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CMake vs Meson: catalog facts
CMake	Meson
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	Readable build definition language Fast full and incremental builds
The scripting language is idiosyncratic and widely disliked Older tutorials teach outdated patterns that still appear in real projects	Build language is deliberately limited, so unusual logic can be awkward Smaller ecosystem than CMake
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: 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 September 23, 2026

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