Apache Maven vs Open Build Service
Apache Maven
maven.apache.orgOpen Build Service
openbuildservice.orgSide by side
| Figure | Apache Maven | Open Build Service |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Build Automation Software | 8.8 (#2) | 8.3 (#9) |
| Founded | 2002 | 2005 |
| Integrations | Maven can integrate with source control systems such as Subversion or Git to manage releases based on tags. | The OBS API lets clients and external services interface with OBS resources. |
| Package formats | pom,jar,maven-plugin,ejb,war,ear,rar | The documented package formats include RPM, DEB, and Arch packages; build recipe formats include spec, dsc, KIWI, preinstallimage, SimpleImage, and mkosi. |
| Purpose | Apache Maven is a build tool for Java projects that uses a project object model (POM) to manage compilation, testing, and documentation. | OBS automatically builds and distributes binary packages from source code in a consistent and reproducible way. |
| Security | Maven's security model assumes users trust the POM, code, dependencies, and repositories used in a build; users building untrusted code must provide isolation. | The administrator guide recommends isolated worker networks and describes running untrusted build code in KVM or XEN virtual machines without network access. |
| Support | The Maven site recommends its users mailing list for help and also points users to documentation, issue management, wiki resources, and Slack. | Community help is available through OBS IRC and a mailing list; commercial consulting, training, or SLA support is offered by listed partners, while the project says it has no product or service offering of its own. |
Plans
In their own words
Apache Maven
Apache Maven is a free build tool for Java projects. It uses a project object model, or POM, and plugins to manage compilation, testing and documentation through a uniform build system. Maven manages dependencies, including transitive dependencies and automatic updates, and can download them from a central repository. Project metadata can produce outputs such as JARs, WARs and distributions. Maven can also generate project information, including changelogs, cross-referenced sources, dependency lists and unit test reports. Java or scripting-language plugins extend it, and it can work with source control systems such as Subversion or Git to manage tag-based releases. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Maven 3.10 and later requires JDK 8 or above to execute, while toolchains can target other JDK versions. Its project layout is opinionated, so projects with unusual structures that cannot be reorganized may have to give up some Maven features or Maven itself. The software is distributed under Apache License 2.0; its listed plan costs nothing.
Open Build Service
Open Build Service (OBS) builds and distributes binary packages from source code in a consistent, reproducible way. Each package is built in a fresh jailed environment; when a build succeeds, OBS rebuilds packages that depend on it. The service can release packages, updates, add-ons, appliances, and complete distributions for different operating systems and hardware architectures. Documented package formats include RPM, DEB, and Arch, with recipes in formats such as spec, dsc, KIWI, and mkosi. Teams can use access controls, branches, merge requests, and submission reviews to coordinate work. GitHub.com and GitLab.com integrations are supported, as are self-hosted GitHub, GitLab, and Gitea instances when network connectivity works. The API gives clients and external services access to OBS resources, while the osc command-line client can edit sources and metadata, start builds, and gather results. OBS is GPL-licensed free software, available on a reference server for open-source developers or for installation on users’ own hardware or in a data center. The listed plan is free.