Gradle vs npm
Gradle
gradle.orgnpm
npmjs.comSide by side
| Figure | Gradle | npm |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $7/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 4 |
| Spec score · Package Managers | 8.7 (#11) | 9.3 (#1) |
| Dependency resolution | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Lockfile support | Yes | Yes |
| Offline installation | Yes | Yes |
| Package formats | Maven,Ivy,flat directory | package.json folders,gzipped tarballs,URLs,name@version,name@tag,Git URLs |
| Private registry auth | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Windows,macOS,Linux | macOS,Windows,Linux,and other operating systems via Node.js installers or version managers |
| Workspace support | Yes | Yes |
Plans
In their own words
Gradle
Gradle Build Tool is a free, open-source system for automating software builds across projects of different types and sizes. Build logic can use either Kotlin DSL or Groovy DSL. Incremental builds, caching and parallel task execution support the build process, while Gradle downloads and manages transitive dependencies from Maven- and Ivy-compatible repositories. The Gradle Wrapper can provision a build environment and specify the Gradle version used by a project. Its ecosystem covers JVM, Android, C/C++, Swift, Objective-C and assembler projects, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. The Tooling API lets IDEs and other tools inspect projects, run builds, receive progress events and cancel operations. Listed support includes Android Studio and Ant, plus Checkstyle, CodeNarc, PMD and JaCoCo. Gradle includes dependency verification. The maker says open-source security fixes are limited by its end-of-life policy; its Security Subscription offers prioritized fixes under SLA and extended maintenance, but does not guarantee a clean scanner report when findings come from third-party libraries.
npm
npm is a JavaScript package registry and command-line tool for sharing code and managing packages. The Registry and CLI are free for public package use, and the Free plan lets public package authors publish unlimited public packages. npm accepts package.json folders, gzipped tarballs, URLs, name-and-version or name-and-tag references, and Git URLs. Its tools support dependency resolution, lockfiles, workspaces, private registry authentication, and offline installation. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and other operating systems through Node.js installers or version managers. For private packages, the Paid user account plan is $7 a month; Pro is also $7 a month for individual creators, while Teams is $7 per user per month for teams and organizations. Pro includes unlimited private packages and package-based permissions; Teams adds team-based permissions. Organizations can manage members, teams, roles, permissions, and package access. All plans include basic support and automatic security warnings. Paid billing starts when card details are submitted, with the first month charged immediately.