MSBuild Alternatives

MSBuild is described as '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' and is an app in the development category. There are more than 10 alternatives to MSBuild for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac, BSD and Snapcraft apps. The best MSBuild alternative is GNU Make, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like MSBuild are CMake, SCons, LazFuck and Premake.

MSBuild iconMSBuild
  1
  • FreeProprietary
  • ...

The Microsoft Build Engine is a platform for building applications. This engine, which is also known as MSBuild, provides...

More about MSBuild
MSBuild alternatives page was last updated Jan 15, 2025
  1. GNU Make icon
     23 likes

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

    38 GNU Make alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Cygwin

    GNU Make Features

    1.  Build automation
    GNU Make iconMSBuild Icon

    GNU Make VS MSBuild

    Is GNU Make a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
    • GNU Make is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to MSBuild.

    • GNU Make is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to MSBuild.

    • GNU Make is Free and Open SourceMSBuild is Free and Proprietary
  2. CMake icon
     32 likes

    CMake is a 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...

    41 CMake alternatives
    CMake screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Haiku

    CMake Features

    1.  Build automation
    2.  C++ support
    3.  C support
    CMake iconMSBuild Icon

    CMake VS MSBuild

    Is CMake a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  3. SCons icon
     13 likes

    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.

    38 SCons alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    SCons Features

    1.  Build automation
    SCons iconMSBuild Icon

    SCons VS MSBuild

    Is SCons a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  4. LazFuck icon
     1 like

    LazFuck is a GUI application for writing, executing, compiling and debugging programs written in famous BrainFuck esoteric programming language.

    41 LazFuck alternatives
    LazFuck screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft

    LazFuck Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Debugging
    5.  Interpreter
    LazFuck iconMSBuild Icon

    LazFuck VS MSBuild

    Is LazFuck a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  5. Premake icon
     10 likes

    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.

    22 Premake alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Premake Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Build automation
    Premake iconMSBuild Icon

    Premake VS MSBuild

    Is Premake a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  6. Automake icon
     2 likes

    GNU Automake is a programming tool that produces portable makefiles for use by the make program, used in compiling software.

    22 Automake alternatives
    Automake screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Automake Features

    1.  Build automation
    Automake iconMSBuild Icon

    Automake VS MSBuild

    Is Automake a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  7. Cake icon
     1 like

    Cake (C# Make) is a cross-platform build automation system with a C# DSL for tasks such as compiling code, copying files and folders, running unit tests, compressing files and building NuGet packages.

    29 Cake alternatives
    Cake screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Cake Features

    1.  C-sharp
    2.  Build automation
    Cake iconMSBuild Icon

    Cake VS MSBuild

    Is Cake a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  8. Task icon
     Like this app

    Task is a task runner / build tool that aims to be simpler and easier to use than, for example, GNU Make.

    39 Task alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Go (Programming Language)
    Task iconMSBuild Icon

    Task VS MSBuild

    Is Task a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  9. Buildr icon
     1 like

    Apache Buildr is a build system for Java-based applications, including support for Scala, Groovy and a growing number of JVM languages and tools. We wanted something that’s simple and intuitive to use, so we only need to tell it what to do, and it takes care of the rest.

    27 Buildr alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Buildr iconMSBuild Icon

    Buildr VS MSBuild

    Is Buildr a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  10.  Like this app

    Werk is a command runner and simplistic build system. It is intended to supplant Make in projects that need a simple build tool adjacent to a main build system, such as Cargo or NPM.

    38 Werk alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Rust
    • Linux
    • Mac
    • Windows
    • BSD

    Werk Features

    1.  Rust
    MSBuild Icon

    Werk VS MSBuild

    Is Werk a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
  11. xmake icon
     1 like

    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 ...

    36 xmake alternatives
    xmake screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone

    xmake Features

    1.  Lua scripting
    xmake iconMSBuild Icon

    xmake VS MSBuild

    Is xmake a good alternative to MSBuild?
     
    • xmake is the most popular Android & iPhone alternative to MSBuild.

    • xmake is Free and Open SourceMSBuild is Free and Proprietary
11 of 11 MSBuild alternatives