Maven vs Gradle: Which JVM Build Tool for CI?
For JVM projects the build tool dominates CI time - Maven and Gradle take very different paths to it.
Both compile, test, and package JVM projects. Maven uses declarative XML and convention; Gradle uses a programmable Groovy/Kotlin DSL with strong incremental builds and caching.
| Maven | Gradle | |
|---|---|---|
| Config | XML (pom.xml), declarative | Groovy/Kotlin DSL, programmable |
| Incremental builds | Limited | Strong (task-level) |
| Build cache | Local repo only | Local + remote build cache |
| Speed on big builds | Slower | Often faster (caching, daemon) |
| Learning curve | Lower | Higher |
In CI
Gradle’s incremental builds and build cache (local and remote) can dramatically cut rebuild time on large multi-module projects, which is why many big codebases prefer it. Maven is simpler and more predictable, and its convention-over-configuration model is easy to reason about. The Gradle daemon helps locally but is less impactful on ephemeral CI runners.
Cache it in CI
Cache ~/.m2/repository for Maven or ~/.gradle/caches for Gradle, keyed on your build files and lockfiles. For Gradle, a remote build cache shared across CI jobs is the biggest single speedup.
The verdict
Large or polyglot builds where speed matters: Gradle, especially with a remote build cache. Simpler projects or teams that value convention: Maven. Cache dependencies on either to keep CI fast.