Everyone who is comparing Anaconda and conda to Astral and uv is missing that the conda ecosystem is language-agnostic while uv is python specific. uv won't help you install gfortran, for example. It is not a replacement, unless you only do python (and use at most common non-python libraries that are available on PyPI).
On the other hand you don't have to use anything associated with Anaconda to use the conda ecosystem. Alternative package managers like mamba and pixi rely on the conda-forge channel instead. Pixi in particular (https://pixi.sh/) is sort-of the uv for the conda ecosystem workflow-wise, and works pretty well if you want that.
Still, if the concern is language-agnostic ways to use tooling, mise (nee rtx) is the 1000 pound gorilla in the room today. Incredibly fast well built Rust based tool that has really massively expanded in scope & offerings, with grace & elegance. I thought it was an asdf replacement, for installing/using toolchains, for .tool-versions files. But it's really grown to be a lot more, capable of letting you isolatedly manage tools it can install from a huge variety of backends (pip, npm, cargo, others). https://mise.jdx.dev/dev-tools/backends/
I'd rather see more adoption of guix for this purpose. It is a single package manager with a functional approach that allows for introspection of all dependencies (down to the bootstrap toolchains used to build the bootstrap toolchains that build your toolchains, which is something that AFAIK no other package manager except for nix can do), has a fairly large package repository, straightforward locking, actually tested packages, and very easy build recipes (unlike conda-forge...).
If you don't need it that's fine, no one is stopping you from using PyPI and uv instead. But for some that is not a replacement.
And yes, some things about conda(-forge) could be described as bloated. I particularly dislike the convoluted packaging process.
It is always tradeoffs and deciding based on your own use cases. E.g. if you want to distribute tested packages to users of your software then both conda-forge and PyPI are ill-suited for you. They (and most other package managers) do install-time dependency resolution, so the installation cannot be guaranteed to be tested as working at all. Some package managers do that better, so is conda-forge and PyPI obsolete now?
Seriously, if you've ever used them before, check out their website now. "Advance AI with Clarity and Confidence", "Simplify, safeguard, and accelerate AI value with open source.", "Millions Rely on Anaconda to Advance Their AI Initiatives"
What does any of that mean? No idea, seems like the actual product is the same conda.
Putting these two teams up against one another isn't even fair: its like pushing baby chicks into a pond full of Piranhha fish.
It's not just a package manager: uv and ruff and tye are rapidly becoming an ecosystem. You think they don't have plans for Jupyter?
Google was a tiny company without a monetization strategy. Yahoo being gigantic and "divetsified" just made them a tastier meal for a different breed of competition.
I work with less technical users and the problem with UV is that the installation instructions are slightly more complicated.
For users that just want conda to download python + a bunch of packages and won't ever bother to create environments, anaconda will always be superior.
Now, if UV bundles with a "default python version" with an installer, that may change things.
Anyone here using it regularly in 2025, is there anything I'm missing out on?
I've used conda for years and haven't set aside the day it'll take to switch to something simple and modern (uv's top of the list, but I'm open to suggestions)
Ahh makes sense now.
I cannot imagine using Anaconda with how many issues I had. Virtual Environments have been superior.
https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/08/anaconda_puts_the_squ...
https://licenseware.io/retrospective-on-anacondas-2024-licen...
https://www.cdotrends.com/story/4173/anaconda-threatens-lega...
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/intel-sued-copyrigh...
In the meantime, I am volunteering for a non-profit that helps FOSS projects secure sustainable funding, and goodness, that is soooo hard! Enterprises (where money is) are afraid of FOSS, and many prefer to engage commercially with commercial open source companies, backed by VCs
At these valuations you are now all billionaires. You have earned the commas and car doors that open like \__/.
I would also venture to guess that cursor is a somewhat nontrivial modification to vscode at this point.
