List of build automation software

Build automation involves scripting or automating the process of compiling computer source code into binary code. Below is a list of notable tools associated with automating build processes.

Make-based tools

• bmake, portable version of NetBSD make
• build
• cake
• Clearmake
• distcc
• distmake
• Dmake a make utility similar to GNU make or the Workshop dmake
• JMake
• JMK
• kbuild
• make, a classic Unix build tool
• makeLib
• makeme
• MakeModules
• Make:NG
• makeplus
• makepp
• make utilities
• mk, developed originally for Version 10 Unix and Plan 9, and ported to Unix as part of plan9port
• mk-configure, bmake-based
• mmm
• Mosmake
• MPW Make, developed for Mac OS Classic and similar to but not compatible with Unix make; OS X comes with both GNU make and BSD make; available as part of Macintosh Programmer's Workshop as a free, unsupported download from Apple
• nmake, Bell Labs' nmake, forked into two versions after the AT&T trivestiture: a research version from AT&T Labs and an Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs supported version
• OMake
• Opus Make
• Paradigm Visual Make
• Prime Mover
• Prototype Makefiles
• PVM Gmake
• make.py (and the pymake module), written in pure Python (programming language) to be portable (Python 2.7 is strongly recommended not Python 3) and mostly compatible with makefiles written for GNU make..
• qmake
• Rake, a Ruby-based build tool
• Sire
• smake
• Supermake
• SMK
• tmk
• Yabu

Non-Make-based tools

• Apache Ant, popular for Java platform development and uses an XML file format
• Apache Buildr, open-source build system, Rake-based, gives full power of scripting in Ruby with integral support for most abilities wanted in a build system
• Apache Ivy
• Apache Maven, a Java platform tool for project management and automated software build
• A-A-P, a Python based build tool
• Boost.Build
• bras
• builditis
• Buildtool
• Cabal, common architecture for building applications and libraries in the programming language Haskell
• Cake, a Python based build tool
• cake, a Clojure build tool
• cook
• dev-env
• Flowtracer
• Gant, a Groovy-based build system that uses Ant tasks.
• Gconfigure
• Gradle, an open-source build and automation system with a Groovy Rake domain specific language (DSL), combining the advantages of Ant and Maven plus providing many innovative features like a reliable incremental build
• hmake
• Hyper Build, visually design the build process via an easy-to-use user interface using the hundreds of built-in actions for the most commonly used tasks and tools
• Invmake, a python minimal building tool inspiring from make but simpler and with inverse dependency graph. It's centered in intuitiveness rather than speed. Focus on personal projects.
• Istrice
• leiningen, a Clojure build tool
• Meique, Build tool for C and C++ that uses Lua for scripting.
• microbuild, a lightweight Python build tool. Build scripts written in pure Python with a decorator used to specify task dependencies and automatically generate a command line interface.
• MSBuild, the Microsoft build engine
• mxx-ru
• NAnt, a tool similar to Ant for the .NET Framework
• ninja
• ocamlbuild
• Odin
• OSE
• Perforce Jam, a generally enhanced, ground-up tool which is similar to Make
• PerlBuildSystem
• Phing
• ProjectBuilder
• pynt, a pure Python build tool. Forked from microbuild
• Rant
• SBuild - Flexible Scala-based build system
• Schmant
• Simple Build Tool, a build tool built on a Scala-based DSL
• SCons, Python-based, with integrated functionality similar to autoconf/automake, descended from a Perl build driver called Cons
• Shake, a tool written in Haskell which provides automatic build parallelism and fine-grained dependency tracking
• Source 2 Binary
• Sweet Build, a Lua scriptable build tool
• tup, build system that uses file system monitoring to provide automatic dependency discovery and near-optimal build times
• Tweaker, allowing task definitions to be written in any languages (or intermixed languages) while providing a consistent interface for them all
• Visual Build, a graphical user interface software for software builds
• Waf is a Python-based tool for configuring, compiling and installing applications. It is a replacement for other tools such as Autotools, Scons, CMake or Ant
• XMake
• XMAKE
• Yruba, a rule system similar to Make or Ant for the shell

Build script generation tools

• automake
• Bakefile
• ccbuild
• CMake, a tool that generates files for the native build environment, such as makefiles for Unix or Workspace files for Visual Studio
• cmvn - Multi-project configurator and generator of Apache Maven pom.xml files
• confix
• GNU Build Tools, a collection of tools for portable builds
• GYP - Created for Chromium; it is another tool that generates files for the native build environment
• imake
• MakeMake
• Maker
• mfg
• mmake
• MPC, a free product that creates build tool files for many versions of Make, Visual Studio, Eclipse, and more
• OpenMake Meister, build script generation and dependency management engine; also includes continuous integration abilities
• Otto
• Premake, a Lua based tool for making makefiles, Visual Studio files, Xcode projects, and more
• Pre Make Kit
• RPSL
• Sdist
• Sol Manager
• tmake
• toc
• XPJ

