Anaconda vs. miniconda (2024)

FAQs

Is miniconda better than Anaconda? ›

Miniconda is a smaller, “minimal” version of Anaconda. It includes only Conda and Python, without any additional packages pre-installed. Miniconda is lightweight and quick to install, making it a great choice if you're working with limited disk space or only need specific packages.

Yes. Anaconda is built after Python, and thus it is imperative to have Python installed on the computer to use Anaconda. However, you do not need to install Python separately when using Anaconda, as Anaconda comes with its own version of Python.

Disadvantages of Anaconda

Some disadvantages may include the following: Large size: Anaconda comes with a large number of pre-installed packages, which can make the installation file quite large. This can make it slower to download and install and also take up more storage space on your computer.

ActiveState: The More Secure Approach. Much like Anaconda, the ActiveState Platform provides an alternative, cross-platform package management ecosystem for Python.

Navigating Changes in Anaconda's Terms of Service for Miniconda's Commercial Users. As of September 30, 2020, the Anaconda Terms of Service has changed, requiring a paid license for commercial use of Anaconda (free for small-scale use, companies with fewer than 200 employees).

Even though it is possible to install Python from the Python homepage, we highly recommend using Miniconda to install Python. Miniconda comes with Python and a small number of essential packages. Additional packages can be installed using the package management systems mamba or conda.

Is Anaconda good for Data Science? Yes, it is good for Data Science, as it provides you with an advantage of package management, tools, and deployment from a single platform.

The Anaconda Advantage for Enterprise AI Innovation

Choosing Anaconda means more than just accessing enterprise software; it's about unleashing AI innovation and accelerating growth efficiently across your organization.

There are over 25 million active Conda users, with a 34% increase in active Conda users from 2020 to 2021. Learn more about Conda here. Anaconda Navigator, Conda's graphical user interface (GUI), makes it easy to launch and integrate applications with Conda's package and environment management system.

conda can also be used to manage python packages, but its dependency solver is very slow and sometimes completely fails. Once you have created a conda environment, it is usually much more practical to install packages with pip or mamba.

Is Anaconda used professionally? ›

Organizations across many industries including finance, manufacturing, healthcare, and more are using Anaconda to harness open-source innovation and build custom models and applications.

The choice between venv and Anaconda depends on your needs: For minimal environments: If you prefer lightweight, minimal environments, venv is the better choice. For data science projects: If you're working on data science projects and need a wide range of pre-installed packages, Anaconda is more suitable.

Interface: Anaconda has a graphical user interface (GUI) called the Navigator, while miniconda has a command-line interface.

Anacondas are heavier, thicker, and longer, and take larger prey. However if an anaconda's stuck on land, she's pretty sluggish. The python can outmanuever them and gain the upper hand. In the water, however, the anaconda can use its superior size and strength to overpower the python.

Miniconda is a great choice if you prefer to only install the packages you need, and you're sufficiently familiar with conda. (Here's how to choose between Anaconda and Miniconda.)

Miniconda is a free minimal installer for conda. It is a small bootstrap version of Anaconda that includes only conda, Python, the packages they both depend on, and a small number of other useful packages (like pip, zlib, and a few others).

We recommend installing Jupyter Notebook as part of either Anaconda or as an addition to Miniconda. Jupyter Notebook can be installed separately, but having either Anaconda or Miniconda already installed makes installing Jupyter Notebook easier.

Purpose. Important: The purpose of the miniconda installation is that it is a basic Anaconda python install with a minimal set of modules to allow users virtual environments. This allows for custom virtual environments which can be quite small.

Navigator is automatically installed when you install Anaconda Distribution version 4.0.0+. If you have Miniconda or a version of Anaconda Distribution older than 4.0.0 installed, you will need to manually install Navigator.