What is Nixpacks used for?

Nixpacks builds Docker images from application source code using Nix packages. It is a good fit for packaging an application into a Docker image for deployment.

Is Nixpacks open source?

Yes. Nixpacks is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at railwayapp/nixpacks and is written mainly in Rust.

Yes. Nixpacks is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Nixpacks?

Yes. Nixpacks can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Nixpacks an alternative to?

Nixpacks is an open-source alternative to GitHub Codespaces and Ona. Other open-source alternatives to GitHub Codespaces include code-server, Coder and Gitpod.

Is Nixpacks actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Nixpacks was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.41.0, published on 24 October 2025. The project has 3.6k stars on GitHub.

Nixpacks: open-source alternative to GitHub Codespaces, Ona

About Nixpacks

Nixpacks is a tool that builds Docker images from application source code combined with Nix packages. It is currently in maintenance mode and not under active development, with Railpack recommended as a replacement.

Users install Nixpacks, then run a command to build and package an app into a Docker image. The tool supports customizing build options such as adding system packages and specifying build and start commands.

Key features

Builds Docker images from application source code and Nix packages
Supports custom system packages via --pkgs flag
Allows custom build and start commands
Supports many languages including Node, Python, Ruby, Rust, Go, Java, and others
Can be deployed to platforms like Railway, Coolify, Dokku, and GitHub Actions

Good fit for

Packaging an application into a Docker image for deployment

Built with: Rust tools; Docker tools
Tags: docker; nix; build; image; packaging

Nixpacks: questions and answers

What is Nixpacks used for?: Nixpacks builds Docker images from application source code using Nix packages. It is a good fit for packaging an application into a Docker image for deployment.
Is Nixpacks open source?: Yes. Nixpacks is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at railwayapp/nixpacks and is written mainly in Rust.
Is Nixpacks free?: Yes. Nixpacks is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Nixpacks?: Yes. Nixpacks can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Nixpacks an alternative to?: Nixpacks is an open-source alternative to GitHub Codespaces and Ona. Other open-source alternatives to GitHub Codespaces include code-server, Coder and Gitpod.
Is Nixpacks actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Nixpacks was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is v1.41.0, published on 24 October 2025. The project has 3.6k stars on GitHub.