FASTBuild
Mobile development platforms
Build automation software
Application development software
Mobile development software
DevOps software
CI/CD tools
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is FASTBuild
FASTBuild is a distributed build system and build accelerator used to speed up compilation and asset processing, primarily for large C/C++ codebases. Teams use it to parallelize builds across multiple machines and to integrate faster builds into existing developer workflows and CI pipelines. It focuses on build performance and caching rather than providing a full end-to-end CI/CD service with hosted runners, release orchestration, or deployment management.
Distributed compilation at scale
FASTBuild supports distributing compilation tasks across a network of machines to reduce build times for large projects. This is particularly relevant for C/C++ workloads where incremental builds and parallel compilation materially affect developer productivity. It can be used in both local developer environments and centralized build farms.
Build caching and reuse
FASTBuild includes mechanisms to reuse previously built outputs to avoid redundant work. This can reduce CI cycle time when many builds share similar inputs across branches or pull requests. Caching is especially useful for monorepos and large codebases with frequent commits.
CI-friendly command-line integration
FASTBuild is typically invoked via command line and can be integrated into existing automation scripts. This makes it compatible with a wide range of CI systems and build orchestrators without requiring teams to adopt a new hosted platform. It can complement IDE-centric toolchains by accelerating the underlying compilation step.
Narrow scope versus CI suites
FASTBuild accelerates builds but does not replace a full CI/CD toolchain. Capabilities such as pipeline visualization, approvals, artifact governance, environment promotion, and deployment automation generally require additional tools. Organizations looking for an integrated application lifecycle platform will need complementary products.
Best fit for C/C++
FASTBuild is most commonly used for C/C++ compilation and may provide limited value for teams primarily building mobile apps through platform-native toolchains. Mobile CI often depends on signing, packaging, and platform-specific build steps that are outside FASTBuild’s core focus. Teams may still need platform-specific build systems for end-to-end mobile delivery.
Operational overhead for build farms
To realize the benefits of distributed builds, teams must provision and maintain worker machines and manage network access. Performance gains can be sensitive to infrastructure configuration, cache storage, and dependency management. Smaller teams without build infrastructure may find setup and ongoing maintenance burdensome.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source / Community | Free | Distributed under a permissive license on the official FASTBuild site (permission to use for any purpose including commercial, to alter and redistribute). Official downloads (binaries and source) are provided on the vendor site; no paid tiers listed on the vendor site. |
