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CMake vs Buck2: catalog facts
CMake	Buck2
Free Free and open source under the OSI-approved BSD 3-clause licence.	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
One project description generates Makefiles, Ninja files, Visual Studio and Xcode projects IDEs, package managers and libraries all assume CMake, so integration is everywhere	Hermetic builds by default Extensible rules written in Starlark
The scripting language is idiosyncratic and widely disliked Older tutorials teach outdated patterns that still appear in real projects	Designed for large monorepos and may be heavy for small projects Learning curve for BUCK files and Starlark rules
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: MIT OR Apache-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.