gradle is a free, open source build & deployment project written in Groovy and released under Apache-2.0. It has 18,845 GitHub stars, 5,334 forks and 3,494 open issues, and was last pushed 4 hours ago. On this registry it ranks #10 of 59 tracked projects in Build & Deployment, with 5 head-to-head comparisons available. It gained 4 stars over the last 3 tracked days.

What is gradle?

What it is

Gradle is an open-source build automation tool distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, hosted at gradle.org and developed in the Groovy language. It is described as a highly scalable build automation tool designed to handle everything from large, multi-project enterprise builds to quick development tasks across various languages. Its modular, performance-oriented architecture integrates with development environments, and the project has grown over roughly seventeen years to a repository with 18,841 stars, 5,335 forks, and 3,494 open issues. It lives in the JVM tooling ecosystem, with topics covering build-tool, gradle, gradle-bt, groovy, java, and kotlin.

The concrete problem it solves is the coordination of building, testing, and deploying applications that span multiple languages and multiple modules without a separate toolchain per target. Gradle builds projects for Java, Kotlin, Scala, Android, Groovy, C++, and Swift through one automation model, so a team maintaining a JVM service, an Android client, and a native library does not need three unrelated build systems. It also closes the gap between a developer's editor and an automated pipeline, since the same build definition runs in an IDE and in a continuous integration system.

Key capabilities

  • Builds large, multi-project enterprise builds as well as quick development tasks within the same tool.
  • Supports Java, Kotlin, Scala, Android, Groovy, C++, and Swift as build targets.
  • Provides sample builds for Java applications, Java modules in multi-project layouts, Android apps, Groovy applications, Kotlin libraries, Scala applications, Spring Boot web apps, C++ libraries, and Swift apps and libraries.
  • Integrates with Android Studio, IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, NetBeans, and Visual Studio Code.
  • Connects to continuous integration tools including Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and CircleCI.
  • Publishes a full user manual covering configuration from basic to advanced, plus community resources and discussion forums.
  • Offers hands-on learning through DPE University courses built around project-based tasks.

Who uses it and how

  • Enterprise teams running multi-project builds that span several modules and languages.
  • Android developers building apps inside Android Studio with Gradle as the underlying build system.
  • Kotlin, Java, Scala, and Groovy developers producing applications and libraries from published sample layouts.
  • C++ and Swift teams building native libraries and apps
project readme (upstream, from github) — read inline
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🐘 Gradle Build Tool

Gradle is a highly scalable build automation tool designed to handle everything from large, multi-project enterprise builds to quick development tasks across various languages. Gradle’s modular, performance-oriented architecture seamlessly integrates with development environments, making it a go-to solution for building, testing, and deploying applications on Java, Kotlin, Scala, Android, Groovy, C++, and Swift.

For a comprehensive overview, please visit the official Gradle project homepage.


🚀 Getting Started

Starting with Gradle is easy with these essential resources. Follow these to install Gradle, set up initial projects, and explore supported platforms:

📘 Explore Gradle’s full array of resources through the Gradle Documentation.


🛠 Seamless IDE & CI Integration

Gradle is built to work smoothly with a variety of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and Continuous Integration (CI) systems, providing extensive support for a streamlined workflow:


🎓 Learning Resources for Gradle

Kickstart your Gradle knowledge with courses, guides, and community support tailored to various experience levels:

  • DPE University Free Courses: A collection of hands-on courses for learning Gradle, complete with project-based tasks to improve real-world skills.
  • Gradle Community Resources: Discover a range of resources, tutorials, and guides to support your Gradle journey, from foundational concepts to advanced practices.

💬 Community Support & Resources

The Gradle community offers a range of forums, documentation, and direct help to guide you through every step of your Gradle journey:

  • Documentation: The Gradle User Manual covers everything from basic to advanced configurations.
  • Community Forum: Engage with others on the Gradle Forum for discussions, tips, and best practices.
  • Community Slack: Join our Slack Channel for real-time discussions, with specialized channels like #github-integrations for integration topics.
  • Newsletter: Subscribe to the Gradle Newsletter for news, tutorials, and community highlights.

Quick Tip: New contributors to Gradle projects are encouraged to ask questions in the Slack #community-support channel.


🌱 Contributing to Gradle

  • Contribution Guide: Contribute to Gradle by submitting patches or pull requests for code or documentation improvements.
  • Code of Conduct: Gradle enforces a Code of Conduct to ensure a welcoming and supportive community for all contributors.

🔗 Additional Resources

To make the most out of Gradle, take advantage of these additional resources:

🌟 Stay connected with the Gradle Community and access the latest news, training, and updates via Slack, Forum, and our Newsletter.



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Frequently asked questions

Is gradle free to use?

gradle is open source under the Apache-2.0 licence. There is no licence fee and no seat count — you can self-host it or, where the project offers one, pay a vendor for a managed version instead.

What does gradle do?

Adaptable, fast automation for all

What is gradle written in?

gradle is primarily written in Groovy. Its source is publicly available at https://github.com/gradle/gradle, and it has 18,845 GitHub stars.