build vs tox
build
build.pypa.iotox
tox.wikiSide by side
| Figure | build | tox |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 7.2 (#26) |
| Configuration | It supports backend configuration through repeated -C options or --config-json for complex settings. | tox reads configuration from files including tox.toml, tox.ini, pyproject.toml, and toxfile.py. |
| Purpose | build is a Python packaging frontend that reads pyproject.toml and invokes build backends to create distribution packages. | tox manages virtual environments, checks package builds and installations across different environments, and runs tests in those environments. |
| Support | The project documentation links to its GitHub issue tracker for reporting issues. | The development guide describes tox as a volunteer-maintained open-source project and directs people with issues to the issue tracker. |
Plans
In their own words
tox
tox is a free, open-source command-line tool for creating virtual environments, checking package builds and installations across different environments, and running tests in them. It can orchestrate test runners, linters, formatters, documentation generators, and build or publishing tools. As a continuous-integration frontend, tox combines CI workflows with shell-based testing and reduces boilerplate. Configuration can be stored in tox.toml, tox.ini, pyproject.toml, or toxfile.py. By default, it removes host environment variables unless allowed through pass_env and adjusts PATH so commands use the active environment. The command-line tool requires Python 3.10 or higher. Installation guidance covers pipx, uv, and pip, with apt and brew package-manager routes also documented. Plugins include tox-gh-actions for GitHub Actions, tox-uv for faster package installation, and tox-gh for enhanced GitHub integration. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and is maintained as a volunteer open-source project.