Understanding the Benefits of Using Snap Packages

December 12, 2025 •

5 min read

Over the past decade, software distribution on Linux has seen a major shift, with universal package formats gaining prominence. These formats, including Snap, offer a modern approach that solves many of the traditional issues faced by users and developers. This guide explains the benefits of using Snap for modern Linux environments.

Quick Summary

A guide detailing the advantages of Snap packages for Linux, including universal compatibility across distributions, enhanced security with sandboxing, simplified dependency management, and robust automatic updates for all types of applications.

Key Points

Universal Application Packaging: Snaps bundle all dependencies into a single package, ensuring cross-distribution compatibility and eliminating 'dependency hell' for both developers and users.
Enhanced Application Security: Snaps run in sandboxed environments by default, isolating applications from the host system and preventing them from accessing sensitive resources without explicit permission.
Automatic Updates: The snapd service provides automatic, atomic updates in the background, keeping applications up-to-date with the latest features and security patches.
Easy Rollback: Users can quickly revert a snap to a previous, stable version if an update introduces a bug or other issues.
Simplified Distribution for Developers: A single snap package can target millions of Linux users across different distributions, simplifying the software delivery process.
Isolation and Stability: The self-contained nature of snaps prevents system updates from breaking applications and ensures consistent behavior across different environments.
Access to Latest Software: Snaps allow developers to push updates directly to users, offering a faster way to access cutting-edge software versions than relying on distribution-specific repositories.

What is a Snap Package?

A Snap package, or simply a 'snap,' is a self-contained application bundle developed by Canonical for Linux-based operating systems. Unlike traditional package managers like APT or DNF, which rely on system-wide libraries and can lead to dependency conflicts, a snap includes the application, all its dependencies, and the necessary metadata in a single, compressed file. This containerized approach ensures that a snap functions consistently across a wide array of Linux distributions.

The snapd service runs in the background, managing the installation, updates, and sandboxed execution of all snapped applications. It handles the mounting and decompression of the package at runtime, providing a robust and isolated environment for each application.

Key Benefits of Using Snap Packages

Universal Compatibility

One of the most significant benefits of using Snap is its universal compatibility. A single snap package can be installed and run on any Linux distribution with snapd installed, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, and Manjaro, without modification. This saves developers the time and effort of creating and maintaining distribution-specific packages and provides end-users with a consistent installation process regardless of their chosen operating system. This approach also extends to server and IoT systems, making snaps a versatile solution for a wide range of Linux environments.

Enhanced Security through Sandboxing

Snaps run in a sandboxed, or isolated, environment by default. This means they have limited and mediated access to the host system's resources, significantly reducing the risk of security vulnerabilities affecting other parts of your system. Users can explicitly grant or deny permissions for a snap to access things like your webcam, microphone, or network, giving them fine-grained control over the application's behavior. This containerization strategy uses technologies like AppArmor to enhance the overall security of your system.

Simplified Dependency Management

Dependency conflicts are a classic pain point for Linux users and developers alike. Snap resolves this by bundling all required libraries and dependencies into the package itself. This self-contained nature eliminates the dreaded 'dependency hell' and ensures the application works out-of-the-box, every time. It also means that updates to system-level libraries won't inadvertently break your snapped applications.

Automatic and Reliable Updates

Snaps are designed for automatic, background updates. The snapd service automatically checks for and applies updates multiple times a day, ensuring that users always have the latest features and security patches. This process is atomic, meaning it either succeeds completely or rolls back to the previous version, preventing broken installs. Users can also revert to an older version of a snap if a new update causes issues, providing a safety net for unstable releases.

Access to the Latest Software

For many applications, the native packages in a distribution's repository can lag behind the latest version, sometimes by a year or more. Snaps provide a way for developers to publish updates directly to users, offering access to the newest features much faster. This is particularly beneficial for fast-moving applications with frequent updates, as users can get improvements and bug fixes almost immediately after they are released.

Snap vs. Traditional Package Managers

To illustrate the differences, let's compare Snap with traditional package management systems like APT, commonly used on Ubuntu.


