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Compare CMake and GNU Make

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At a Glance
CMake
CMake
Star Rating
(17)4.3 out of 5
Market Segments
Enterprise (41.2% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about CMake
GNU Make
GNU Make
Star Rating
(19)4.4 out of 5
Market Segments
Enterprise (44.4% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about GNU Make
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
  • Users report that GNU Make has a steeper learning curve compared to CMake, with a rating of 6.9 for ease of use, while CMake scores slightly lower at 6.6, indicating that users find CMake more approachable for beginners.
  • Reviewers mention that GNU Make excels in its simplicity and directness for small projects, which is reflected in its higher score of 9.4 for meeting requirements, compared to CMake's 8.4, suggesting that GNU Make is often preferred for straightforward build processes.
  • G2 users highlight that CMake's cross-platform capabilities are a significant advantage, allowing for easier integration with various IDEs and build systems, which is a feature that GNU Make lacks, making CMake more versatile for larger, multi-platform projects.
  • Users on G2 report that the quality of support for GNU Make is rated at 7.5, slightly higher than CMake's 7.2, indicating that users feel they receive better assistance and resources when using GNU Make.
  • Reviewers mention that both products have similar product direction ratings of 7.1, but users feel that CMake is more actively developed with frequent updates, which may lead to better long-term viability.
  • Users say that GNU Make is often favored for its performance in smaller, simpler projects, while CMake is praised for its advanced features like out-of-source builds and better dependency management, making it a better choice for complex applications.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
CMake
No pricing available
GNU Make
No pricing available
Free Trial
CMake
No trial information available
GNU Make
No trial information available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
8.4
16
9.4
16
Ease of Use
6.6
16
6.9
16
Ease of Setup
Not enough data
6.9
7
Ease of Admin
Not enough data
7.9
7
Quality of Support
7.2
10
7.5
12
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
Not enough data
Not enough data
Product Direction (% positive)
7.1
16
7.1
16
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
CMake
CMake
GNU Make
GNU Make
CMake and GNU Make are categorized as Other Continuous Delivery
Unique Categories
CMake
CMake has no unique categories
GNU Make
GNU Make has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
CMake
CMake
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
35.3%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
23.5%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
41.2%
GNU Make
GNU Make
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
38.9%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
16.7%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
44.4%
Reviewers' Industry
CMake
CMake
Information Technology and Services
23.5%
Computer Software
17.6%
Research
11.8%
Internet
11.8%
Telecommunications
5.9%
Other
29.4%
GNU Make
GNU Make
Information Technology and Services
16.7%
Higher Education
16.7%
Computer Software
16.7%
Defense & Space
11.1%
Retail
5.6%
Other
33.3%
Most Helpful Reviews
CMake
CMake
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Verified User in Computer Software
GC
Verified User in Computer Software

Once it works, it's great. It's incredibly flexible, dead simple, and Just Works. The GUI is great to use and I frequently switch between it and the command line tool. I have no complaints with using CMake as long as I'm not writing the files...

Most Helpful Critical Review
CH
Connor H.
Verified User in Internet

I'm not a huge fan of the man-esque online documentation, for people who aren't familiar with *n*x man pages a simple search for how to do something could turn into a witch hunt for something which turns out to be a single line. It's intimidating for people...

GNU Make
GNU Make
Most Helpful Favorable Review
JR R.
JR
JR R.
Verified User in Computer Networking

I always works as advertised, and there is a tremendous amount of community knowledge about its characteristics and idiosyncrasies.

Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User in Information Technology and Services
GI
Verified User in Information Technology and Services

Documentation is cumbersome and advanced features are plentiful, making it even more of a pain to optimize and efficiently use make.

Alternatives
CMake
CMake Alternatives
SCons
SCons
Add SCons
GNU Automake
GNU Automake
Add GNU Automake
Leiningen
Leiningen
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FinalBuilder
FinalBuilder
Add FinalBuilder
GNU Make
GNU Make Alternatives
SCons
SCons
Add SCons
Leiningen
Leiningen
Add Leiningen
MPW Make
MPW Make
Add MPW Make
FinalBuilder
FinalBuilder
Add FinalBuilder
Discussions
CMake
CMake Discussions
Monty the Mongoose crying
CMake has no discussions with answers
GNU Make
GNU Make Discussions
Monty the Mongoose crying
GNU Make has no discussions with answers