# NixOS / Nix vs Puppet

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** NixOS / Nix

| Attribute | NixOS / Nix | Puppet |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 54.6 (51% (medium)) | 45.9 (64% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 0 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 0 | 12,289 |
| adoption.github_stars | 17,860 | 7,962 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Nix enables reproducible, isolated package builds and declarative system configurations, ensuring that package installations cannot break existing systems and allowing rollback to previous versions. It is indexed under Configuration Management Tools.","source":"https://nixos.org","question":"What is NixOS / Nix?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"NixOS / Nix is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the LGPL-2.1 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://nixos.org","question":"Is NixOS / Nix free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"NixOS / Nix supports Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://nixos.org","question":"What platforms does NixOS / Nix support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. NixOS / Nix can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://nixos.org","question":"Can NixOS / Nix be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for NixOS / Nix. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as NixOS / Nix not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://nixos.org/community/teams/security","question":"What security certifications does NixOS / Nix have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Yes. NixOS / Nix is published under the LGPL-2.1 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/NixOS/nix","question":"Is NixOS / Nix open source?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"NixOS / Nix is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the Netherlands.","source":"https://nixos.org","question":"Where is NixOS / Nix available?","confidence":0.75}]` | `[{"answer":"Infrastructure automation tool that maintains consistent configurations across on-premises, hybrid, cloud, and edge environments through continuous enforcement of desired state. Automatically detects and corrects configuration drift, enforces compliance policies, and generates audit-ready documentation. It is indexed under Configuration Management Tools.","source":"https://www.puppet.com/pricing","question":"What is Puppet?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Puppet is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Paid editions are also offered: Enterprise and Advanced, priced on request. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.puppet.com/pricing","question":"Is Puppet free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Puppet supports the web, Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.puppet.com/pricing","question":"What platforms does Puppet support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Puppet can be deployed cloud / SaaS, hybrid, on-premise, air-gapped and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.puppet.com/pricing","question":"Can Puppet be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 13 integrations for Puppet, including ServiceNow, VMware, Argo CD, Jenkins, Dynatrace, Datadog, New Relic and Splunk, plus 5 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.puppet.com/pricing","question":"What does Puppet integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Puppet is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet","question":"Is Puppet open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A package manager and system configuration tool that uses functional programming principles to ensure reproducible builds and deployments work consistently across different machines and environments. | Automates the configuration, deployment, and management of IT infrastructure across on-premises and cloud environments by defining and maintaining desired system states, with built-in security and compliance controls. |
| features.capabilities | `{"hosting":"self","language":"Nix","idempotent":true,"architecture":"declarative_os","desired_state":true,"masterless_mode":true,"windows_support":true,"content_registry":true,"open_source_core":true,"cloud_provisioning":true}` | `{"model":"both","hosting":"both","idempotent":true,"architecture":"agent","desired_state":true,"windows_support":true,"content_registry":true,"open_source_core":true,"policy_compliance":true,"cloud_provisioning":true,"enterprise_edition":true}` |
| integrations.count | - | 13 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"ServiceNow"},{"name":"VMware"},{"name":"Argo CD"},{"name":"Jenkins"},{"name":"Dynatrace"},{"name":"Datadog"},{"name":"New Relic"},{"name":"Splunk"},{"name":"Grafana"},{"name":"Prometheus"},{"name":"Tenable Nessus"},{"name":"CIS Benchmarks"},{"name":"DISA STIG"}]` |
| language.primary | C++ | Ruby |
