Premake vs CMake

Struggling to choose between Premake and CMake? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Premake is a Development solution with tags like c, crossplatform, automation.

It boasts features such as Generate project files for Visual Studio, Xcode, Make and others, Support for C, C++, C#, Lua and other languages, Cross-platform build configuration, Command line and GUI interface, Extensible Lua scripting, Open source and free and pros including Automates and simplifies project configuration, Saves time compared to manual project setup, Supports many platforms, languages and build tools, Easy to integrate into build process, Free and open source.

On the other hand, CMake is a Development product tagged with build, compile, crossplatform, open-source.

Its standout features include Cross-platform build system, Generate native makefiles and workspaces, Support multiple compilers and IDEs, Modular architecture, Customizable and extensible, and it shines with pros like Simplifies build process across platforms, Compiler-independent builds, Large user and developer community, Widely used and well-supported, Highly customizable.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Premake

Premake

Premake is an open-source build configuration tool for C++ projects across Windows, MacOS, and Linux. It automates the generation of project files and build scripts for Make, Visual Studio, Xcode, and other build systems.

Categories:
c crossplatform automation

Premake Features

  1. Generate project files for Visual Studio, Xcode, Make and others
  2. Support for C, C++, C#, Lua and other languages
  3. Cross-platform build configuration
  4. Command line and GUI interface
  5. Extensible Lua scripting
  6. Open source and free

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Automates and simplifies project configuration

Saves time compared to manual project setup

Supports many platforms, languages and build tools

Easy to integrate into build process

Free and open source

Cons

Limited adoption outside of C/C++ projects

Steep learning curve for Lua scripting

Less flexibility than hand-written build scripts

Limited IDE integration features

Minimal documentation


CMake

CMake

CMake is an open-source, cross-platform tool designed to build, test, and package software. It works by generating native makefiles and workspaces to automate the build process using a compiler-independent method.

Categories:
build compile crossplatform open-source

CMake Features

  1. Cross-platform build system
  2. Generate native makefiles and workspaces
  3. Support multiple compilers and IDEs
  4. Modular architecture
  5. Customizable and extensible

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Simplifies build process across platforms

Compiler-independent builds

Large user and developer community

Widely used and well-supported

Highly customizable

Cons

Steep learning curve

Complex syntax and concepts

Poor documentation

Limited IDE integration on some platforms

Build times can be slow for large projects