What is the advantage of Pip over Anaconda?

Question

So, I have seen What is the difference between pip and conda? . However, all of the answers there appear to be from Anaconda supporters. So, that made me wonder: why is pip still the standard? why hasn't everyone just moved to anaconda?

I understand that anaconda only works with its own python, but is that the only disadvantage?

Answer 1

Based on my limited experience, I would guess that the main advantage of pip over conda is the ability to still install packages that are not available from conda or Anaconda.org.

https://conda.io/docs/using/pkgs.html#install-non-conda-packages - says basically the same.

I have been using conda for a while now, mostly studying Machine Learning and related subjects. I am a happy user 99.99% of the time. But when one faces challenges like building and installing tensorflow with GPU support for Mac that would support his or her rather specific/outdated GPU, one can't really rely on conda.

Answer 2

One huge advantage of pip is the built-in ability to install packages system-wide via f.ex.

sudo -H pip install ipython

It actually is smart enough to do this by default if run as the root user, installing to some directory in the global execution path. ( /usr/local/bin ?)

What can actually be considered an advantage for some things is that pip compiles packages (by default). So some packages like f.ex. theano which are actually optimized upon installation should not be installed via conda, or you are possibly missing out on this.

Finally, as mentioned , pip is directly linked to Python's package archive, whereas conda assumedly needs to be told when a new package was uploaded via a new configuation.