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Head-to-head · Package Managers

Gradle vs Conan

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Gradle #5 in Package Managers 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Gradle
Conan #7 in Package Managers 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Conan

Gradle leads on 0 checks, Conan on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGradle · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth

Gradle scores higher on our rubric for package managers: 8.8 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #7.

Gradle is the better fit for JVM builds and enterprise projects. Conan is the better fit for native C and C++ dependencies.

  • Gradle fits best

    JVM builds and enterprise projects

  • Conan fits best

    Native C and C++ dependencies

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Side by side

Feature Gradle 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Conan 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.6
Ranking #5 in Package Managers #7 in Package Managers
Best for JVM builds and enterprise projects Native C and C++ dependencies
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Docs, Community
Integrations 7 integrations 6 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Gradle 5/5 · Conan 5/5
Dependency resolution ✓ ✓
Lockfile support ✓ ✓
Workspace support ✓ ✓
Private registry auth ✓ ✓
Offline installation ✓ ✓
Specs
Package formats Maven, Ivy, flat directory Conan recipes and binary packages
Supported platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, embedded and bare-metal targets
Our review
Pros
  • Dependency locking, caching, and offline installation support repeatable builds.
  • Multi-project and composite builds fit large, modular codebases.
  • Integrates with major IDEs and Maven- and Ivy-compatible repositories.
  • Dependency graphs, lockfiles, and profiles support reproducible native builds.
  • Precompiled binaries and local caches can reduce repeated build work.
  • Broad integrations cover CMake, Visual Studio/MSBuild, Docker, and Meson.
Cons
  • Its broad build-system scope may be more than package-only workflows need.
  • Build scripts use Kotlin or Groovy DSLs rather than a package-only configuration.
  • It does not provide AI-assisted features.
  • Experimental workspaces are subject to breaking changes.
  • Package workflows require recipe and profile concepts to be understood.
  • Hosted repository capabilities are separate from the free Conan client.
Our verdict

Gradle is an open-source build automation and dependency management tool for Java, Android, Kotlin Multiplatform, Groovy, Scala, JavaScript, C, C++, and Swift projects. It is particularly suited to JVM builds, Android development, and…

Read the review →

Conan is a decentralized, open-source package manager for C and C++ projects. It is designed for teams that need to define package recipes, declare dependencies, build or obtain precompiled binaries, and exchange packages through…

Read the review →
  1. GradlePackage Managers 8.8Free plan
  2. ConanPackage Managers 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Gradle — where it wins

    • Dependency locking, caching, and offline installation support repeatable builds.
    • Multi-project and composite builds fit large, modular codebases.
    • Integrates with major IDEs and Maven- and Ivy-compatible repositories.

    Where it doesn't

    • Its broad build-system scope may be more than package-only workflows need.
    • Build scripts use Kotlin or Groovy DSLs rather than a package-only configuration.
    • It does not provide AI-assisted features.

  • Conan — where it wins

    • Dependency graphs, lockfiles, and profiles support reproducible native builds.
    • Precompiled binaries and local caches can reduce repeated build work.
    • Broad integrations cover CMake, Visual Studio/MSBuild, Docker, and Meson.

    Where it doesn't

    • Experimental workspaces are subject to breaking changes.
    • Package workflows require recipe and profile concepts to be understood.
    • Hosted repository capabilities are separate from the free Conan client.
  • Gradle8.8/10 · Free plan

    A flexible package and build tool for JVM projects, Android, and multi-project repositories.

    Visit GradleFull verdict →
  • Conan8.6/10 · Free plan

    A capable open-source choice for managing native C and C++ dependencies across platforms.

    Visit ConanFull verdict →

More comparisons

All package managers comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update