Gradle vs NuGet
Gradle
gradle.org
NuGet
nuget.orgSide by side
| Figure | Gradle | NuGet |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Package Managers | 8.7 (#11) | 8.1 (#31) |
| Dependency management | Gradle downloads and manages transitive dependencies and supports Maven and Ivy compatible repositories. | NuGet resolves package dependency graphs and records package identifiers and versions so dependencies can be restored across machines and build servers. |
| Dependency resolution | Yes | Yes |
| Intended users | Gradle describes itself as the open-source build system of choice for Java, Android, and Kotlin developers, from startups to large enterprises. | NuGet provides tools and package hosting for .NET library creators and consumers. |
| Lockfile support | Yes | Yes |
| Offline installation | Yes | Yes |
| Package formats | Maven,Ivy,flat directory | .nupkg,.snupkg |
| Private registry auth | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | Gradle Build Tool automates building software of any type, size, or complexity. | NuGet is the package manager for .NET, providing tools to create, share, and consume packages. |
| Supported platforms | Windows,macOS,Linux | Windows,macOS,Linux,.NET |
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.
NuGet
NuGet is a package manager for .NET projects, with tools to create and consume packages and the NuGet Gallery as a central repository. Packages use the .nupkg format and can include compiled code, related files and a descriptive manifest; .snupkg is also supported. NuGet resolves dependency graphs and records package identifiers and versions so projects can restore dependencies across machines and build servers. PackageReference and packages.config are supported, with PackageReference required for .NET SDK-style projects. Developers can manage packages in Visual Studio or use the dotnet CLI and nuget.exe. Packages may be hosted in private cloud locations, private networks or local file systems. Restore can check dependencies against configured vulnerability sources and report warnings. NuGet also supports lockfiles, offline installation, private registry authentication and package signatures. The service is free, and the Gallery code is open source under Apache 2.0. The dotnet CLI works on Windows, macOS and Linux; nuget.exe runs on Windows and can run on macOS and Linux with Mono, with limitations.