Software Development

Gradle

An open source build system for Java, Android, and Kotlin developers that automates software building and delivery workflows.

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Overview

Gradle is a fast, dependable, and adaptable open source build system designed for projects of any size or complexity. It features expressive Kotlin and Groovy DSLs, scalable build times, reliable caching and parallel execution, and a rich plugin ecosystem for automation.

Updated Oct 21, 2026

1 thing

What Gradle has

For developers

Programmatic access to the product's data and features for developers. One of 21 Software Development tools with an API.

14 features

Key Features

Build system
Gradle is the open source build system of choice for Java, Android, and Kotlin developers. From mobile apps to microservices, from small startups to big enterprises, it helps teams deliver better software, faster.
Build speed and flexibility
Gradle delivers speed that scales, builds you can trust, and the flexibility to automate any workflow.
Readable build logic
Expressive DSLs in Kotlin and Groovy make even the most complex build logic readable and maintainable.
Scalable build times
From solo projects to enterprise monorepos, build times stay proportional to change, not total project size.
Plugin ecosystem
A rich plugin ecosystem lets teams automate any scenario, from build to deployment, exactly the way they need.
Incremental builds
Gradle checks between builds whether the input, output, or an implementation of a task has changed since the last build invocation.
Build caching
If a task has already been executed on another computer, Gradle can skip the execution locally and instead load the task's outputs from the build cache.
Incremental tasks
When Gradle discovers that the input or output of a task has changed between build runs, the task is executed again.
Incremental annotation processing
Incremental annotation processing significantly increases the effectiveness of incremental compilation when supported annotation processors are present.
Compiler daemon
When you need to fork the compilation process, Gradle creates a daemon process that is reused within a multi-project build. This provides a dramatic speed improvement for the compilation process.
Parallel dependency downloads
Gradle will download dependency metadata (typically `pom.xml`) and artifacts in parallel. This is done on demand only when the artifacts are required.
Task timeouts
Every task has a timeout property that can be used to limit its execution time. When a task reaches its timeout, its task execution thread is interrupted, allowing the build to finish.
Build visualization
Understand what happened in your build via a rich web interface instead of a text console and text files. Build scans provide more information and are more effective.
Collaborative debugging
Share build scans with colleagues to solve problems efficiently and improve things together. Share entire scans or links focused on a particular build aspect, such as a logging output line.

Pros and cons

Pros

Highly scalable for projects from small to large monorepos with build times proportional to change size.
Reliable and reproducible build outcomes with safe caching and dependable parallel execution.
Flexible and adaptable with a rich plugin ecosystem to automate any workflow from build to deployment.
Supports both Kotlin and Groovy DSLs for expressive and maintainable build scripts.
Open source with a strong global community and extensive documentation.

Cons

No explicit pricing or commercial support details publicly available, which may require contacting sales for enterprise needs.
Steep learning curve for new users unfamiliar with build systems or DSL scripting.
Limited direct support for non-JVM languages compared to JVM-focused capabilities.
Build scans and advanced features may require additional setup or subscriptions for full capabilities.
Complexity can increase with very large or highly customized builds, requiring expertise to optimize.

Developer features

Parallel execution
Gradle allows parallel execution of tasks and intra-task work through a Worker API . Parallelism is very fine-grained, resulting in faster performance.

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Featured Video

See Gradle at work before you try it.

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0 questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Community reviews

Write a review

No written reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.

Community reviews

Write a review

No written reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience.

1 thing

What Gradle has

For developers

Programmatic access to the product's data and features for developers. One of 21 Software Development tools with an API.

14 features

Key Features

Build system
Gradle is the open source build system of choice for Java, Android, and Kotlin developers. From mobile apps to microservices, from small startups to big enterprises, it helps teams deliver better software, faster.
Build speed and flexibility
Gradle delivers speed that scales, builds you can trust, and the flexibility to automate any workflow.
Readable build logic
Expressive DSLs in Kotlin and Groovy make even the most complex build logic readable and maintainable.
Scalable build times
From solo projects to enterprise monorepos, build times stay proportional to change, not total project size.
Plugin ecosystem
A rich plugin ecosystem lets teams automate any scenario, from build to deployment, exactly the way they need.
Incremental builds
Gradle checks between builds whether the input, output, or an implementation of a task has changed since the last build invocation.
Build caching
If a task has already been executed on another computer, Gradle can skip the execution locally and instead load the task's outputs from the build cache.
Incremental tasks
When Gradle discovers that the input or output of a task has changed between build runs, the task is executed again.
Incremental annotation processing
Incremental annotation processing significantly increases the effectiveness of incremental compilation when supported annotation processors are present.
Compiler daemon
When you need to fork the compilation process, Gradle creates a daemon process that is reused within a multi-project build. This provides a dramatic speed improvement for the compilation process.
Parallel dependency downloads
Gradle will download dependency metadata (typically `pom.xml`) and artifacts in parallel. This is done on demand only when the artifacts are required.
Task timeouts
Every task has a timeout property that can be used to limit its execution time. When a task reaches its timeout, its task execution thread is interrupted, allowing the build to finish.
Build visualization
Understand what happened in your build via a rich web interface instead of a text console and text files. Build scans provide more information and are more effective.
Collaborative debugging
Share build scans with colleagues to solve problems efficiently and improve things together. Share entire scans or links focused on a particular build aspect, such as a logging output line.

Pros and cons

Pros

Highly scalable for projects from small to large monorepos with build times proportional to change size.
Reliable and reproducible build outcomes with safe caching and dependable parallel execution.
Flexible and adaptable with a rich plugin ecosystem to automate any workflow from build to deployment.
Supports both Kotlin and Groovy DSLs for expressive and maintainable build scripts.
Open source with a strong global community and extensive documentation.

Cons

No explicit pricing or commercial support details publicly available, which may require contacting sales for enterprise needs.
Steep learning curve for new users unfamiliar with build systems or DSL scripting.
Limited direct support for non-JVM languages compared to JVM-focused capabilities.
Build scans and advanced features may require additional setup or subscriptions for full capabilities.
Complexity can increase with very large or highly customized builds, requiring expertise to optimize.

Developer features

Parallel execution
Gradle allows parallel execution of tasks and intra-task work through a Worker API . Parallelism is very fine-grained, resulting in faster performance.

You?

Be the first to rate Gradle

Your review helps others make better decisions. No account needed. Takes about 10 seconds.

Featured Video

See Gradle at work before you try it.

Watch on YouTube

0 questions

Gradle

Overview

What Gradle has

For developers

Key Features

Build system

Build speed and flexibility

Readable build logic

Scalable build times

Plugin ecosystem

Incremental builds

Build caching

Incremental tasks

Incremental annotation processing

Compiler daemon

Parallel dependency downloads

Task timeouts

Build visualization

Collaborative debugging

Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Developer features

Parallel execution

Be the first to rate Gradle

Featured Video

Frequently Asked Questions

What Gradle has

For developers

Key Features

Build system

Build speed and flexibility

Readable build logic

Scalable build times

Plugin ecosystem

Incremental builds

Build caching

Incremental tasks

Incremental annotation processing

Compiler daemon

Parallel dependency downloads

Task timeouts

Build visualization

Collaborative debugging

Pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Developer features

Parallel execution

Be the first to rate Gradle

Featured Video

Frequently Asked Questions

More in Software Development

More in Software Development