FASTBuild vs Bazel

FASTBuild8.9Visit Bazel8.7Visit

Higher score FASTBuild #2 in Game Build Automation Software 8.9/10 Open source Visit FASTBuild

vs

Bazel #4 in Game Build Automation Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan Visit Bazel

• FASTBuild fits best

  Native game teams needing fast compilation

• Bazel fits best

  Large teams needing scalable build graphs

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Side by side

Feature	FASTBuild 8.9/10 Visit ↗	Bazel 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.7
Ranking	#2 in Game Build Automation Software	#4 in Game Build Automation Software
Best for	Native game teams needing fast compilation	Large teams needing scalable build graphs
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Open source	Free plan
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Docs, Community
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Specs
Parallel jobs	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Runner model	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Build platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Game engine support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Artifact storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Source integrations	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Parallel and distributed compilation across network workers Local and network build caching for repeated builds Generates Visual Studio and Xcode projects	Incremental builds re-execute only affected actions Local and remote caching plus remote execution Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
Cons	Configuration is defined through text-based BFF files Distributed compilation requires network workers Primarily focused on C/C++ libraries, executables, DLLs, and tests	Builds must be defined with BUILD and Starlark files Custom rules require Starlark-based configuration Remote execution spans multiple machines
Our verdict	FASTBuild is an open-source build system for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is designed for independent developers and large studios working on desktop, mobile, console, and other software, with a particular fit for native game teams. The… Read the review →	Bazel is an open-source build and test tool for software projects that use multiple languages and platforms. It defines build and test targets through BUILD files and uses Starlark for build logic and custom rules. Bazel is suited to teams… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• FASTBuild — where it wins

  • Parallel and distributed compilation across network workers
  • Local and network build caching for repeated builds
  • Generates Visual Studio and Xcode projects

  Where it doesn't

  • Configuration is defined through text-based BFF files
  • Distributed compilation requires network workers
  • Primarily focused on C/C++ libraries, executables, DLLs, and tests

• Bazel — where it wins

  • Incremental builds re-execute only affected actions
  • Local and remote caching plus remote execution
  • Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows

  Where it doesn't

  • Builds must be defined with BUILD and Starlark files
  • Custom rules require Starlark-based configuration
  • Remote execution spans multiple machines

• FASTBuild8.9/10 · Open source

  A focused open-source option for speeding up C/C++ game builds across multiple platforms.

  Visit FASTBuildFull verdict →
• Bazel8.7/10 · Free plan

  A scalable choice for teams managing complex build graphs across platforms.

  Visit BazelFull verdict →