Continuous integration tools

• AnthillPro, build automation with pipeline support for deployment automation and testing. Cross-platform, cross-language
• Bamboo, continuous integration software
• Automated BuildStudio, a system for automating and managing software build, test and deploy processes, with build scheduling and continuous integration support
• Apache Continuum
• Apache Gump
• BuildBeat
• BuildBot, a Python-based software development continuous integration tool which automates the compile/test cycle
• BuildIT, a free graphical build or task tool for Windows with an emphasis on simplicity and ease of use
• BuildMaster, an integrated build, release, and application lifecycle management system developed by Inedo
• BuildMonkey
• Buildout, a Python-based build system for creating, assembling and deploying applications from multiple parts
• BusyB
• CABIE Continuous Automated Build and Integration Environment, open source, written in Perl
• Cascade, a continuous integration tool that builds and tests software components after each change is committed to the repository. Also provides a "checkpointing" facility by which changes can be built and tested before they are committed
• CruiseControl
• Dart as well as its successor, CDash
• DSSS
• Electric Commander
• FinalBuilder, for Windows software developers. FinalBuilder provides a graphical IDE to create and run build projects
• Go, continuous integration and Agile release management solution, Cross-platform, cross-language
• Hudson, an extensible continuous integration engine
• Jenkins, an extensible continuous integration engine
• IBM Rational Build Forge
• IKAN ALM - Web-based ALM 2.0 platform supporting continuous integration and lifecycle management
• Lintouch
• Luntbuild
• MidWatch
• OpenMake Meister, build script generation and dependency management engine; also includes continuous integration abilities
• OpenMake Mojo, free continuous integration server
• Parabuild
• PBS, Perl-based, oriented towards continuous integration of large systems
• PTXdist
• TeamCity
• Test-AutoBuild
• Travis-CI, an open source CI system, written in Ruby
• QEF
• QuickBuild

Hosted continuous integration tools

A good comparison with some criteria to select one of these services can be found here.

• BuildLocker - Web-based continuous integration solution for Java and .NET projects
• CI Foundry - Outsourced Continuous Integration service (Java, .NET and Ruby)
• CDash Pro - Using continuous build scripts (C/C++, Fortran, Java, extendible)
• Circle - Hosted Continuous Integration and Deployment for webapps.
• Clinker - a full software development ecosystem (including Jenkins as the CI tool)
• CloudBees DEV@cloud - Jenkins as a Service
• Continuous.io - Hosted Continuous Integration (mainly for Python, but custom build scripts can be used)
• FaZend - Free Hosted Continuous Integration Environment
• Hosted CI - Hosted Continuous Integration, for iOS and Mac; Jenkins-based
• Railsonfire - Hosted Continuous Integration and Deployment tool for Ruby. Supports Git/GitHub/Heroku.
• Shining Panda - Hosted Continuous Integration for Python; Jenkins-based
• Travis CI - A distributed build system for the open source community

Configuration management tools

• Ansible
• chef
• cfengine
• ClearCase
• iffe
• Kconfig
• puppet
• Subversion
• Vesta
• cdist
• StarTeam

Dependency generator tools

• autodepend
• Daybo Logic Dependency Generator
• fastdep
• Makedep
• sham

Other tools

• Ellexus Breeze, a build tracing and debugging tool made by Ellexus Ltd
• Deb Creator, used to create .deb files
• Debian dist
• Debian Package Maker, used to create .deb files
• checkinstall, checkinstall is a program that monitors an installation procedure, and creates a standard package for your distribution.
• EasyBuild is a software build and installation framework written in Python that allows you to install software in a structured, repeatable and robust way.
• Open_Build_Service, a hosted service to help build packages for various Linux distributions
• Project-Builder.org, a tool to help upstream projects to build packages and repositories for multiple Operating Systems from multiple Version Control Systems.

