formats | Nix expressions, derivations, flakes | package.json folders, gzipped tarballs, URLs, name@version, name@tag, Git URLs |
| Supported platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows through WSL2 | macOS, Windows, Linux, and other operating systems via Node.js installers or version managers |
| Dependency resolution | Yes | Yes |
| Lockfile support | Yes | Yes |
| Workspace support | Yes | Yes |
| Offline installation | Yes | Yes |
| Paid from | — | $7/mo |
| Private registry auth | — | Yes |
Both are listed in Best Package Managers. On Specifiction, npm scores higher on our published basis.