Maven vs. Gradle: A Comparison with Examples

By Atul Rai | Last Updated: October 8, 2024 Previous

In this blog, we’ll dive into the core differences between Maven and Gradle, compare their features, and provide examples to understand when to use one over the other.

Maven and Gradle are two popular build tools that developers often choose between and both have their unique strengths and weaknesses, and the right choice depends on the project’s requirements.

1. What is Maven?

Maven is a build automation tool primarily used for Java projects. It uses an XML file called pom.xml (Project Object Model) to define the project’s structure, dependencies, and build lifecycle.

1.1 Key Features of Maven:

• Convention over configuration: Maven comes with predefined conventions, reducing the need for explicit configuration.
• Dependency management: Maven has a central repository (Maven Central) where it retrieves libraries and dependencies.
• Build lifecycle: Maven follows a strict lifecycle, which includes phases like compile, test, package, verify, and install.
• Plugin support: Maven has a wide variety of plugins that can be added via the pom.xml file.

Example of Maven:

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    
    <groupId>org.websparrow</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-example</artifactId>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    
    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
            <version>2.6.4</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
    
    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>3.8.1</version>
                <configuration>
                    <source>11</source>
                    <target>11</target>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
    
</project>

In this example, Maven defines a basic project structure, sets up a dependency for Spring Boot, and configures the compiler plugin.

2. What is Gradle?

Gradle is a flexible build tool that uses a Domain Specific Language (DSL) based on Groovy or Kotlin. It aims to be more customizable and efficient than Maven, offering a more modern and streamlined approach to build automation.

2.1 Key Features of Gradle:

• Performance: Gradle is designed for faster builds with incremental and parallel compilation.
• Flexibility: Gradle’s DSL allows for more fine-tuned control over the build process.
• Convention over configuration with flexibility: Like Maven, it comes with defaults, but it’s much easier to override them.
• Dependency management: Gradle can use Maven repositories like Maven Central but with more flexibility in how dependencies are defined.

Example of Gradle:

plugins {
    id 'java'
    id 'org.springframework.boot' version '2.6.4'
}

group = 'org.websparrow'
version = '1.0-SNAPSHOT'

repositories {
    mavenCentral()
}

dependencies {
    implementation 'org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-web'
}

tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
    sourceCompatibility = '11'
    targetCompatibility = '11'
}

In this example, Gradle is defining the same Spring Boot dependency and Java version as Maven, but the configuration is more concise and readable.

3. Maven vs. Gradle: Key Differences

3.1 Performance

Gradle is known for its superior performance compared to Maven. Gradle’s incremental builds allow only the parts of the code that have changed to be recompiled, whereas Maven performs full builds by default. Gradle also supports parallel execution of tasks, significantly reducing build times for large projects.

3.2 Configuration and Flexibility

Maven follows a convention over configuration approach, which is useful for straightforward projects but can become restrictive for more complex builds. Gradle, on the other hand, provides more flexibility. With its Groovy-based DSL (or Kotlin-based if preferred), developers can create custom build logic that’s much harder to achieve with Maven.

3.3 Dependency Management

Both tools rely on Maven Central for dependency management, but Gradle provides a more flexible approach to defining and resolving dependencies. You can manage multiple configurations like implementation, api, testImplementation, etc., giving you more control over the scope and visibility of dependencies.

3.4 Learning Curve

Since Maven uses XML for configuration, it can be easier for beginners to understand, but the verbosity of XML can become cumbersome. Gradle’s use of a Groovy/Kotlin DSL makes it more concise, but the flexibility comes at the cost of a steeper learning curve, especially for those unfamiliar with Groovy.

4. When to use Maven

• Smaller projects that don’t require complex build configurations.
• Teams that prefer convention over flexibility.
• Projects where community support and well-documented tools are a priority.

5. When to use Gradle

• Large, multi-module projects that benefit from faster build times.
• When you need more control over the build process.
• For developers who prefer modern DSL-based configurations over XML.
• Teams that want to leverage incremental and parallel builds.

6. Conclusion

Both Maven and Gradle are powerful build tools with their own strengths. Maven is great for its simplicity and predefined structure, making it a good choice for smaller projects or teams familiar with its conventions. Gradle, on the other hand, excels in performance, flexibility, and modern build configurations, making it suitable for more complex, large-scale projects.

7. References

1. Maven
2. Gradle
3. How to install Maven on Windows