Gradle vs sbt: Which JVM/Scala Build Tool for CI?
Gradle is the general-purpose JVM build tool with a remote cache; sbt is Scala-native with incremental compilation tuned for the Scala compiler.
Gradle is a flexible JVM build tool (Groovy/Kotlin DSL) with task-level incremental builds and a local/remote build cache, usable for Java, Kotlin, and Scala. sbt is the Scala-native build tool with strong incremental compilation and an interactive shell.
| Gradle | sbt | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary language | Java/Kotlin/Scala | Scala-first |
| Config | Groovy/Kotlin DSL | Scala DSL (build.sbt) |
| Incremental builds | Task-level | Strong (Zinc compiler) |
| Build cache | Local + remote | Local (incremental) |
| Best for | Mixed JVM, polyglot | Scala projects |
In CI
For Scala-heavy projects, sbt's Zinc-based incremental compilation is finely tuned and the ecosystem expects it. Gradle is the broader choice for mixed JVM/polyglot builds and offers a remote build cache shared across CI jobs, which is a major speedup for large multi-module repos. Pick sbt for Scala-first codebases, Gradle when you want one tool across languages with remote caching.
Cache it
Cache the dependency and build caches keyed on your build files, and for Gradle wire up a remote build cache across CI jobs. Both run on CI runners; faster managed runners shorten the steps that still execute on a cache miss, and Scala compiles are heavy.
The verdict
Scala-first project: sbt for its tuned incremental compilation. Mixed JVM/polyglot builds wanting a remote cache: Gradle. Cache dependencies and builds on either; Scala compiles benefit most from faster runners.