TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Apache Subversion vs. Git vs. Gradle Build Tool (Open Source)

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Apache Subversion

    Score9.9 out of 10
    N/AApache Subversion is a version control option that is free to download and open source under the Apache 2.0 license.N/A

    Git

    Score10 out of 10
    N/AN/AN/A

    Gradle Build Tool (Open Source)

    Score9 out of 10
    N/AGradle 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.

    $0

    per month

    Pricing
    Apache SubversionGitGradle Build Tool (Open Source)
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Apache SubversionGitGradle Build Tool (Open Source)
    Free Trial
    NoNoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Apache SubversionGitGradle Build Tool (Open Source)
    Considered Multiple Products
    Apache
    Chose Apache Subversion
    Git has become the new standard of version control, with its support for distributed design. As a tool to manage and control versions, Subversion does it well, but Git is the future.
    Incentivized
    Chose Apache Subversion
    We used Visual SourceSafe before SVN many years ago and we chose SVN at that time mainly because it allowed us to do collaborative work on the same source code. It also had improved conflict resolution when doing code merges, blaming changes etc, which improved the speed of …
    Incentivized
    Chose Apache Subversion
    Git is probably the biggest open source rival to Subversion. It's designed for distributed development, an environment I'm not very familiar with. I've only got some experience with it, and only as a user, and even that is limited. I had some trouble wrapping my mind around the …
    Incentivized
    Chose Apache Subversion
    Git is a newer version control system compared to that of svn. I think that svn is more stable, easy to learn/use, and not-so-complex as Git. Also, svn has very good client applications which provide extremely user-friendly user interfaces. Apache Subversion is also open source …
    Incentivized
    Chose Apache Subversion
    Git is better than Subversion in every aspect except that is not free . But since our company has bought Git licenses and I would not go back to using Subversion .
    Open Source
    Chose Git
    I've used both Apache Subversion & Git over the years and have maintained my allegiance to Git. Git is not objectively better than Subversion. It's different. The key difference is that it is decentralized. With Subversion, you have a problem here: The SVN Repository may be in …
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    The two main alternatives to Git that I know about are Mercurial and Subversion. I've never used either one, but I know a bit about Subversion. From what I remember, Subversion requires a server. I don't anyone using any other source control other than Git, it seems to have …
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    Git is more advanced and easier to use. It has a very simple UI and a very efficient command-line tool. Git gives you flexibility and performance for the price, and has greatly increased the complexity of workflow. The overall performance is good. It caches information locally …
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    GIT being a widely used tool have better reliability than its peers and have stands out when we compare it on operational performance criteria.
    GIT with speedy and extensive branching capabilities have helped developers to use check in their code quickly and space efficient way.
    G…
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    After using Subversion previously for years, Git comes across as the new and improved source control approach.
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    Compared to SVN, Git has a decentralized approach which increases collaboration in the team by enabling the local stored branches. There is no need to be connected to the repository(via an internet link) to work and commit code. Besides the fact that the performance of Git is …
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    I do not have much experience with other version control tools. Git is highly used everywhere and it is hard to find a development team that isn't using it. One thing I know is that with Git each developer has their own copy of a repository so they could technically work …
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    Git is the best Source Control Management Tool I've used. Every company, team, and project I've worked on professionally either used Git 100%, or was moving to Git, away from the alternatives like SVN. Git has all the features necessary, as well as a very large community of …
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    Git is by far the best version control system out there. It's open source, free, and fast. No other version control system I've ever used has had all three features.
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    Git is a distributed version control system. There is more flexibility to work with a bigger team. You can modify the same file and later merge all changes into a single file.
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    After using Subversion previously for a number of years, Git comes across as the new and improved source control approach. Git seems very suited to working with Agile:- branches can be created easily, allowing multiple developers to switch to them quickly, and having local …
    Incentivized
    Chose Git
    Git is my favorite among all of the version control systems out there. It follows the Linux software philosophy of being built by many loosely coupled and small components that do one thing well. It's incredibly open, and its adoption in the open source community seems to be …
    Incentivized
    Open Source
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Would buy again
    12 Answers
