Apache Maven vs Zero Install
Apache Maven
maven.apache.orgZero Install
0install.netSide by side
| Figure | Apache Maven | Zero Install |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Package Managers | 8.8 (#8) | 7.7 (#60) |
| Dependencies | Maven supports dependency management, including automatic updates and transitive dependencies, and can download dependencies from a central repository. | Zero Install resolves dependencies, shares libraries when possible, and allows conflicting versions to coexist. |
| Founded | 2002 | 2003 |
| Integrations | Maven can integrate with source control systems such as Subversion or Git to manage releases based on tags. | Zero Install can use packages installed by a Linux distribution and can use PackageKit to install system packages when no Zero Install package is available. |
| 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 project says package signatures are checked before new software runs and caching a package does not run its code or write to system software directories. |
| Support | The Maven site recommends its users mailing list for help and also points users to documentation, issue management, wiki resources, and Slack. | The project directs bug reports and feature requests to GitHub Issues and offers a mailing list for questions and suggestions. |
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.
Zero Install
Zero Install has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.