nix2container vs Open Build Service
nix2container
github.comOpen Build Service
openbuildservice.orgSide by side
| Figure | nix2container | Open Build Service |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Container Build Tools | 7.3 (#25) | 8.3 (#9) |
| License | The repository includes the Apache License, Version 2.0. | OBS is free software licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), and can be installed on users’ own hardware or in their data center. |
| Purpose | Builds container images with Nix without writing tarballs to the Nix store. | OBS automatically builds and distributes binary packages from source code in a consistent and reproducible way. |
| Support | Commercial support is available for customizations, image optimizations, best-practices guidance, and bug fixes by contacting the maintainer. | Community help is available through OBS IRC and a mailing list; commercial consulting, training, or SLA support is offered by listed partners, while the project says it has no product or service offering of its own. |
Plans
In their own words
nix2container
nix2container has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Open Build Service
Open Build Service (OBS) builds and distributes binary packages from source code in a consistent, reproducible way. Each package is built in a fresh jailed environment; when a build succeeds, OBS rebuilds packages that depend on it. The service can release packages, updates, add-ons, appliances, and complete distributions for different operating systems and hardware architectures. Documented package formats include RPM, DEB, and Arch, with recipes in formats such as spec, dsc, KIWI, and mkosi. Teams can use access controls, branches, merge requests, and submission reviews to coordinate work. GitHub.com and GitLab.com integrations are supported, as are self-hosted GitHub, GitLab, and Gitea instances when network connectivity works. The API gives clients and external services access to OBS resources, while the osc command-line client can edit sources and metadata, start builds, and gather results. OBS is GPL-licensed free software, available on a reference server for open-source developers or for installation on users’ own hardware or in a data center. The listed plan is free.