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Gradle vs Maven

By Pooja GuptaPooja Gupta

Gradle-vs-Maven

Difference Between Gradle and Maven

Gradle is the name of the build automation type tool, which is available as open-source software and is used for creating different types of software. The Gradle tool’s software is of high performance and can be extended and supports various types of IDE. Maven is the name of the project management tool, which helps programmers develop any type of software in the tool’s lifecycle. The Maven tool helps to make the project simple, and the project can be standardized by using this comprehensive Maven tool.

Head to Head Comparison between Gradle and Maven (Infographics)

Below are the top 8 comparisons between Gradle vs Maven:

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Key Differences Between Gradle and Maven

Let us discuss some key differences between Gradle vs Maven in the following points:

  • Gradle is a software developing tool that is used to create new software. The software which can be created in the Gradle tool is based on the java programming language. The Gradle tool is provided as an open-source tool that is provided as free for the developers.
  • The Gradle tool uses the concepts of Apache Ant and Apache Maven in its configuration. This tool also helps to create various types of software in the java language. The Gradle tool’s main use is to create a large size of the software that requires extra configuration.
  • The project configuration used in the Gradle tool is Groovy and Java, which replaces the extensible markup language. The software applications created to form the tool can be of any type, like Android or web-based applications.
  • The Gradle tool supports various platforms for developing the software and testing software in the integrated environment. The programming language used for the purpose of software development in Java, C, Scala, C++, Android, and Groovy.
  • The IDE used for software development is Eclipse, Android Studio, and Jenkins. The Gradle tool performance is faster compared to the Maven tool because the Gradle tool does not track the input task and output task. The tool only tracks the running task, which has been altered during the project development process.
  • The Gradle tool has the additional advantage that the tool uses the build output of the previously created project in the Gradle tool. The only requirement is that the input should remain the same, which helps reduce the project creation time.
  • Maven is the other type of software developing tool that is also used to create numerous types of software, which helps programmers develop the software. It is the programmers’ project lifecycle framework, and the tool is open-source for the developers.
  • The Maven tool is mostly used for projects which are based on the JAVA language. The other programming language which can be used for creating the software is Scala, C# and Ruby. The Maven tool takes care of the software development process, which includes two types of aspects, software building process and dependency of software. For the Maven tool, the XML file is used, which deals with the project building steps, all the project dependency, modules used in a project and other components of a project. All these are included in the XML file in the Maven automation tool.
  • The project creation time in the Maven tool is less if it is compared to the Gradle tool as the Maven tool uses the default layout and the standard directory, which helps to reduce the project creation time. The dependency modules used for the Maven tool’s software development are properly managed so that the software can be developed easily and in a concise time of duration.
  • The Maven tool manages the standards libraries, which can be used in project creation, and the pre-specified task can be created according to the defined Maven standards.
  • The Maven tool supports the installation of new plugins and also supports the project creation lifecycle process. As the projects are created using the Maven tool, the debugging process is easy in the Maven tool than in the Gradle tool. The project creation can be done in a very less time span when it is compared to the Gradle tool.

Comparison Table of Gradle vs Maven

The table below summarizes the comparisons between Gradle vs Maven:

Gradle Maven
The Gradle tool uses the Groovy-based domain-specific language for developing projects. The Maven tool is generally used for developing java based projects.
The XML file is not used for the Gradle project. The project configuration is separately maintained for Gradle tool projects. The XML file is used in the Maven tool for maintaining the list of components, project dependencies, and other requirements.
The goal defined for Gradle based tool project is to add new functionality in the project. The goal defined in the Maven tool based project is to complete the project within the timeline.
The Gradle tool performance is better than the maven tool as it only tracks the running task and not the input or output task. The Maven tool does not use the build cache for project creation; thus, its project creation time is more than the Gradle tool.
There are various options present in the Gradle tool in terms of IDE support. Thus, it makes the tool highly customizable. The Maven tool does not support various IDE, which makes the tool-less customizable compare to Gradle.
The compilation is mandatory for the Maven tool. The java compilation is not mandatory for the Gradle tool.
As the Gradle tool is new, the users of the tool are limited compared to the Maven tool. The Maven tool is a known tool that makes the tool easily available for programmers to develop new projects.
The Gradle tool has numerous options to include the new dependencies for the project. The dependency management process is easy to compare to the maven project because it avoids using an XML file for dependency management. The Maven tool also has the option to add a new dependency for the project creation, but too many dependencies can create problems to manage dependency because to manage the XML file is a little complicated compare to the Gradle tool.

Conclusion

Both Gradle and Maven are the automation tools used to create new projects in various programming languages that support multiple IDE environments. Both the tool has its own advantages and disadvantages, and selecting the tool among two completely depends on the project requirements.

Recommended Articles

This is a guide to the top differences between Gradle vs Maven. Here we discuss the key differences with infographics and comparison table. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more –

  1. Maven Commands
  2. Maven vs Ant
  3. What is Maven Plugins?
  4. Jenkins vs Maven
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