When comparing NixOS vs Guix, the Slant community recommends NixOS for most people. In the question“What are the best independent Linux distributions?” NixOS is ranked 7th while Guix is ranked 12th.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro No package dependecy hell
Pro No package conflicts
Pro Reuse configuration
Pro Roll back updates
Pro Stable
Pro Most settings just work
Isolation and well-made defaults means for most systems changes there's a simple flag to switch and it will work with everything you've got.
Pro Atomic package management without bloated init/supervision systems
For those with a clear focused concept of what is wanted, after building, the build can be replicated in a blink on countless machines. Both GUIX and shephard are complex but also a breath of fresh air.
Pro Secure rootless installation
While the whole system can be configured using a declarative file with sufficient privileges. Users can install any package in their own local profile with a single command without root.
Pro A truly advanced operating system
Solves modern problems of software management in one concise, coherent, and fully integrated system.
Cons
Con Beginners Linux users may not want to learn Nix Expression Language to customize more advanced installs
Con Difficulty running software that's not packaged
You can generally never run "Linux" binaries without patching them or starting up an FHS sandbox. Some build scripts just won't work.