FASTBuild vs CMake

FASTBuild8.9Visit CMake8.8Visit

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

vs

CMake #3 in Game Build Automation Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan Visit CMake

• FASTBuild fits best

  Native game teams needing fast compilation

• CMake fits best

  Cross-platform native game builds

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Side by side

Feature	FASTBuild 8.9/10 Visit ↗	CMake 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.8
Ranking	#2 in Game Build Automation Software	#3 in Game Build Automation Software
Best for	Native game teams needing fast compilation	Cross-platform native game builds
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Open source	Free plan
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Self-hosted	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, 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	Generates Visual Studio, Xcode, Ninja, and Make build environments Dependency-aware rebuilds, caching, testing, and packaging are integrated Runs across Windows, macOS, and Linux with out-of-source builds
Cons	Configuration is defined through text-based BFF files Distributed compilation requires network workers Primarily focused on C/C++ libraries, executables, DLLs, and tests	Requires project configuration files such as CMakeLists.txt Multiple native generators can add toolchain decisions to project setup Open-source distribution has no commercial paid-plan tiers
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 →	CMake is an open-source family of tools for managing software compilation across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Developers describe projects with CMake configuration files, commonly CMakeLists.txt, and CMake generates native build environments… 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

• CMake — where it wins

  • Generates Visual Studio, Xcode, Ninja, and Make build environments
  • Dependency-aware rebuilds, caching, testing, and packaging are integrated
  • Runs across Windows, macOS, and Linux with out-of-source builds

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires project configuration files such as CMakeLists.txt
  • Multiple native generators can add toolchain decisions to project setup
  • Open-source distribution has no commercial paid-plan tiers

• FASTBuild8.9/10 · Open source

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

  Visit FASTBuildFull verdict →
• CMake8.8/10 · Free plan

  A mature, open-source choice for generating native builds across major desktop platforms.

  Visit CMakeFull verdict →