Buildbarn

Linux · Self-hosted · API

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Freedom report

One barScore 5.4

Free tierNo free tier on record
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely1 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Buildbarn is ranked #11 of 23 in build cache software on Freedom251. It runs on API, Linux, Self-hosted.

Compared on build cache software

Cache scope: both
Self-hosted option: Yes
Supported build systems: Bazel, Buck2, BuildStream, recc, Pants, Goma
CI platform support: GitHub Actions
Remote execution: Yes
Open source: Yes

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The record

Purpose: Buildbarn Remote Execution provides tools to create a build farm for remotely executing build actions.
Build services: The repository provides bb_scheduler to queue build actions, bb_worker to coordinate their execution and file transfers, and bb_runner to execute commands.
Build clients: The project README names Bazel, BuildStream, and recc as tools that can call into a Buildbarn build farm.
Security design: Separating bb_worker and bb_runner enables privilege separation intended to prevent build actions from overwriting input files.
Extensibility: bb_worker communicates with bb_runner over a gRPC-based protocol, allowing custom runner implementations such as one using QEMU user-mode emulation.
Deployment: The project provides container images for its components and links to example deployments.
Deployment scale: Buildbarn deployments can range from single-node remote caching setups to large-scale remote execution setups.
Operational requirement: The bb_runner_bare image contains no userland or Linux installation, and build actions may require a userland environment.
Support: The Buildbarn storage repository points users to a Slack channel and says commercial support and hosting can be procured through partners.
License: The bb-remote-execution repository identifies its license as Apache-2.0.
Remote execution tools: The remote execution repository provides a scheduler, worker, and runner for queuing and executing build actions.
Execution architecture: The worker communicates with the runner over a gRPC-based protocol, allowing a custom runner such as one using QEMU user-mode emulation.
Privilege separation: Separating worker and runner processes supports privilege separation to help prevent build actions from overwriting cached input files.
Storage dependency: Remote execution tools work in combination with Buildbarn’s storage daemon.

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Build Cache Software in 2026#11 of 23

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Sources

github.com/buildbarn/bb-remote-execution· checked 4 Oct 2026
github.com/buildbarn/bb-deployments· checked 4 Oct 2026
github.com/buildbarn/bb-storage· checked 4 Oct 2026
github.com/buildbarn· checked 5 Oct 2026