compare
CMake vs SCons
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | CMake | SCons |
|---|---|---|
| Language | C | Python |
| Licence | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Stars | 8.1k | 2.4k |
| Latest | v4.4.4 | 4.11.1 |
| Last push | 2026-10-19 | 2026-10-18 |
| Release cadence | about 10 days between releases | about 117 days between releases |
| Active contributors | 32+ commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 12 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
SCons replaces CMake. Alternatives to CMake →
PartialPython build scripts that drive the build directly instead of generating project files.
CMake
- v4.5.0-rc12026-10-15See also the release notes and release milestone.pre-release
- v4.4.42026-10-02See also the release notes and release milestone.
- v4.3.52026-09-04See also the release notes and release milestone.
- v4.2.82026-09-04See also the release notes and release milestone.
- v4.4.32026-08-25See also the release notes and release milestone.
SCons
- 4.11.12026-08-27A new SCons release, 4.11.1, is now available on the SCons download page:
- 4.11.02026-08-11A new SCons release, 4.11.0, is now available on the SCons download page:
- 4.10.12025-11-16SCons 4.10.1 Released with MSVS 2026 Support
- 4.10.02025-10-02SCons 4.10.0 Released
- 4.9.12025-03-27SCons 4.9.1 Released
CMake
✓ signed The latest release, v4.4.4, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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SCons
unsigned The latest release, 4.11.1, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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