Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SCons VS CMake

Compare SCons VS CMake and see what are their differences

SCons logo SCons

SCons is an Open Source software construction tool—that is, a next-generation build tool.

CMake logo CMake

CMake is an open-source, cross-platform family of tools designed to build, test and package software.
  • SCons Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-21
  • CMake Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-21

We recommend LibHunt CMake for discovery and comparisons of trending CMake projects.

SCons features and specs

  • Python Integration
    SCons uses Python scripts for build configuration, which allows users to leverage the full power of Python’s capabilities, including libraries and modules, for more complex build scenarios.
  • Automatic Dependency Tracking
    SCons automatically tracks dependencies, ensuring that only the necessary parts of the project are rebuilt. This can lead to faster incremental builds and improved efficiency.
  • Cross-Platform
    SCons is cross-platform and works on various operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, providing a consistent build environment across different platforms.
  • Wide Range of Tools
    SCons supports a wide range of tools and compilers out-of-the-box, making it easier to configure build environments for different programming languages and technologies.
  • Extensibility
    The use of Python makes SCons highly extensible. Users can write custom build targets, scanners, and actions to suit specific project needs.

Possible disadvantages of SCons

  • Performance
    SCons can be slower than other build systems, especially for larger projects, due to the overhead of Python and its dependency scanning mechanisms.
  • Complexity
    While Python scripting offers flexibility, it can also add complexity to the build system, especially for users who are not familiar with Python programming.
  • Learning Curve
    Users new to SCons may face a steep learning curve, due to the need to understand both the build system itself and Python if they are not already familiar with it.
  • Limited IDE Integration
    SCons has limited integration with some popular IDEs compared to other build systems like CMake, which can affect the development experience for some users.
  • Smaller Community
    SCons has a smaller user base and community compared to more widely adopted build systems like CMake, which can result in fewer readily available resources, tutorials, and community support.

CMake features and specs

  • Cross-platform support
    CMake is designed to support multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This allows developers to write platform-independent CMake scripts.
  • Build tool agnostic
    CMake can generate build files for a variety of build systems including Makefiles, Ninja, and Visual Studio solutions. This means developers are not tied to a specific build tool.
  • Large community and extensive documentation
    CMake has a large user base and an extensive amount of documentation and tutorials available which can be helpful for new and experienced users alike.
  • Integrated testing support
    CMake includes support for testing frameworks such as CTest, which allows for automated testing of code during the build process.
  • Modular and scalable
    CMake is highly modular, enabling users to create reusable and maintainable code by organizing CMake scripts into libraries and modules.

Possible disadvantages of CMake

  • Steep learning curve
    CMake's complexity and its extensive range of features can be difficult for beginners to grasp, leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Verbose syntax
    CMake scripts can often become verbose and difficult to read, especially for large projects. This can make maintenance and debugging challenging.
  • Inconsistent module quality
    The quality and support of different CMake modules can vary, sometimes leading to issues with compatibility or functionality.
  • Performance overhead
    CMake may introduce some performance overhead during the configuration process, especially for very large projects.
  • Complexity in advanced features
    Some of the more advanced features of CMake, such as custom commands and complex dependency management, can be quite difficult to implement correctly.

SCons videos

Review Scons Bañados Dia %

CMake videos

CMake for Dummies

More videos:

  • Review - CppCon 2017: Mathieu Ropert “Using Modern CMake Patterns to Enforce a Good Modular Design”
  • Review - Hunter, a CMake driven package manager for C/C++ projects - Daniel Friedrich - Lightning Talks

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SCons and CMake)
Front End Package Manager
JS Build Tools
39 39%
61% 61
JavaScript Package Manager
Continuous Integration
39 39%
61% 61

User comments

Share your experience with using SCons and CMake. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, CMake should be more popular than SCons. It has been mentiond 53 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SCons mentions (16)

  • Modern CMake
    Scons is very easy and readable yet very powerful. It is Python based and extensible. https://scons.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 16 days ago
  • Tired of Makefiles
    Has anyone tried SCONS? Came across someone using it in a place where I worked earlier. Python-based make-like tool. https://scons.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Show HN: Jeeves – A Pythonic Alternative to GNU Make
    The most comprehensive make alternative in python I've seen is Scons (https://scons.org/) It would be worth to see how they tackles some of the challenges you're looking into. Blurb from the website: SCons is an Open Source software construction tool. Think of SCons as an improved, cross-platform substitute for the classic Make utility with integrated functionality similar to autoconf/automake and compiler caches... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Taskfile: A Modern Alternative to Makefile
    Https://scons.org/ It has cache facility to speed up re-builds. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • What was used to build C++ programs before Cmake?
    SCons never got popular enough to escape the niches it grew up in. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

CMake mentions (53)

  • Master This Feature of DevEco Studio to Efficiently Implement ArkTS and C++ Glue Code
    For knowledge in this aspect, you can refer to the relevant documents of the CMake build tool: https://cmake.org/. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Creating a Native Desktop GUI Using C++ with GTK
    I used CMAKE to define the build configurations. I find it very convenient that CMAKE generates the Makefile on Linux and can also create a Visual Studio project on Windows. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Top 7 C++ Tools to explore in 2024 if it's not already the case.
    CMake stands for "Cross-platform Make" and is an open-source, platform-independent build system. It's designed to build, test, and package software projects written in C and C++, but it can also be used for other languages. Here's an overview of CMake and its features:. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • My first Software Release using GitHub Release
    When doing research for this lab exercise I looked at both vcpkg and conan. Both are package managers that would automate the installation and configuration of my program with its dependencies. However, when it came to releasing and sharing my program my options were limited. For example, the central public registry for conan packages is conan-center, but these packages are curated and the process is very... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • A little help for a C++ newbie
    Install the CMake program using your system package manager, e.g. Sudo apt-get install cmake. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SCons and CMake, you can also consider the following products

GNU Make - GNU Make is a tool which controls the generation of executables and other non-source files of a program from the program's source files.

Ninja Build - Ninja is a small build system with a focus on speed.

SBT - SBT is a build tool for Scala, like Ant or Maven but with hieroglyphics.

Meson - Meson is an open source build system meant to be both extremely fast, and, even more importantly...

FinalBuilder - FinalBuilder is a build automation tool.

Gradle - Accelerate developer productivity. Gradle helps teams build, automate and deliver better software, faster. DocsExplore the documentation of Gradle. Find installation ..