install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install nixpacks

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install nixpacks

MacPorts ports tree · devel/nixpacks/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#nixpacks

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ni/nixpacks/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/nixpacks

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/nixpacks.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

App source + Nix packages + Docker = Image

Project links

Commands and aliases

nixpacks

history

Project history and usage

Nixpacks is Railway's Rust-based build tool that analyzes an application source tree and produces an OCI container image using Docker image construction plus packages from the Nix ecosystem. The project framed itself as a pragmatic alternative to Cloud Native Buildpacks for Railway's own platform workload: thousands of user apps, many language stacks, and a need for zero-config defaults that were still configurable when defaults failed.

Project history

The public tag history starts with v0.0.1 on April 13, 2022, and the maintainers were already discussing a 2.0 direction by May 12, 2023. The docs and README later marked Nixpacks as maintenance-mode software and point users toward Railpack, Railway's successor builder that incorporates lessons from running Nixpacks in production for several years.

Adoption history

Nixpacks' adoption is strongly tied to Railway-style deployment flows rather than being a general-purpose container standard. Its GitHub repository shows about 3.5k stars and 316 forks, and Homebrew's formula API reported 31 installs in 30 days, 93 in 90 days, and 941 in 365 days when checked on July 1, 2026.

How it is used

Package nerds use `nixpacks` when they want Heroku/buildpack-like source-to-image behavior but prefer Nixpkgs for system dependencies. Typical use is local image generation, CI image builds, or debugging what a platform will infer from a repo; heavier Railway users should note the documented Railpack migration path.

Timeline

2022-04-13: v0.0.1 tag appears in the public repository.
2023-05-12: maintainers discuss Nixpacks 2.0 after a little over a year of use at Railway.
2025-10-24: v1.41.0 release is listed as latest on GitHub and in the Homebrew formula.
By 2026-07-01: upstream documentation labels Nixpacks as maintenance mode and recommends Railpack.

Related projects

Cloud Native Buildpacks
Nixpkgs
Railpack
Railway

Sources

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:image

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: nixpacks.tomlnixpacks.jsonnixpacks.ymlnixpacks.yaml

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`nixpacks`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-08-04

manager version1.41.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv1.41.0

https://github.com/railwayapp/nixpacks

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:nixpacks
Version	1.41.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/nixpacks
Homepage	https://nixpacks.com/docs/getting-started
Repository	https://github.com/railwayapp/nixpacks
Upstream docs	https://nixpacks.com/docs/getting-started
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/railwayapp/nixpacks/archive/refs/tags/v1.41.0.tar.gz
Build dependencies	rust
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	nixpacks
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

nixpacks

nix profile install nixpkgs#nixpacks

normalized package name match
Matched by: Nixpacks

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ni/nixpacks/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

MacPorts95%

nixpacks

sudo port install nixpacks

normalized package name match
Matched by: Nixpacks

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/nixpacks/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Scoop95%

main/nixpacks

scoop install main/nixpacks

normalized package name match
Matched by: Nixpacks

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/nixpacks.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/nixpacks.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install nixpacks with Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, scoop