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Meson vs CMake: catalog facts
Meson	CMake
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
Readable build definition language Fast full and incremental builds	One project description generates Makefiles, Ninja files, Visual Studio and Xcode projects IDEs, package managers and libraries all assume CMake, so integration is everywhere
Build language is deliberately limited, so unusual logic can be awkward Smaller ecosystem than CMake	The scripting language is idiosyncratic and widely disliked Older tutorials teach outdated patterns that still appear in real projects
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: Apache-2.0	License: BSD-3-Clause
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

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