Build Automation Tools

TrustRadius Top Rated for 2023

Top Rated Products

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1
GitLab

GitLab DevSecOps platform enables software innovation by aiming to empower development, security, and operations teams to build better software, faster. With GitLab, teams can create, deliver, and manage code quickly and continuously instead of managing disparate tools and scripts.…

2
Liquibase

Liquibase is a database change management tool that helps teams release software faster and safer by bringing the database change process into existing CI/CD automation. According to the 2021 Accelerate State of DevOps Report, elite performers are 3.4 times more likely to incorporate…

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(1-25 of 61)

1
GitLab

GitLab DevSecOps platform enables software innovation by aiming to empower development, security, and operations teams to build better software, faster. With GitLab, teams can create, deliver, and manage code quickly and continuously instead of managing disparate tools and scripts.…

2
Jenkins

Jenkins is an open source automation server. Jenkins provides hundreds of plugins to support building, deploying and automating any project. As an extensible automation server, Jenkins can be used as a simple CI server or turned into a continuous delivery hub for any project.

3
Azure DevOps Services

Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS, Microsoft Visual Studio Team System) is an agile development product that is an extension of the Microsoft Visual Studio architecture. Azure DevOps includes software development, collaboration, and reporting capabilities.

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4
Liquibase

Liquibase is a database change management tool that helps teams release software faster and safer by bringing the database change process into existing CI/CD automation. According to the 2021 Accelerate State of DevOps Report, elite performers are 3.4 times more likely to incorporate…

5
CircleCI

CircleCI is a software delivery engine from the company of the same name in San Francisco, that helps teams ship software faster, offering their platform for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD). Ultimately, the solution helps to map every source of change for software…

6
Bamboo

Australian company Atlassian offers Bamboo, a continuous integration server.

7
TeamCity

TeamCity is a continuous integration server from Czeck company JetBrains.

8
Apache Maven

Apache Maven is an open source build automation tool.

9
Gradle Build Tool (Open Source)

Gradle is an open source build system. Gradle boasts a rich API and mature ecosystem of plugins and integrations to support automation. Users can model, integrate and systematize the delivery of software from end to end.

10
Travis CI

Travis CI is an open source continuous integration platform, that enables users to run and test simultaneously on different environments, and automatically catch code failures and bugs.

11
CloudBees Codeship

Codeship from CloudBees is a build automation platform from the Austrian company of the same name.

12
Bitrise

Bitrise, software from the company of the same name in Budapest, helps users automate daily app development tasks from building through testing to deployment. With Bitrise, users can configure these tasks with a visual Workflow editor, with over 330 service integrations ready to…

13
JRebel

JRebel is a build automation tool developed by Estonian company ZeroTurnaround, acquired by Rogue Wave Software in 2017, and then acquired (and now supported by) Perforce since that company's 2019 acquisition of Rogue Wave. The vendor says users of JRebel saves Java teams a month…

14
Azure Pipelines

Users can automate builds and deployments with Azure Pipelines. Build, test, and deploy Node.js, Python, Java, PHP, Ruby, C/C++, .NET, Android, and iOS apps. Run in parallel on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Azure Pipelines can be purchased standalone, but it is also part of Azure DevOps…

15
GNU Make

GNU Make is an open source and free build automation tool.

16
CloudBees Continuous Integration

CloudBees Continuous Integration (formerly the CloudBees Jenkins Platform) is a continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) solution that extends Jenkins. Developed for on-premise installations, CloudBees CI offers stable releases with monthly updates, as well as additional…

17
GoCD

GoCD, from ThoughtWorks in Chicago, is an application lifecycle management and development tool.

18
Codefresh

Codefresh is a continuous integration/delivery and automation platform for Kubernetes that allows users to build, test, deploy and gather feedback on apps, from the company of the same name in Codefresh.

20
Hudson CI (discontinued)

Oracle acquired and then supported Hudson Continuous Integration through 2016. Oracle no longer updates or supports Hudson. It was available free and open source under an MIT license, but it is no longer being developed, and is no longer available.

