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.

waf is described as 'Waf is a Python-based framework for configuring, compiling and installing applications' and is an app in the development category. There are more than 25 alternatives to waf for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Mac, BSD and Android apps. The best waf alternative is CMake, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like waf are GNU Make, Maven, Gradle and Ant.
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.

Next generation build system with first class monorepo support and powerful integrations.



Nx is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to waf.
The easiest build framework you will ever use. Just answer three simple questions (What is the name of your solution? What is the path to source control? What is your company name?) and you are building.


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.
setup - A simple Bash library for setting up a directory structure using Makefile-like definitions.
A modern build, configuration management, ci/cd tool for automation Flexible data modelling, design of composition, OO and test driven Comprehensive workflow orchestration: full support all type of condition, loop(recursive), break, assert.


UPcmd is the most popular Android alternative to waf.


xmake is the most popular iPhone alternative to waf.
Reggae is a (meta) build system with multiple front (D, Python, Ruby, Javascript, Lua) and backends (make, ninja, tup, custom). This is alpha software, only tested on Linux and likely to have breaking changes made.