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Operating Systems · head to head

Manjaro vs Nebula

Manjaro logo

Manjaro

Operating Systems

Arch-based Linux distribution with an installer and sane defaults

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nebula logo

Nebula

Networking

Certificate based overlay network from Slack, with identity and firewall rules carried in the certificate

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Manjaro holding packages back from Arch can break AUR packages built against current Arch, which is its best-known complaint; Nebula the open source project has no user interface, no enrolment workflow and no revocation service, so certificate issuing, distribution and expiry become scripts you write and then have to keep working.
  • They diverge on capability: Manjaro covers Graphical installer, Nebula covers Certificate carried identity.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Manjaro and Nebula actually diverge.

Attributes where Manjaro and Nebula differ
AttributeManjaroNebula
PlatformsLinux, DesktopLinux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD
CategoryOperating SystemsNetworking

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 Manjaro

  • Graphical installer
  • Delayed updates
  • Hardware detection
  • Multiple desktops

Only in Nebula

  • Certificate carried identity
  • Group based host firewall
  • Lighthouse discovery
  • Noise protocol encryption
  • Unsafe routes
  • Managed option

What people use each for

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

Manjaro

  • Wanting Arch and the AUR without the manual installnot Nebula
  • Desktops needing current package versions with some stability buffernot Nebula
  • Hardware that benefits from automatic proprietary driver handlingnot Nebula

Nebula

  • Flattening a network across several clouds and datacentres without VPC peering or route tablesnot Manjaro
  • Very large fleets where a central policy service on the connection path is unacceptablenot Manjaro
  • Environments that already run an internal certificate authority and want the network to use itnot Manjaro
  • Replacing per host iptables rules with policy written against roles that follow the hostnot Manjaro

Where each one falls short

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

Manjaro

  • Holding packages back from Arch can break AUR packages built against current Arch, which is its best-known complaint
  • Still a rolling release, so updates can require intervention and are not fit-and-forget
  • The project has had public incidents around expired certificates and governance that dented confidence
  • Not as current as Arch nor as stable as a fixed-release distribution, which is the cost of sitting between them

Nebula

  • The open source project has no user interface, no enrolment workflow and no revocation service, so certificate issuing, distribution and expiry become scripts you write and then have to keep working.
  • Revoking a compromised host means distributing a blocklist entry to every other host and reloading them, which is a fleet wide operation rather than a click, and easy to get wrong under pressure.
  • Changing a host group membership means reissuing and redeploying its certificate, so policy changes are a deployment rather than a configuration edit.
  • There is no identity provider integration or single sign on in the open source version, so it maps well to servers and badly to a fleet of user laptops.
  • NAT traversal is best effort and hosts behind symmetric NAT need a relay configured deliberately, so connectivity failures show up as intermittent rather than immediate and are awkward to diagnose.

Pricing, plan by plan

Manjaro

Free
  • ManjaroFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

Nebula

Free
  • NebulaFree
    • Full functionality under the MIT licence
    • No host limit
    • You operate the certificate authority and lighthouses
  • Defined Networking$undefined/month
    • Hosted control plane and enrolment
    • Managed certificate lifecycle and revocation
    • Policy and DNS interface

Which should you pick?

Choose Manjaro if

  • You need graphical installer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Desktop.
  • You also want delayed updates.
Manjaro review

Choose Nebula if

  • You need certificate carried identity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD.
  • You also want group based host firewall.
Nebula review

Questions people ask

Is Manjaro or Nebula better?
Neither clearly leads. Manjaro starts at Free and Nebula at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Manjaro or Nebula?
Manjaro starts at Free and Nebula at Free.
Does Manjaro or Nebula run on more platforms?
Manjaro runs on Linux, Desktop. Nebula runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, FreeBSD.
Can I use Manjaro for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Manjaro best used for?
Manjaro is most often used for wanting arch and the aur without the manual install, desktops needing current package versions with some stability buffer, hardware that benefits from automatic proprietary driver handling. Of those, wanting arch and the aur without the manual install and desktops needing current package versions with some stability buffer are not what Nebula is typically brought in for.
What can Manjaro do that Nebula cannot?
Manjaro covers Graphical installer, Delayed updates, Hardware detection, Multiple desktops. Nebula covers Certificate carried identity, Group based host firewall, Lighthouse discovery, Noise protocol encryption.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Manjaro: Is Manjaro free?

Yes, entirely free and open source.

Nebula: Does it use WireGuard?

No. Nebula predates the common WireGuard mesh tools and uses the Noise protocol framework with its own certificate format.

Manjaro: Is Manjaro the same as Arch?

It is based on Arch and uses pacman and the AUR, but holds packages back for testing and ships a graphical installer, so it is not identical.

Nebula: Can I run it without Defined Networking?

Yes, entirely. Defined Networking sells the control plane conveniences, not the network itself.

Manjaro: Why can AUR packages break on Manjaro?

AUR packages are built against current Arch. Manjaro delays packages, so an AUR build can expect a library version Manjaro has not shipped yet.

Nebula: How do I revoke a host?

Add its certificate fingerprint to the blocklist in the configuration of the other hosts and reload them. There is no online revocation check.

Nebula: Is it a good fit for laptops?

Less so than the identity provider based tools. There is no single sign on, so every laptop needs a certificate issued and renewed by whatever process you build.

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