21
RapidDeploy

RapidDeploy is a release management automation option for continuous delivery, from UK company MidVision.

22
Apache Ant

Apache Ant is a Java library and command-line tool whose mission is to drive processes described in build files as targets and extension points dependent upon each other. The main known usage of Ant is the build of Java applications. Ant supplies a number of built-in tasks allowing…

23
Codemagic

Codemagic is a developer's CI/CD tool for mobile app projects. Build Android, iOS, React Native, Ionic, Unity, and Flutter projects on Codemagic.Codemagic uses its own CLI tools under the hood to perform complicated tasks like code signing and distribution to the stores. These are…

24
Appsmith

Appsmith is an open source framework to build admin panels, CRUD apps and workflows.

25
AWS CodeBuild

AWS CodeBuild is a fully managed continuous integration service that compiles source code, runs tests, and produces software packages that are ready to deploy.

Learn More About Build Automation Tools

What are Build Automation Tools?

Build automation tools help businesses develop and release software more quickly by standardizing and automating software build tasks. These tools make various phases of software development automated, repeatable, and more predictable.

Since software development often needs significant human oversight, the development process can be very costly and time-consuming. Software build processes in particular are commonly repetitive, and thus prime candidates for automation. By automating large swaths of tedious work, build automation tools help teams work faster and with more flexibility.

Typically, build automation tools use scripting languages to link source code, software components, and build processes. Build automation scripting can handle many parts of the process, including generating documentation, compiling code, and running tests.

Build automation is a critical component of continuous delivery and DevOps practices.

Build Automation Tool Features

Most build automation tools have the following features:

  • Source code and build management
  • Integration with integrated development environment (IDE) software
  • Testing in parallel with build execution
  • Dependency management
  • Version conflict resolution
  • Collaborative debugging
  • Incremental (change-only) compilation
  • Rebuild minimization for faster build delivery
  • Automated events & testing
  • Automated initializing & reinitializing of build framework
  • Support for ad-hoc resource and code updates
  • Build and task caching
  • Metrics and performance tracking
  • Customization with plug-ins

Build Automation Tools Comparison

When evaluating which build automation tool is right for you, consider the following factors:

Open-Source or proprietary: Many popular build automation tools are free and open-source. Some vendors of open-source tools offer paid training and support plans, but other tools rely on developer expertise and community support. Commercial build automation tools, on the other hand, are available with multiple licensing plans and tiers of support. Some support services include in-house training, developer services, and consulting at additional expenses. If you’re low on IT or in-house development support, spending on extended, hands-on support is always a good idea. If you’re rich in expertise but money is tight, open-source tools are probably the better choice.

Ease of use: Build automation tools include a wide variety of software that may not be suited for every business type. Some tools have features focused on specific software industries, while other tools cater to large development teams with complex build needs. Make sure you pick a tool that has the right scope for your needs. Unnecessary features can lead to higher costs, more training time needed, and confusion during the build design process.

Multi-platform builds: If you’re developing software for multiple platforms, this feature is critical. You need to be able to test and build for all target platforms with only minor changes, such as tweaking a configuration file. When deciding on a build automation tool, make sure that it supports cross-platform building, testing, and deployment with minimal developer effort.

Start a Build Automation Tools comparison here

Pricing Information

Many popular build automation tools are open-source and free. Vendors of paid software commonly offer a flat subscription rate or usage-based pricing. These tools usually include features aimed at enterprises or larger teams. Annual costs for build automation tools can range from under $600 to over $100,000 depending on the scale and complexity of your needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of using build automation tools?

Build automation tools help businesses standardize and simplify their development pipeline. This can make development teams more flexible and productive while catching more bugs before product release.

What are the best build automation tools?

Popular build automation tools include:

How much do build automation tools cost?

Most build automation tools are open-source and free for basic packages. Businesses that want additional features and support can purchase an annual or monthly license. Pricing is highly dependent on implementation scale and usage, and can range from under $600 to over $100,000 annually.

What do build automation tools do?

Build automation tools help businesses automate software build processes. They provide tools to design testing, compiling, documentation, and distribution processes that run without requiring developer input.