SCons vs CMake

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

SCons is a Development solution with tags like build, automation, python.

It boasts features such as Dependency tracking, Parallel builds, Caching, Extensible with Python scripts, Cross-platform and pros including Fast incremental builds, Easily customizable, Good dependency management, Built-in support for many languages.

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.

SCons

SCons

SCons is an open source software construction tool that is used to build software applications and libraries. It is written in Python and uses Python scripts for its configuration files making it easy to customize and extend.

Categories:
build automation python

SCons Features

  1. Dependency tracking
  2. Parallel builds
  3. Caching
  4. Extensible with Python scripts
  5. Cross-platform

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Fast incremental builds

Easily customizable

Good dependency management

Built-in support for many languages

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited adoption compared to Make/CMake

Less flexible than general purpose build tools like Make


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