Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Ninja Build VS Apache Benchmark

Compare Ninja Build VS Apache Benchmark and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Ninja Build logo Ninja Build

Ninja is a small build system with a focus on speed.

Apache Benchmark logo Apache Benchmark

ab is a tool for benchmarking your web server.
  • Ninja Build Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-14
  • Apache Benchmark Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-31

Ninja Build features and specs

  • Speed
    Ninja is designed for high performance, making it one of the fastest build systems available. It minimizes the time spent on tasks such as parsing, dependency resolution, and build command execution.
  • Simplicity
    Ninjaโ€™s configuration syntax is straightforward and concise, reducing the complexity involved in setting up builds and allowing for a clear overview of build rules.
  • Parallelism
    Ninja excels at handling parallel builds, leveraging multiple cores effectively to decrease overall build times.
  • Incremental Builds
    Ninja efficiently handles incremental builds by only recompiling what is necessary, which significantly speeds up iterative development processes.
  • Integration
    Ninja is often used as the backend for more complex build systems (e.g., CMake), making it a versatile tool within a larger toolchain.

Possible disadvantages of Ninja Build

  • Limited Features
    Ninja is deliberately minimalist, lacking many of the features found in other build systems, such as built-in support for complex dependency management and custom build steps.
  • Learning Curve
    While Ninja itself has a simple syntax, the learning curve can be steep for those unfamiliar with how build systems work or for those coming from more feature-rich environments.
  • Dependency on Generators
    Ninja often requires an external generator (like CMake) to create its build files, which can add to the setup complexity and introduce dependencies on other tools.
  • Limited Scripting Capabilities
    Unlike some build systems that offer extensive scripting support (e.g., Python in SCons), Ninja's functionality is largely limited to what its syntax and predefined rules allow.
  • Less Flexibility
    Due to its minimalist nature, Ninja may not be as flexible as other build systems, potentially limiting its use in more complex or unusual build scenarios.

Apache Benchmark features and specs

  • Simplicity
    Apache Benchmark is straightforward to use with a simple command-line interface, allowing users to quickly conduct basic load testing on web servers without a steep learning curve.
  • Speed
    Because it is a command-line tool, Apache Benchmark executes quickly and can generate a significant amount of traffic with minimal system resource usage.
  • Wide Availability
    As part of the Apache HTTP Server project, it is widely available on most Unix-based systems and easy to install on others, making it accessible for most developers.
  • Open Source
    Apache Benchmark is open-source software, providing full access to the source code for customization and ensuring there are no costs associated with its usage.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Benchmark

  • Limited Features
    Apache Benchmark is quite limited in its capabilities, providing only basic performance metrics and lacking features such as detailed reporting, analysis, and support for different types of HTTP requests.
  • No GUI
    It doesnโ€™t come with a graphical user interface, which could be a barrier for users who prefer visual representations and more interactive usage.
  • Single URL Testing
    The tool is only capable of testing one URL at a time, which can be a limitation when assessing the performance of more complex, multi-page applications.
  • Limited to HTTP
    Apache Benchmark only supports HTTP and HTTPS protocols, which can be restrictive for testing applications using other protocols.
  • Limited Scalability
    Due to its basic nature, it might not handle very large-scale load testing efficiently and may require additional tools or setups to simulate more extensive server loads.

Analysis of Ninja Build

Overall verdict

  • Ninja Build is considered a strong choice for users seeking a fast, reliable, and efficient build system. Its simplicity and focus on performance make it appealing to developers working on projects where build speed is critical.

Why this product is good

  • Ninja Build is a high-performance build system designed to handle complex build processes efficiently. It is known for its minimalistic yet powerful design, which allows for faster build times compared to traditional build systems like Make. Its approach to dependency tracking and parallelism is optimized for modern build environments, making it suitable for large codebases and incremental builds.

Recommended for

    Ninja Build is recommended for developers working on large-scale projects with complex build processes, particularly in environments where build speed and efficiency are prioritized. It is especially beneficial for projects that are continuously integrated or require frequent incremental builds.

Ninja Build videos

FORTNITE STW: HERE IS THE BEST NINJA BUILD (AFTER MONTHS OF TESTING)

Apache Benchmark videos

Apache Benchmarking using AB in linux

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Ninja Build and Apache Benchmark)
Front End Package Manager
Monitoring Tools
0 0%
100% 100
JavaScript Package Manager
Website Testing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Ninja Build and Apache Benchmark. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Ninja Build seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 23 times since March 2021. 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.

Ninja Build mentions (23)

  • CMake Made Simple: A Reusable Template for Your First C++ Project
    On Windows, download the binaries from the cmake and Ninja websites. After that, add the executables to your PATH. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • TypeScript's Successor is Waiting, and You'll Never Want to Turn Back
    Under the hood, Rescript uses a build system called Ninja. Ninja is similar to Make, but cross-platform and more minimal/performant. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Using Make โ€“ writing less Makefile
    Ninja was super easy to pick up even after using make for some time (10+ years). GN is just a ninja generator that is optional. https://gn.googlesource.com/gn/+/main/docs/quick_start.md https://ninja-build.org/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: What outdated tech are you still using and are perfectly happy with?
    Really? I thought most new projects were switching to ninja[^1] and have never used it. [^1]: https://ninja-build.org/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • What was used to build C++ programs before Cmake?
    Ninja showed real promise for a while, but then CMake grew up and people stopped seeing a reason to leave it behind. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Apache Benchmark mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Apache Benchmark yet. Tracking of Apache Benchmark recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Ninja Build and Apache Benchmark, you can also consider the following products

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.

WebLOAD - WebLOAD - The most flexible and cost effective software for enterprise load, stress and performance testing, integrated with DevOps processes. Click for details

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

StresStimulus - Load testing tool for websites and mobile that works with hard-to-test applications.

Meson - Meson is an open source build system meant to be both extremely fast, and, even more importantly...

LoadComplete - The only load testing tool to record, replay, and test in real browsers at scale.