CMake AlternativesBuild Systems and other similar apps like CMake

CMake is described as 'Family of tools designed to build, test and package software. CMake is used to control the software compilation process using simple platform and compiler independent configuration files. CMake generates native makefiles and workspaces that can be used in the compiler' and is a Build System in the development category. There are more than 25 alternatives to CMake for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac, Windows, BSD and Self-Hosted apps. The best CMake alternative is Gradle, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like CMake are Maven, GNU Make, Premake and SCons.

CMake iconCMake
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CMake is a family of tools designed to build, test and package software. CMake is used to control the software compilation...

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CMake alternatives page was last updated Sep 9, 2022
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  1. Gradle icon
     17 likes
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    Gradle is a build tool with a focus on build automation and support for multi-language development. If you are building, testing, publishing, and deploying software on any platform, Gradle offers a flexible model that can support the entire development lifecycle from compiling...

    29 Gradle alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Android Studio
    • Eclipse
    • IntelliJ IDEA
    • Java
    • Apache NetBeans

    Gradle Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Build automation
    3.  Continuous Integration
    4.  Java based
    5.  Continuous Deployment

    Gradle VS CMake

     
    • Most users think Gradle is a great CMake alternative.

    • Gradle is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to CMake.

    • Gradle is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to CMake.

    • Gradle is Free and Open SourceCMake is also Free and Open Source
  2. Maven icon
     35 likes
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    Apache Maven is a Java-based tool for build automation and project management (in software development). It is centered around a Project Object Model (POM) described in a XML file that describes the project structure and its dependencies to other components and libraries.

    32 Maven alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Maven Features

    1.  C++ support
    2.  Build automation

    Maven VS CMake

     
  3. GNU Make icon
     23 likes
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    Make is a tool which controls the generation of executables and other non-source files of a program from the program's source files.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Cygwin

    GNU Make Features

    1.  Build automation

    GNU Make VS CMake

     
  4. Premake icon
     10 likes
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    Powerfully simple build configuration

    Describe your software project just once, using Premake's simple and easy to read syntax, and build it everywhere. Generate project files for Visual Studio, GNU Make, Xcode, Code::Blocks, and more across Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Use.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Premake Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Build automation

    Premake VS CMake

     
  5. SCons icon
     13 likes
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    SCons is an Open Source software construction tool—that is, a next-generation build tool. Think of SCons as an improved, cross-platform substitute for the classic Make utility with integrated functionality similar to autoconf/automake and compiler caches such as ccache.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    SCons Features

    1.  Build automation

    SCons VS CMake

     
    Comments about SCons as an Alternative to CMake
    bdbaddog
    Positive Feb 28, 2017
    0

    Very flexible. Easy to debug.

    CMake Icon
    SCons icon
    • Almost everyone thinks SCons is a great CMake alternative.

    • SCons is Free and Open SourceCMake is also Free and Open Source
  6. Meson icon
     3 likes
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    Meson is an open source build system meant to be both extremely fast, and, even more importantly, as user friendly as possible.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Meson Features

    1.  C support
    2.  C++ support
    3.  C++
    4.  Rust

    Meson VS CMake

     
  7.  9 likes
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    Ninja is a small build system with a focus on speed. It differs from other build systems in two major respects: it is designed to have its input files generated by a higher-level build system, and it is designed to run builds as fast as possible.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Ninja Build Features

    1.  Optimized for Fastboot mode
    2.  Build automation

    Ninja Build VS CMake

     
  8. Bazel icon
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    Bazel is an open-source build and test tool similar to Make, Maven, and Gradle. It uses a human-readable, high-level build language. Bazel supports projects in multiple languages and builds outputs for multiple platforms.

    34 Bazel alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Bazel Features

    1.  Build automation

    Bazel VS CMake

     
  9. Buck icon
     3 likes
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    Buck is a build system developed and used by Facebook. It encourages the creation of small, reusable modules consisting of code and resources, and supports a variety of languages on many platforms.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux

    Buck Features

    1.  C++
    2.  Rust

    Buck VS CMake

     
  10. xmake icon
     1 like
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    xmake is a cross-platform build utility based on Lua. The project focuses on making development and building easier and provides many features (e.g package, install, plugin, macro, action, option, task ...

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • CN flagChina

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone

    xmake Features

    1.  Lua scripting

    xmake VS CMake

     
    • xmake is the most popular Android & iPhone alternative to CMake.

    • xmake is Free and Open SourceCMake is also Free and Open Source
  11. Autoconf icon
     4 likes
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    GNU Autoconf is a tool for producing configure scripts for building, installing and packaging software on computer systems where a Bourne shell is available.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Autoconf Features

    1.  Build automation

    Autoconf VS CMake

     
  12. MSBuild icon
     1 like
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    The Microsoft Build Engine is a platform for building applications. This engine, which is also known as MSBuild, provides an XML schema for a project file that controls how the build platform processes and builds software.

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    MSBuild Features

    1.  C++

    MSBuild VS CMake

     
12 of 40 CMake alternatives