Feature	Snap (Universal Packaging)	APT (Traditional Packaging)
Package Format	`.snap` (self-contained bundle)	`.deb` (requires shared system libraries)
Dependencies	Bundled within the snap	Relies on system-wide shared libraries
Updates	Automatic and background updates	Manual (via `apt update && apt upgrade`)
Compatibility	Works across many Linux distributions	Tightly integrated with Debian-based systems
Performance	Can have slower startup times	Generally faster startup and runtime
Disk Usage	Larger package size due to bundled deps	Smaller package size, more efficient storage
Security	Sandboxed environment by default	Relies on system permissions and user actions
Rollback	Easy rollback to a previous version	Manual and often complex

Conclusion

The benefits of using Snap packages are clear, offering a modern, secure, and universal approach to software distribution on Linux. For users, this translates to easier installation, access to the latest software, and greater security through application isolation. For developers, Snap simplifies the distribution process, ensuring a single package works consistently across the diverse Linux landscape. While tradeoffs exist, such as increased disk usage and potentially slower startup times for some applications, the advantages of universal compatibility, robust security, and simplified updates make Snap a compelling tool for both everyday users and enterprise system administrators.

For more information on the creation and management of snaps, visit the official Snapcraft documentation: https://snapcraft.io/docs.

List of Key Benefits

Universal Compatibility: A single snap package works on virtually any Linux distribution that supports it, including Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, and more.
Enhanced Security: Snaps run in a sandboxed environment, isolating applications from the rest of the system and limiting access to resources.
Simplified Dependencies: Each snap bundles all necessary dependencies, eliminating dependency conflicts and ensuring the application works reliably.
Automatic Updates: Applications are automatically updated in the background, providing users with the latest features and security patches without manual intervention.
Easy Rollback: If an update causes issues, users can easily revert to a previous, working version of the snap.
Consistent Environment: The self-contained nature of snaps ensures the application behaves identically across different systems, from desktop to IoT devices.
Direct Developer Updates: Developers can publish updates directly to users, allowing for quicker access to the newest software versions.

What are the benefits of using Snap?

Question: What are the main benefits for an average user when using Snap packages?
- Answer: The main benefits for an average user are easy installation, the ability to get the latest software versions quickly, and enhanced security because applications run in isolated, sandboxed environments.
Question: Do Snap packages cause compatibility issues with my Linux system?
- Answer: No, Snap packages are designed to prevent compatibility issues. Because they bundle all their dependencies, they do not interfere with system-wide libraries, which is a common source of conflicts with traditional packages.
Question: How does the sandboxing feature work in Snap?
- Answer: Snaps use sandboxing, which is a security feature that isolates applications from the rest of the system. Each snap has limited access to system resources by default, and you must grant explicit permissions for a snap to access things like your webcam, microphone, or specific files.
Question: Are Snap packages automatically updated?
- Answer: Yes, Snap packages are automatically updated in the background several times a day. This ensures you always have the most recent version of an application with the latest features and security fixes.
Question: Can I install multiple versions of the same application using Snap?
- Answer: Yes, Snap supports installing multiple versions of the same application simultaneously. This is useful for developers who need to test against different software versions or for users who need a specific legacy version for compatibility.
Question: How do Snap packages compare to traditional packages like APT in terms of performance?
- Answer: Snap packages can sometimes have slower startup times than traditional packages because they are compressed and mounted at runtime. However, they offer benefits like dependency isolation and universal compatibility that traditional packages lack.
Question: What happens if a Snap update is buggy or causes problems?
- Answer: If a Snap update introduces issues, you can easily revert to the previous working version using the snap revert command. This process also reverts the application's configuration data, ensuring a clean and reliable rollback.

Frequently Asked Questions

The main benefits for an average user are easy installation, the ability to get the latest software versions quickly, and enhanced security because applications run in isolated, sandboxed environments.

No, Snap packages are designed to prevent compatibility issues. Because they bundle all their dependencies, they do not interfere with system-wide libraries, which is a common source of conflicts with traditional packages.

Snaps use sandboxing, which is a security feature that isolates applications from the rest of the system. Each snap has limited access to system resources by default, and you must grant explicit permissions for a snap to access things like your webcam, microphone, or specific files.

Yes, Snap packages are automatically updated in the background several times a day. This ensures you always have the most recent version of an application with the latest features and security fixes.

Yes, Snap supports installing multiple versions of the same application simultaneously. This is useful for developers who need to test against different software versions or for users who need a specific legacy version for compatibility.

Snap packages can sometimes have slower startup times than traditional packages because they are compressed and mounted at runtime. However, they offer benefits like dependency isolation and universal compatibility that traditional packages lack.

If a Snap update introduces issues, you can easily revert to the previous working version using the snap revert command. This process also reverts the application's configuration data, ensuring a clean and reliable rollback.