Side by side

APT vs Conan

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

APT

Free plan Linux

APT covers package discovery, installation, and maintenance for Debian package sources. Users should account for required root privileges and the limits of package verification.

Visit APT

Choose Conan for free C and C++ dependency and binary management across varied platforms and build systems. Teams needing private packages can pair it with Artifactory Community Edition on their own server. Consider that self-hosting requirement when choosing how to share private packages.

Visit Conan

The facts

	APT	Conan
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux	Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	2
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	wiki.debian.org	conan.io
On package management software	#3 of 16	#1 of 16

APT: what it does well

Searches package lists and queries dependencies.
Supports offline installation and private registry authentication.
Works with Debian binary and source packages.
Provides a progress bar during apt install.

What to know first

Package installation and metadata updates require root privileges.
Package verification cannot eliminate every security risk.
Downloaded .deb files are removed from cache by default.

Conan: what it does well

Free and open source under the MIT License.
Supports dependency resolution, lockfiles, workspaces, and offline installation.
Works across desktop, server, mobile, embedded, and bare-metal targets.
Can build unavailable binaries from source on demand.
Integrates with a range of build systems and development tools.

What to know first

The listed Conan and Artifactory Community Edition plans show no price amount.
Private package hosting through Artifactory Community Edition requires a self-hosted server.

Alternatives to APT Alternatives to Conan The whole list