Comparison of build automation software

Tool name	Operating system	Build language	Description language	License
A-A-P	Unix, Windows, OS X	C	recipe	GNU GPL
Ant	cross-platform	Java	XML	Apache 2.0
AnthillPro	cross-platform	cross-language	Wraps Make, Ant, Maven, MsBuild, Nant, etc. for controlled build, deploy, test processes.	Proprietary
Automated BuildStudio	Windows	cross-language	graphical IDE with support for Ant/NAnt, MSBuild, JScript, VBScript, DelphiScript	Proprietary
Bamboo	cross-platform	cross-language	continuous integration	Proprietary
buildfactory	Unix, Windows	cross-language	?	Proprietary
Buildr	cross-platform	Java	Ruby	Apache 2.0
Cake	cross-platform	cross-language	Python	MIT
Capistrano	cross-platform	Ruby	domain specific language for software builds	MIT
CMake	cross-platform	cross-language	uses CMakeLists.txt file	New BSD
Continuum	cross-platform	Java	?	Apache 2.0
CruiseControl	cross-platform	cross-language	XML	BSD-style license
dmake	Linux, Solaris, Windows	OpenOffice, Solaris	uses Makefile	?
ElectricCommander	cross-platform	cross-language	flexible including gmake, bmake, emake and ant scripts	Proprietary
Fabricate	cross-platform	cross-language	Python	New BSD
FinalBuilder	Windows	cross-language	graphical IDE with support for Ant/NAnt, MSBuild, JScript, VBScript, IronPython, PowerShell	Proprietary
Go	cross-platform	cross-language	graphical IDE with support for Ant/NAnt, MSBuild, rake and any tool with a command line interface	Proprietary, cost-free Community edition license
Gradle	cross-platform	Java-Groovy	Groovy based DSL	Apache 2.0
Hyper Build	Windows	cross-language	Visual IDE for designing builds / XML build project files.	Proprietary
icemake	cross-platform	C, C++, assembly, TeX	S-expression based	?
IKAN ALM	cross-platform	cross-language	Ant, NAnt, Maven2, any tool via the API	Proprietary
make	cross-platform	cross-language	uses Makefile	Various
makepp	cross-platform	cross-language, optimized for C++	uses Makefile	GNU GPL
mk-configure	cross-platform	cross-language	uses Makefile (bmake dialect)	BSD-style license
Maven	cross-platform	Java	Project Object Model	Apache 2.0
[[Module::Build]]	cross-platform	Perl	?	GNU GPL
MPW Make	Mac OS Classic	?	?	?
MSBuild	Windows	cross-language	XML	Proprietary freeware
NAnt	cross-platform	.NET	XML	GNU GPL
nmake	Unix, Linux, Windows/Interix	cross-language	uses Makefile	?
OMake	Unix, Linux, OS X, Windows	cross-language	custom scripting language with make-like syntax and portable build-in shell	GNU GPL
OpenMake Meister	Unix, Linux, Windows, z/OS	cross-language	XML, Perl, REXX	Proprietary
OpenMake Mojo	Unix, Linux, Windows	cross-language	XML, Perl	Proprietary, free edition available
ParaBuild	?	?	?	Proprietary with a free small team edition
PBS	cross-platform	cross-language	Perl	Artistic 1 & GPL 1
Perforce Jam	cross-platform	cross-language	uses Jamfile	Proprietary, free licence for open source projects
Phing	cross-platform	PHP	XML (Ant clone)	GNU Lesser GPL
PyBuild	?	?	Python	GNU GPL
Rake	cross-platform	Ruby	Ruby	MIT
SBuild	cross-platform	Scala, Java	Scala based DSL	Apache 2.0
SCons	cross-platform	cross-language	Python	MIT
Shake	cross-platform	cross-language	Haskell	New BSD
Simple Build Tool	cross-platform	Scala, Java	Scala based DSL	BSD
Speedy Make	cross-platform	cross-language	XML	GNU GPL
Sweet Build	Microsoft Windows	cross-language	DSL and Lua	libpng License
TMake	Windows, Linux and BSD	cross-language	lua	GPLv3
Tweaker (build tool)	cross-platform	cross-language	Any (Ant, bash, batch, C, Erlang, Java, SQL, and VBScript by default, with 3rd party interface for extensions)	GPLv3
Visual Build	Windows	cross-language	XML	Proprietary
Waf	cross-platform	cross-language	Python	New BSD
WANT	Windows	Object Pascal (Delphi)	XML	?
X-Script Generator	Windows	cross-language	XML	?
Yabu	Unix, POSIX	cross-language	uses Buildfile	Public domain
Tool name	Operating system	Build language	Description language	License

Debugging and understanding build automation

• Ant Explorer
• AntGraph
• Autobuild
• BTV Toolkit
• Build audit
• colormake
• Continuum
• Coverity Build Analysis
• GNU Make Debugger
• GNU make Standard Library
• GNU make test framework
• Grand
• Linguine Maps
• MAKAO
• makeppgraph
• Maketool
• mkDoxy
• Pretty Make
• Remake
• Spring BeanDoc
• SpringViz
• Virtual Ant
• Visual Ant Editor
• Vizant