Side by side
cpan vs Rattler
Both stand on package managers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
cpan provides a broad terminal workflow for installing, inspecting, building, and testing Perl modules. Its documented unimplemented options and upgrade warning are important considerations for maintenance tasks.
Visit cpan Free plan APILinuxMac+3
Rattler provides broad Conda environment and package capabilities through Rust, with bindings for Python and JavaScript targets. Its lockfiles, registry authentication, and package-attestation support are useful for developers building Conda-aware software.
Visit RattlerThe facts
| cpan | Rattler | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Not published |
| Plans published | 1 | None |
| Maker | cpan | Not published |
| Website | perldoc.perl.org | github.com |
| On package managers | #42 of 93 | #38 of 93 |
cpan: what it does well
- Free command-line access to CPAN
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Resolves dependencies and supports offline installation
- Builds modules and runs their tests
- Provides mirror and module inspection tools
What to know first
- Dry-run option is unimplemented
- Warning option is unimplemented
- Blind upgrades can break installed modules
- Backup is recommended before broad upgrades
Rattler: what it does well
- Works with Conda without requiring Python
- Supports dependency resolution and lockfiles
- Python and WebAssembly language bindings
- Private registry authentication included
- Verifies Sigstore package attestations
What to know first
- No free trial is listed
- Requires development work to integrate
- Package formats are limited to .conda and .tar.bz2