MacPorts
6.3#66 in package managersFree planFree planLinuxmacOS
VisitMacPorts vs pip
What both publish
| Fact | MacPorts | pip |
|---|---|---|
| Dependency resolution | Yes | pip resolves dependencies and selects the latest version that satisfies the given constraints. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Package formats | tbz2,tar,tbz,tgz,tlz,txz,xar,zip,cpgz,cpio | sdist,wheel |
| Purpose | MacPorts is a community project providing a command-line system to compile, install, and upgrade open-source software on Mac. | pip is the package installer for Python and can install packages from PyPI and other indexes. |
| Security | The project provides checksums for packaged downloads and identifies a public key for verifying detached GPG signatures. | The documentation says pip does not check for remote tampering by default, but hash-checking mode and binary-only installs can provide a more secure installation method. |
| Support | Support resources include documentation, a FAQ, mailing lists, a Trac bug tracker, IRC, and Matrix; the project notes that IRC participants are not guaranteed to be available or answer questions. | The documentation directs users seeking help to GitHub Issues, the Discourse channel, and User IRC. |
| Supported platforms | macOS | The current pip version is supported on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and maintainers do not support other operating systems. |
MacPorts plans
- MacPortsFree
pip plans
- pipFree
Pick MacPorts if…
You want what its maker publishes above — check its page for the details.
Pick pip if…
pip suits Python users who need to install packages from indexes, source archives, or project repositories. Its requirements-file, lockfile, and offline-installation support may be useful for managing environments.