Sonatype Nexus Repository vs Artifact Keeper

Sonatype Nexus Repository8.7Visit Artifact Keeper7.9Visit

Higher score Sonatype Nexus Repository #2 in Artifact Repository Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Sonatype

vs

Artifact Keeper #9 in Artifact Repository Software 7.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Try Artifact Keeper

• Sonatype Nexus Repository fits best

  Mature teams needing flexible repository deployment

• Artifact Keeper fits best

  Teams wanting a free self-hosted repository

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Side by side

Feature	Sonatype Nexus Repository 8.7/10 Visit ↗	Artifact Keeper 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	7.9
Ranking	#2 in Artifact Repository Software	#9 in Artifact Repository Software
Best for	Mature teams needing flexible repository deployment	Teams wanting a free self-hosted repository
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	$1,950/yr	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Desktop
Platforms	Web	Web, macOS
Integrations	7 integrations	9 integrations
Features Sonatype Nexus Repository 4/4 · Artifact Keeper 4/4
Container artifacts	✓	✓
Upstream proxying	✓	✓
Retention rules	✓	✓
Self-hosted deployment	✓	✓
Specs
Included storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Supported formats	27	Not checked yet
Access control	Fine-grained	Fine-grained
Our review
Pros	Supports hosted, proxy, and group repositories across 24 formats Offers fine-grained access control and configurable cleanup policies Runs standalone, in Docker, Kubernetes, or cloud environments	Supports 45+ package formats, including Docker/OCI, Helm, and Terraform Includes RBAC, lifecycle policies, replication, search, and vulnerability scanning MIT licensed with no per-user fees and all open-source features included
Cons	Cloud Pro starts at $1,950 annually with consumption-based pricing Self-Hosted Pro starts at $7,500 annually Community Edition is a download rather than a managed cloud service	Platform coverage is limited to web and macOS Deployment is customer-managed through Docker Compose or Kubernetes Artifact signing is available only for selected package formats
Our verdict	Sonatype Nexus Repository is an artifact repository for development teams and organizations that store, publish, proxy, cache, and distribute software components. It suits mature teams that need one control point for internal artifacts and… Read the review →	Artifact Keeper is an open-source artifact registry for development and DevOps teams that need to store and distribute packages, container images, infrastructure packages, machine-learning models, editor extensions, Git LFS content, and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Sonatype Nexus Repository — where it wins

  • Supports hosted, proxy, and group repositories across 24 formats
  • Offers fine-grained access control and configurable cleanup policies
  • Runs standalone, in Docker, Kubernetes, or cloud environments

  Where it doesn't

  • Cloud Pro starts at $1,950 annually with consumption-based pricing
  • Self-Hosted Pro starts at $7,500 annually
  • Community Edition is a download rather than a managed cloud service

• Artifact Keeper — where it wins

  • Supports 45+ package formats, including Docker/OCI, Helm, and Terraform
  • Includes RBAC, lifecycle policies, replication, search, and vulnerability scanning
  • MIT licensed with no per-user fees and all open-source features included

  Where it doesn't

  • Platform coverage is limited to web and macOS
  • Deployment is customer-managed through Docker Compose or Kubernetes
  • Artifact signing is available only for selected package formats

• Sonatype Nexus Repository8.7/10 · Free plan

  A mature repository platform with broad format support and flexible deployment choices.

  Visit SonatypeFull verdict →
• Artifact Keeper7.9/10 · Free plan

  A free, self-hosted registry with broad format support and detailed repository controls.

  Try Artifact KeeperFull verdict →