    100%
    Would buy again
    7 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    11 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    7 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    12 Answers
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    9 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    5 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    9 Answers
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    7 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Apache SubversionGitGradle Build Tool (Open Source)
    Small Businesses
    GitHub
    Score9.2 out of 10
    GitHub
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Apache Maven
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Git
    Score10 out of 10
    GitHub
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Apache Maven
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Perforce P4
    Score7.5 out of 10
    Perforce P4
    Score7.5 out of 10
    Azure Pipelines
    Score8.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Apache SubversionGitGradle Build Tool (Open Source)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    6.6
    (10 ratings)
    10.0
    (36 ratings)
    9.0
    (12 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    3.1
    (2 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    3.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (11 ratings)
    9.0
    (4 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Apache SubversionGitGradle Build Tool (Open Source)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Apache
    It's a relatively simple version control system so it works great for an individual or small team (less than 10 people). But if you have a medium to large team, especially one with members distributed over a large geographic area, or one where individuals need to be able to work "offline" without access to a central server, Apache Subversion will likely not be the best choice.
    Also, if you're maintaining an open-source project where outside people will be interacting with your code repository, git is probably a better choice because it's becoming the de-facto standard these days and what most developers are familiar with.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    GIT is good to be used for faster and high availability operations during code release cycle. Git provides a complete replica of the repository on the developer's local system which is why every developer will have complete repository available for quick access on his system and they can merge the specific branches that they have worked on back to the centralized repository. The limitations with GIT are seen when checking in large files.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    Gradle Build Tool is more suitable with the Java projects. It has helped us to automate the build part of the devops cycle. Its configuration and Groovy script is really easy to understand and can be implemented with ease. It can be used both for automation and manual buids of the projects. Gradle Build Tool is easy to use and easy to integrate.
    Read full review
    Pros
    Apache
    • Revision control done properly - you have end to end visibility of all changes in the project.
    • Conflict resolution - visually highlighting the differences helps to track down the problem.
    • Being open source and very popular.
    • We are using SVN hosted in our network - it is very stable, we had almost zero downtime in 4 years.
    • Rollbacks are made simple and easy to use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    • Ability to create branches off current releases to modify code that can be tested in a separate environment.
    • Each developer had their own local copy of branches so it minimizes mistakes being made.
    • Has a user-friendly UI called Git Gui that users can use if they do not like using the command line.
    • Conflicts are displayed nicely so that developers can resolve with ease.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    • Gradle's methods to manipulate files is very flexible. It minimizes the amount of code one has to write to copy, move, or expand zip or tar files.
    • Gradle uses Groovy, which is a Java like language. This allows for most computer engineers to come up to speed fairly quickly, for writing or maintaining gradle code.
    • Gradle also supports DSL (Domain Specific Language), which is based on Groovy. The DSL language allows engineers to automate build jobs that otherwise could be very cumbersome to maintain or modify.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Apache
    • Distributed development - I've never worked in an environment where distributed development (developers widely scattered geographically) was a factor, but that's why git exists.
    • Merging - Merging of code from one branch to another can be painful, especially if it's not done frequently. (On the other hand, doing merges is one of the reasons I get a nice salary, so I can't complain too much!)
    • Acceptance - Let's face it, git is what "all the cool kids are using." If you've got a bunch of developers fresh out of school, they'll probably know git and not Subversion.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    • There can be quite a number of commands once you get to the advanced features and functionality of Git. Takes time to master.
    • Doesn't handle static assets (ie: videos, images, etc.) well. Although in the recent years, new functionality has been introduced to address this.
    • Many different GUIs, many people (including myself) opt to just use the command-line.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    • I'd like to see a way to specify how to run only certain tests in parallel, I tried this feature and for tests that involve interaction with SQL Databases sometimes I can't because of deadlocks.
