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Apache Maven VS SBT

Compare Apache Maven VS SBT and see what are their differences

Apache Maven logo Apache Maven

Apache Maven is a project comprehension and management software tool.

SBT logo SBT

SBT is a build tool for Scala, like Ant or Maven but with hieroglyphics.
  • Apache Maven Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-11
  • SBT Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-02

Apache Maven features and specs

  • Dependency Management
    Maven simplifies the process of including third-party libraries in your project. It automatically downloads the libraries your project depends on and also their dependencies transitively.
  • Standardized Project Structure
    Maven enforces a standard project structure. This makes it easier for developers to understand and navigate newly joined projects.
  • Reproducible Builds
    With Maven, builds are more consistent and reproducible across different environments, thanks to its strict configuration and dependency management.
  • Extensive Plugin Ecosystem
    Maven has a rich ecosystem of plugins for tasks like compiling code, packaging software, running tests, and generating documentation, which can be easily integrated into the build process.
  • Multi-Module Projects
    Maven supports multi-module projects, allowing for better organization and separation of concerns within large projects that might consist of multiple interdependent subprojects.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Maven

  • XML Configuration
    Maven uses XML for its configuration, which can become verbose and cumbersome, especially for complex projects with numerous dependencies and plugins.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may find Maven's concepts and configurations challenging to learn and understand, particularly the dependency management and lifecycle phases.
  • Performance Issues
    The build process in Maven can sometimes be slow, particularly for large projects with extensive dependencies, as it needs to download and check for updates in the repository.
  • Lack of Flexibility
    Maven's conventions and structures might be overly rigid for some projects. Custom build requirements may sometimes require awkward workarounds or even external tools.
  • Potential for Dependency Conflicts
    While Maven manages dependencies well, complex projects can still encounter issues with conflicting versions of transitive dependencies, leading to build errors and runtime issues.

SBT features and specs

  • Incremental Compilation
    SBT offers incremental compilation, which only recompiles the parts of your code that have changed, leading to faster build times and increased productivity.
  • Interactive Shell
    SBT provides an interactive shell that allows developers to run tasks, tests, and compile code without leaving the environment, improving the workflow and convenience.
  • Built-In Dependency Management
    SBT integrates seamlessly with Ivy for dependency management, making it easy to define, manage, and retrieve project dependencies efficiently.
  • Scala-Specific
    SBT is specifically designed for Scala projects, offering tailored features and optimizations that align well with Scala programming paradigms and best practices.
  • Highly Customizable
    With a powerful plugin ecosystem and the ability to define custom tasks, SBT is highly customizable, allowing developers to tailor the build process to their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of SBT

  • Complexity
    SBT can be difficult to learn for new Scala developers due to its unique syntax and extensive configuration options, potentially leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Performance Overheads
    While SBT provides incremental compilation, it may still have performance overheads in large projects or when many plugins are used, affecting build times.
  • Limited Ecosystem Outside Scala
    Since SBT is specifically tailored for Scala, its ecosystem and community support may be more limited for projects that involve languages other than Scala.
  • Less Popular Than Some Alternatives
    Compared to build tools like Maven or Gradle, SBT has a smaller user base, which can result in fewer resources, forums, and community support for troubleshooting.
  • Debugging Difficulty
    The configuration language of SBT may be challenging to debug, particularly for users unfamiliar with its syntax, leading to potential difficulties in resolving issues.

Apache Maven videos

Apache Maven - Review of Concepts & Theory!

More videos:

  • Review - Apache Maven - Introduction || Automation || Episode 01

SBT videos

Inside PWC Engine Remanufacturer SBT

More videos:

  • Review - review audio sound system milik youtuber ibnu sbt trenggalek horregg luuurrrrrr
  • Review - CEK SOUND & REVIEW SOUND OMAHAN YOUTUBER IBNU SBT TRENGGALEK

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Maven and SBT)
DevOps Tools
100 100%
0% 0
JS Build Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Continuous Integration
100 100%
0% 0
Front End Package Manager

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache Maven and SBT

Apache Maven Reviews

35+ Of The Best CI/CD Tools: Organized By Category
Apache Maven is a software build automation and project management tool. It’s popular among the open-source and Java community. Maven allows you to build and deploy code in Scala, Ruby, Java, C#, Python, etc.

SBT Reviews

We have no reviews of SBT yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Maven seems to be a lot more popular than SBT. While we know about 56 links to Apache Maven, we've tracked only 1 mention of SBT. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Maven mentions (56)

  • Testing the startup time for your Fire OS app
    Install Maven Hint: The instructions on Maven’s website can be a bit confounding, so: If you’re on a Mac, use Homebrew to install it by running brew install maven in the terminal If you’re on Windows, check out this blog post. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Tutorial: Build a Java SDK based on OpenAPI Spec
    Maven: If you're more familiar with Maven and don't need custom build logic, it’s a Solid, well-established Option. Maven is known for its simplicity, strong dependency management, and extensive ecosystem. It integrates easily With package distribution platforms like Maven Central. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • My Journey with AWS CDK and Java: What You Need to Know
    From what I’ve seen, adopting the CDK in Java is relatively easy for most of these teams as they already understand the language and the ecosystem. Integrating the CDK with their existing build tools like Maven and Gradle is well documented, which leaves them with the learning curve of understanding how to work with infrastructure as code, how to structure a CDK project and when to use L1, L2 and L3 constructs. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • Install Apache Maven
    Visit the official Maven website to download the latest version of Maven. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • How to secure Python Flask applications
    In addition, Snyk can be easily integrated with various IDEs, including Visual Studio Code and PyCharm, as well as CI pipelines, such as Jenkins, CircleCI, and Maven, and workflows. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

SBT mentions (1)

  • Declarative Gradle is a cool thing I am afraid of: Maven strikes back
    NOTE: I won’t mention SBT and Leiningen here because, with all due respect, they are niche build tools. I also won’t discuss Kobalt for the same reason (besides, it’s no longer actively maintained). Additionally, I won’t touch upon Bazel and Buck in this context, mainly because I’m not very familiar with them. If you have insights or comments about these tools, please feel free to share them in the comments 👇. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Maven and SBT, you can also consider the following products

Gradle - Accelerate developer productivity. Gradle helps teams build, automate and deliver better software, faster. DocsExplore the documentation of Gradle. Find installation ..

GNU Make - GNU Make is a tool which controls the generation of executables and other non-source files of a program from the program's source files.

CircleCI - CircleCI gives web developers powerful Continuous Integration and Deployment with easy setup and maintenance.

CMake - CMake is an open-source, cross-platform family of tools designed to build, test and package software.

Jenkins - Jenkins is an open-source continuous integration server with 300+ plugins to support all kinds of software development

SCons - SCons is an Open Source software construction tool—that is, a next-generation build tool.