NixOS / Nix
A declarative package manager and Linux distribution using functional programming principles
- Also known as
- nixos-nix
Available worldwide
What is NixOS / Nix?
An open-source system that provides reproducible configuration management through a purely functional package manager and a declaratively-configured Linux distribution.
NixOS / Nix pricing
We don't have NixOS / Nix's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.
What NixOS / Nix does
The capabilities that matter for configuration management tools, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Architecture
- Declarative-OS
- Push / pull model
- -
- Config language
- Nix
- Masterless mode
- ✓
- Hosting
- Self-hosted only
- Idempotent
- ✓
- Desired-state declarative
- ✓
- Content registry
- ✓
- Windows support
- ✓
- Cloud provisioning
- ✓
- Policy / compliance
- -
- Enterprise edition
- -
- Open-source core
- ✓
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- CLI
- macOS
- Linux
- Windows
- Cloud / SaaS
- On-premise
- Self-hosted
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 0 (0 in the last 12 months) sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
NixOS / Nix FAQ
Common questions about NixOS / Nix, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is NixOS / Nix?
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
Is NixOS / Nix free to use?
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
What platforms does NixOS / Nix support?
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
Can NixOS / Nix be self-hosted?
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
What security certifications does NixOS / Nix have?
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.
Is NixOS / Nix open source?
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
Where is NixOS / Nix available?
NixOS / Nix is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the Netherlands.
Source: https://nixos.org
NixOS / Nix alternatives
Other configuration management tools we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- HCL BigFixAI-powered platform for automated discovery, patching, and compliance management across diverse endpoints and environmentsmedium · 73%
- BOSHAutomation platform for deploying and managing distributed systems across cloud infrastructurehigh · 79%
- SaltEvent-driven automation platform for infrastructure management and configuration at scalehigh · 78%
- Ansiblemedium · 67%
- Landscapemedium · 72%
- SaltStackDistributed infrastructure automation and command execution platformmedium · 71%
Compare NixOS / Nix
Side by side against other configuration management tools, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for NixOS / Nix, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development activity | 63 | 0.12 | 7.6 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 87 | 0.08 | 7.2 | ✓ |
| Security score | 63 | 0.05 | 3.3 | ✓ |
| Stars | 80 | 0.03 | 2.6 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 0 | 0.05 | 0.0 | - |
| Dependent projects | 0 | 0.08 | 0.0 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 0 | 0.07 | 0.0 | - |
| Security posture | 10 | 0.09 | 0.0 | - |
| Package downloads | 0 | 0.17 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.08 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 100 | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 65% |
Adoption
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 7 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 69% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Hosting: self · Language: Nix · Idempotent: Yes · Architecture: declarative_os · Desired state: Yes · Masterless mode: Yes | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | C++ | highsource · 2026-09-10 · 90% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | LGPL-2.1 | highsource · 2026-09-10 · 95% |
Market
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | HqCountry: NL · PrimaryMarkets: … · AvailabilityScope: global · AvailableCountries: … · NotAvailableCountries: … | highsource · 2026-08-14 · 75% |
Pricing
Reliability
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Status page | Yes | mediumsource · 2026-08-05 · 60% |
Security
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gdpr | Yes | highsource · 2026-08-14 · 75% |
| Disclosure policy | Yes | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 60% |
| Scorecard | 6.3 | highsource · 2026-09-10 · 90% |
| Vulnerabilities | Count: 0 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=conda&package_name=nix&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 0 | highsource · 2026-09-10 · 90% |
| Trust center | https://nixos.org/community/teams/security | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 60% |
Is NixOS / Nix the right choice for you?
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