    • Not sure if there is something else, gradle has been working really good for us and they are adding improvements all the time which is awesome. I used to think the performance is a deal but the latest versions are addressing this issue very well
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Apache
    While there are interesting alternatives, such a GIT, Subversion has been a breath of fresh air compared to its predecessors like CVS or Microsoft Source Safe (now called Team Foundation Server). Its ease of use and high adoption rate is going to keep me using this product for years to come.
    Read full review
    Open Source
    Git has met all standards for a source control tool and even exceeded those standards. Git is so integrated with our work that I can't imagine a day without it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Apache
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    Git is easy to use most of the time. You mostly use a few commands like commiting, fetch/pull, and push which will get you by for most of time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    Gradle's language construct is good
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Apache
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    I have tried to use Gradle for projects several times in the past, but there is just so much work in maintaining the build file that it quickly becomes untenable. I have been using Maven for many years, and even though the build file can be complex, it works without maintenance between releases.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Apache
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    I am not sure what the official Git support channels are like as I have never needed to use any official support. Because Git is so popular among all developers now, it is pretty easy to find the answer to almost any Git question with a quick Google search. I've never had trouble finding what I'm looking for.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    Gradle has been an excellent tool for Android development. It has helped us create multiple versions of the app for different environments. It also takes care of all the packaging needs in the background without having to write all the code related to that. It is a no brainer to use Gradle with Android applications.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Apache
    No answers on this topic
    Open Source
    It's easy to set up and get going.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Apache
    Git has become the new standard of version control, with its support for distributed design. As a tool to manage and control versions, Subversion does it well, but Git is the future.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    I've used both Apache Subversion & Git over the years and have maintained my allegiance to Git. Git is not objectively better than Subversion. It's different.
    The key difference is that it is decentralized. With Subversion, you have a problem here: The SVN Repository may be in a location you can't reach (behind a VPN, intranet - etc), you cannot commit. If you want to make a copy of your code, you have to literally copy/paste it. With Git, you do not have this problem. Your local copy is a repository, and you can commit to it and get all benefits of source control. When you regain connectivity to the main repository, you can commit against it. Another thing for consideration is that Git tracks content rather than files. Branches are lightweight and merging is easy, and I mean really easy.
    It's distributed, basically every repository is a branch. It's much easier to develop concurrently and collaboratively than with Subversion, in my opinion. It also makes offline development possible. It doesn't impose any workflow, as seen on the above linked website, there are many workflows possible with Git. A Subversion-style workflow is easily mimicked.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    [Gradle is] a more modern version of open source build tools like Ant and Maven.
    Whereas the build config was XML files which were tedious and error
    prone, the modern DSL usage of Groovy to write these build files is a
    great advancement. Also these config files can be inherited from top
    level to each associated project.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Apache
    • Subversion helps us feel secure in maintaining access to all of our product code, both current and historical.
    • Being free and open source makes it an even better "investment".
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    • Git has saved our organization countless hours having to manually trace code to a breaking change or manage conflicting changes. It has no equal when it comes to scalability or manageability.
    • Git has allowed our engineering team to build code reviews into its workflow by preventing a developer from approving or merging in their own code; instead, all proposed changes are reviewed by another engineer to assess the impact of the code and whether or not it should be merged in first. This greatly reduces the likelihood of breaking changes getting into production.
    • Git has at times created some confusion among developers about what to do if they accidentally commit a change they decide later they want to roll back. There are multiple ways to address this problem and the best available option may not be obvious in all cases.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Open Source
    • In a distributed development environment, once we established a strong CI/CD model, Gradle proved to be a great choice to automate the various processes. Gradle also provides much flexibility, which is essential in today's development environment. The important benefit is that the CI/CD engineers can support development's needs quickly and reliably. This in turn supports faster testing and deployment, which generates higher ROI.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots