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Anaconda Distribution and Miniconda are both installers that set up and Python on your machine. They give you access to the same package repositories and the same ability to create and manage environments. The difference is what’s included when you first install them.
Ready to download? Navigate to anaconda.com/download, register with Anaconda, and then select your installer.

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Anaconda Distribution

Anaconda Distribution installs conda, Python, Anaconda Navigator, and hundreds of popular data science and machine learning packages into a pre-built base environment. This gives you a broad set of tools to start working with right away—you can open a notebook, run an analysis, or experiment with a library without installing anything extra. Anaconda Distribution is a good fit if you’re early in your data science journey and want a curated set of tools to explore before building out targeted environments, or prefer managing your work through a graphical interface. See the full list of packages in Anaconda Distribution’s release notes.

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Miniconda

Miniconda installs only conda, Python, and their dependencies into a minimal base environment—no extra packages, no graphical interface. You start with a clean slate and build each environment from scratch, installing only what your project needs. This gives you full control over your setup and a much smaller footprint on disk. It also means you need to know—or be willing to look up—which packages to install for your work. Miniconda is a good fit if you already know which packages your projects require, prefer working from the command line, or need a lightweight starting point for containers, CI/CD pipelines, or other automated workflows.

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Which installer is right for you?

Install Anaconda Distribution! It includes hundreds of standard data science and machine learning packages, which will give you a kickstart in your development journey.
For beginners, Anaconda recommends using Anaconda Distribution. The installer includes Anaconda Navigator, a desktop application that lets you interface with conda without using the command line. You can use Navigator to create environments, install packages, and launch development applications like Jupyter Notebooks and Spyder. For more information on Navigator, see Getting started with Navigator.
For advanced users, Anaconda recommends installing Miniconda.