build vs setuptools
build
build.pypa.iosetuptools
setuptools.pypa.ioSide by side
| Figure | build | setuptools |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Python Package Managers | 7.8 (#11) | 7.3 (#22) |
| Compatibility | The guide lists compatibility with Python 3.10 through 3.14 and PyPy 3.10 and 3.11. | The project identifies modern PyPA-standard APIs and documented customization APIs as its most stable supported interfaces. |
| Integrations | The CI/CD guide gives examples for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, CircleCI, Travis CI, Azure Pipelines, Jenkins, Docker, and tox. | The documentation describes using setuptools with pip, build, and PyPI as part of building and distributing Python packages. |
| Purpose | build is a Python packaging frontend that reads pyproject.toml and invokes build backends to create distribution packages. | Setuptools is a library designed to facilitate packaging Python projects for sharing and installation. |
| Support | The project documentation links to its GitHub issue tracker for reporting issues. | Professional support for setuptools is available through a Tidelift Subscription. |
Plans
In their own words
setuptools
setuptools is a free Python packaging library for preparing projects for sharing and installation. It can serve as a project build backend, discover packages and namespaces, and let maintainers control which packages are distributed. It handles build-system requirements plus required and optional dependencies, including version limits and environment markers, and supports dependency groups. Configured entry points can generate console-command and plugin scripts during installation. Editable installs apply source changes without rebuilding and reinstalling. The library can build C and C++ extension modules, and its documentation covers workflows with pip, build, and PyPI. Setuptools runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, while the current PyPI listing requires Python 3.10 or later. The project identifies modern PyPA-standard APIs and documented customization APIs as its most stable interfaces. It is free, has no free trial, and professional support is available through a Tidelift Subscription.