| license.spdx | LGPL-2.1 | Apache-2.0 |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"NL","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://nixos.org","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T15:12:22.888Z"}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Core (Free)","features":["Continuous enforcement of desired state","Centralize, import, and execute existing scripts & processes (Command Line Only)","Flexible agent-based and agentless architecture","Audit and activity logs, configuration correction reports","Access to Puppet Forge","Hardened binaries & packages","Community support"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Free version for open source users","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"nodes":"<25"}},{"free":false,"name":"Core (Commercial)","features":["All Core (Free) features","Vendor-backed SLAs","Stable, secure software builds and hardened binaries","Standard support included with 24x7 premium support available","Training engagement with Certified Puppet Engineers","Always-on policy enforcement to continuously align with CIS Benchmarks and DISA STIGs"],"description":"Commercial vendor-backed version with custom node licensing","contactSales":true},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","features":["All Core features","Intuitive web interface and easier-to-use web-based GUI","Unify declarative and imperative workflows in a single platform","Role-based access control (RBAC) for user management","Out-of-the-box CI/CD pipeline tooling with team workspaces","Manage infrastructure on-premises and on popular cloud platforms","Linux, Windows, MacOS agents","Basic patching","Self-Service through ServiceNow integration","Standard or Premium support","SLA for high & critical CVEs on Puppet software","Optional dedicated Technical Account Manager"],"description":"Enterprise-ready DevOps platform for automating infrastructure at scale","contactSales":true},{"free":false,"name":"Advanced","features":["All Enterprise features","Natural language interface to Puppet services and infrastructure data (Puppet AI Infra Assistant)","Advanced patching","Vulnerability remediation with 3rd party scanner integration (including Nessus)","Predict infrastructure code impact prior to deployment","Manage Network and Edge devices","Continuous enforcement of CIS Benchmarks","AI features powered by Perforce Intelligence","Data exports and automated reporting","Priority support with shorter ticket turnaround"],"description":"DevSecOps platform for security-conscious enterprises with complex infrastructure and compliance needs","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Free tier for up to 25 nodes. Commercial, Enterprise, and Advanced plans available by custom quote or contacting sales.","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.puppet.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T15:16:12.449Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | low |
| pricing.transparent | yes | no |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/8.10.0","date":"2024-10-22T15:14:58Z","type":"stable","version":"8.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/7.34.0","date":"2024-10-22T15:15:06Z","type":"stable","version":"7.34.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/8.9.0","date":"2024-09-06T18:10:41Z","type":"stable","version":"8.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/7.33.0","date":"2024-09-06T16:46:58Z","type":"stable","version":"7.33.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/7.32.1","date":"2024-07-24T23:37:24Z","type":"stable","version":"7.32.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/8.8.1","date":"2024-07-24T02:51:57Z","type":"stable","version":"8.8.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/8.8.0","date":"2024-07-22T16:34:24Z","type":"stable","version":"8.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/7.32.0","date":"2024-07-22T16:35:24Z","type":"stable","version":"7.32.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/8.7.0","date":"2024-06-10T16:51:52Z","type":"stable","version":"8.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/7.31.0","date":"2024-06-10T16:52:12Z","type":"stable","version":"7.31.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/8.6.0","date":"2024-04-10T18:21:24Z","type":"stable","version":"8.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/puppetlabs/puppet/releases/tag/7.30.0","date":"2024-04-10T20:53:11Z","type":"stable","version":"7.30.0"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | yes | - |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | 6.2 | 3.5 |
| security.trust_center | https://nixos.org/community/teams/security | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=conda&package_name=nix&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":23,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=rubygems&package_name=puppet&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"CRITICAL"}` |

## Capabilities (Configuration Management Tools)

| Capability | NixOS / Nix | Puppet |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Architecture | Declarative-OS | Agent-based |
| Push / pull model | - | Both |
| Config language | Nix | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Masterless mode | ✓ | - |
| Hosting | Self-hosted only | Cloud + self-hosted |
| **Correctness** |  |  |
| Idempotent | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Model** |  |  |
| Desired-state declarative | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| Content registry | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Platform** |  |  |
| Windows support | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Scope** |  |  |
| Cloud provisioning | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Governance** |  |  |
| Policy / compliance | - | ✓ |
| **Commercial** |  |  |
| Enterprise edition | - | ✓ |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Open-source core | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:04:49.441Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*