Compare software

Buck2CMake

Best for: Teams with large multi-language monorepos

Best for: Building a C or C++ project that has to compile on more than one platform

Free

Free and open source.

 Free

Free and open source under the OSI-approved BSD 3-clause licence.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
  • Hermetic builds by default
  • Extensible rules written in Starlark
All 3 strengths
  • Hermetic builds by default
  • Extensible rules written in Starlark
  • Supports many languages in one build graph
  • One project description generates Makefiles, Ninja files, Visual Studio and Xcode projects
  • IDEs, package managers and libraries all assume CMake, so integration is everywhere
All 4 strengths
  • One project description generates Makefiles, Ninja files, Visual Studio and Xcode projects
  • IDEs, package managers and libraries all assume CMake, so integration is everywhere
  • Includes CTest for test running and CPack for building installers
  • Supported on Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris and AIX
  • Designed for large monorepos and may be heavy for small projects
  • Learning curve for BUCK files and Starlark rules
  • The scripting language is idiosyncratic and widely disliked
  • Older tutorials teach outdated patterns that still appear in real projects
All 4 limitations
  • The scripting language is idiosyncratic and widely disliked
  • Older tutorials teach outdated patterns that still appear in real projects
  • Error messages are frequently unhelpful
  • Simple projects end up with more boilerplate than they deserve
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: MIT OR Apache-2.0 License: BSD-3-Clause
No account needed No account needed
Offline features available Offline features available
Sources

Catalog checked October 1, 2026
Sources

Catalog checked September 21, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.