Head-to-head · Package Managers
uv vs Conan
uv leads on 0 checks, Conan on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreuv · 9.2/10
- Free planboth
uv scores higher on our rubric for package managers: 9.2 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.
uv is the better fit for modern Python project management. Conan is the better fit for native C and C++ dependencies.
- uv fits best
Modern Python project management
- Conan fits best
Native C and C++ dependencies
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Side by side
| Feature | uv 9.2/10 Visit ↗ | Conan 8.6/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.2 | 8.6 |
| Ranking | #2 in Package Managers | #7 in Package Managers |
| Best for | Modern Python project management | Native C and C++ dependencies |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free plan | Free |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Desktop | Self-hosted, Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Docs | Docs, Community |
| Integrations | 17 integrations | 6 integrations |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features uv 5/5 · Conan 5/5 | ||
| Dependency resolution | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lockfile support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workspace support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Private registry auth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline installation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Package formats | source distributions, wheels, requirements.txt, pylock.toml | Conan recipes and binary packages |
| Supported platforms | macOS, Linux, Windows, CPython, PyPy, Pyodide, GraalPy | Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, embedded and bare-metal targets |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | uv is an open-source Python package and project manager from Astral, written in Rust. It is aimed at developers and teams managing dependencies, virtual environments, Python versions, command-line tools, packages, and multi-package… Read the review → |
Conan is a decentralized, open-source package manager for C and C++ projects. It is designed for teams that need to define package recipes, declare dependencies, build or obtain precompiled binaries, and exchange packages through… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
uv — where it wins
- Universal lockfiles support cross-platform dependency consistency
- Workspaces support multi-package Python repositories
- Combines environments, Python versions, tools, and builds in one tool
Where it doesn't
- Focused on Python rather than multi-language package management
- Primary platform coverage is macOS, Linux, and Windows
- Its broad scope may exceed simple package-installation needs
Conan — where it wins
- Dependency graphs, lockfiles, and profiles support reproducible native builds.
- Precompiled binaries and local caches can reduce repeated build work.
- Broad integrations cover CMake, Visual Studio/MSBuild, Docker, and Meson.
Where it doesn't
- Experimental workspaces are subject to breaking changes.
- Package workflows require recipe and profile concepts to be understood.
- Hosted repository capabilities are separate from the free Conan client.
- uv9.2/10 · Free plan
A broad, open-source toolkit for managing modern Python projects across three platforms.
Visit uvFull verdict → - Conan8.6/10 · Free plan
A capable open-source choice for managing native C and C++ dependencies across platforms.
Visit ConanFull verdict →
More comparisons
All package managers comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update





