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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs NixOS

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NixOS logo

NixOS

Operating Systems

Linux distribution where the whole machine is defined in one declarative configuration and every change can be rolled back

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; NixOS the Nix language is a prerequisite, not an optional extra, and error messages are frequently unhelpful, so the first month of adoption is slow for even experienced administrators.
  • They diverge on capability: Depot covers Depot CI, NixOS covers Declarative configuration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and NixOS actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and NixOS differ
AttributeDepotNixOS
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLIx86-64, ARM64, WSL, Containers, Cloud images, macOS via Nix package manager
CategoryDeveloper ToolsOperating Systems
Founded2022Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

Only in NixOS

  • Declarative configuration
  • Rollbacks by generation
  • Reproducible builds
  • Nixpkgs
  • Development shells
  • Home Manager

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot NixOS
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot NixOS
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot NixOS
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot NixOS

NixOS

  • Fleets where every machine must be provably identical rather than approximately identicalnot Depot
  • Build and CI infrastructure that has to reproduce an old toolchain exactly, years laternot Depot
  • Developer workstations where each project pins its own compiler and library versionsnot Depot
  • Servers where an unattended upgrade must be revertible at boot without a restorenot Depot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

NixOS

  • The Nix language is a prerequisite, not an optional extra, and error messages are frequently unhelpful, so the first month of adoption is slow for even experienced administrators.
  • Flakes have been the practical standard while still marked experimental, which splits tutorials, blog posts and manuals into two incompatible styles and makes searching for answers frustrating.
  • There is no conventional filesystem hierarchy, so downloaded binaries, vendor installers and anything expecting /usr/lib fail until wrapped with steam-run, an FHS environment or patchelf.
  • Old generations and the store consume disk aggressively, and a machine that is never garbage collected will fill its root partition without any obvious cause.
  • Anything not already in Nixpkgs has to be packaged by you, which turns a five-minute install on another distribution into an afternoon of writing a derivation.

Pricing, plan by plan

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/month
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Business$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

NixOS

Free
  • NixOSFree
    • No licence fee or registration
    • All packages and channels
    • Binary cache hosted by the project

Which should you pick?

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot review

Choose NixOS if

  • You need declarative configuration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on x86-64, ARM64, WSL, Containers, Cloud images, macOS via Nix package manager.
  • You also want rollbacks by generation.
NixOS review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or NixOS better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and NixOS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or NixOS?
Depot starts at Free and NixOS at Free.
Does Depot or NixOS run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. NixOS runs on x86-64, ARM64, WSL, Containers, Cloud images, macOS via Nix package manager.
Can I use Depot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Depot best used for?
Depot is most often used for accelerating docker builds for container-based development, replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure, distributing cache across monorepo builds, debugging failed ci builds interactively with ssh. Of those, accelerating docker builds for container-based development and replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure are not what NixOS is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that NixOS cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. NixOS covers Declarative configuration, Rollbacks by generation, Reproducible builds, Nixpkgs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
NixOS: Do I need NixOS to use Nix?

No. The Nix package manager and development shells work on other Linux distributions and on macOS, which is how most teams try it before committing a machine to NixOS.

Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
NixOS: Are flakes safe to use in production?

They are widely used in production and are the standard way to pin inputs, but they are still formally experimental and must be enabled by a flag. Treat the documentation split as the real cost, not instability.

Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
NixOS: What happened to the project leadership?

The founder stepped back as project lead in 2024 following a public governance dispute, an elected steering committee took over direction, and a fork drew off some contributors. Nixpkgs development continued throughout.

NixOS: How often are releases made?

Twice a year, versioned by year and month, plus a continuously updated unstable channel that many desktop users track instead.

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