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Flatpak vs Nix: catalog facts
Flatpak	Nix
Free The open-source project is available without a license fee.	Free Free and open source under the LGPL.
Linux	macOS, Linux, Command line
Sandboxed by default with permissions you can inspect and narrow One package works across distributions through shared runtimes	Atomic upgrades and instant rollback of an entire system or profile Per-project development shells that are identical on every machine
Runtimes are large, so the first few applications cost a lot of disk Sandbox escapes through broad filesystem permissions are common in practice	The Nix language and concepts are a genuinely steep learning curve The store grows large and needs regular garbage collection
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: LGPL-2.1	License: LGPL-2.1
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.