Introduction
Every software development team needs a reliable binary repository manager (BRM) where they can store essentials like container images, DLLs, and JARs. When you ask developers for BRM recommendations, a lot of people will probably mention Artifactory, Nexus, and ProGet. That’s a helpful place to start, but you need to know which option will work best for you.
The following Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet comparison should help you decide which BRM suits your needs and those of your software users. Packagecloud gives you a developer-friendly way to distribute packages to all of your users, regardless of the operating systems and coding languages they use.
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Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet: Repository Support
All of these options can provide basic software repository functions. No one would mention them if they couldn’t fulfill that critical role. You will notice differences, though, when you take a closer look at which repositories these BRMs support. If you want to use Git LFS, the Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet comparison becomes simpler. Since ProGet doesn’t support Git LFS, you only need to compare Artifactory vs. Nexus.
Artifactory’s Supported Repositories
Artifactory offers commercial support for:
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.Net/NuGet
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ARK (Alpine Linux)
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Android
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Apt (Debian)
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Bower
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Chef
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Chocolatey
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CocoaPods
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Conan
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Conda
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Docker
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Eclipse P2
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Git LFS
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Go
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Gradle
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Helm
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Ivy
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MSBuild
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npm
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Opkg
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PHP Composer
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Powershell
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Puppet
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PyPi
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R
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RMP (Yum)
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Raw
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RubyGems
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SBT
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Vagrant
Arifactory has done a great job adding to its list of supported repositories over the last few years. Since you get commercial support for all of these software repositories, you don’t have to rely on communities for help when you need it. You can always turn to a professional.
Nexus’s Supported Repositories
Nexus Repository Pro also supports an impressive number of repositories. Unfortunately, it doesn’t win in an Artifactory vs. Nexus battle. You can, however, get community support for some additional options.
Nexus offers commercial support for:
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.Net/NuGet
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Apt (Debian)
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Bower
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Chocolatey
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CocoaPods
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Conan
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Conda
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Docker
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Eclipse P2
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Git LFS
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Go
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Helm
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Maven
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npm
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Powershell
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PyPi
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R
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RMP (Yum)
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Raw
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RubyGems
You can also get community support for:
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APK (Alpine Linux)
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CPAN
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Cargo
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Chef
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ELPA
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PHP Composer
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Puppet
ProGet’s Supported Repositories
Some software developers will immediately disregard ProGet because it doesn’t support some popular repositories like Go, R, and APK. Still, it’s a strong choice if you prefer any of the following:
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.Net/NuGet
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Apt (Debian)
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Bower
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Chocolatey
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Docker
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Helm
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Maven
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npm
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Powershell
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PyPi
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RMP (Yum)
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Raw
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Romp
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RubyGems
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Upack
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VSIX
Who Wins? Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet
Artifactory has to take first place because it offers such a long list of repositories. Unfortunately, Artifactory and ProGet do not let you provide repositories. Keep an eye on Nexus. It has added a lot of supported repositories. It could become the top choice within a few years.
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Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet: REST APIs
REST APIs benefit software developers and software users in several ways. They're helpful because your developers can rely on simple commands (GET submits a request to retrieve a record, POST submits a request to create a record, etc.), and they offer a level of flexibility that you don’t get from other APIs.
Artifactory REST API
Artifactory provides a well-documented REST API that supports multiple forms of authentication. You can manage the API endpoints via JFrog Artifactory Cloud.
Recommended Reading: Alternatives to Artifactory REST API
Nexus REST API
ProGet REST API
ProGet has many types of APIs that you can use, but none of them are specifically REST APIs. Unfortunately, ProGet also doesn't provide good instruction for using API endpoints. It's not a great sign when a company tells customers to use Google instead of answering common questions directly.
Who Wins? Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet
Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet: CI/CD
Continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD) can help your development team release applications faster and extend their lifecycles significantly. Which tool helps most with CI/CD? This final section of Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet will give you some insight.
Artifactory CI/CD
Artifactory doesn't have built-in CI/CD features, but you can get close to continuous integration, continuous delivery through JFrog CLI, REST, or the Jenkins plugin.
Nexus CI/CD
CI/CD promotion for Nexus relies on REST API. While this helps improve application integration, it doesn't provide the automation and other features you would expect from a tool designed for CI/CD.
ProGet CI/CD
ProGet fails in this category because it doesn't even offer a way to track artifacts, let alone distribute packages and automate changes to code.
Who Wins? Artifactory vs. Nexus vs. ProGet
Artifactory wins by default because Nexus and ProGet don't come close to modern CI/CD promotion.
How Packagecloud Can Help
Packagecloud is a cloud-based service that makes it easier than ever for you to distribute software packages within diverse digital ecosystems. You can keep all of your code in one repository that updates every machine on your network, regardless of the operating systems and programming languages. Since it’s a cloud-based service, you don’t even need to own any infrastructure.
Create a free account and try Packagecloud to see how much it improves the experiences of your developers and end-users. When you have the right tools, updating software becomes simple.
