Anaconda and Pixi
Last updated on 2025-09-02 | Edit this page
Overview
Questions
- What is Anaconda?
- What is pixi?
Objectives
- Recognize the use cases for Python programming with Anaconda.
- When to use Pixi for Python projects.
What is Anaconda?
Anaconda is a popular package and dependency management platform used primarily for Python programming in data science and scientific computing. It is bundled with a wide range of pre-built packages and includes the Conda package manager. Anaconda/Conda offer package management support for C and C++ libraries and other programming languages but it is mostly used for Python.
It should be noted that Anaconda’s license agreement requires organizations of more than 200 employees to purchase a business license. This may be cost prohibitive for some companies and institutions. Contrast this with uv which does not have such license restrictions.
What is Pixi?
Pixi is a package manager that supports multiple programming languages including Python; although, its Python support is provided through uv. Pixi is a good alternative to Anaconda if you need to use libraries or packages that are only available through Conda.
- Anaconda offers easy installation and package management for multi-language projects but its license restrictions can be cost prohibitive.
- Pixi is a good alternative to Anaconda/Conda but it still relies on uv for Python package management.
- For Python projects, uv offers better dependency management and faster installation compared to Anaconda/Conda and Pixi.