Side by side

APT vs Gentoo Portage

Both stand on app installation. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Portage provides Gentoo’s core package installation, dependency handling, and maintenance system. Its flexibility is useful for administrators, but the many options and risks from external repositories require care.

Visit Gentoo Portage

The facts

	APT	Gentoo Portage
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux	Linux
Lowest paid plan	Not published	Not published
Plans published	None	None
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	ubuntu.com	wiki.gentoo.org
On app installation	#15 of 24	#11 of 24

APT: what it does well

Gentoo Portage: what it does well

Resolves dependencies during installation
Builds software from source or installs binaries
Supports offline installation
Includes repository and system maintenance utilities
Configurable through files and environment variables

What to know first

Configuration terminology can be confusing initially
Third-party repositories may contain malicious software
Linux platform only

Alternatives to APT Alternatives to Gentoo Portage The whole list