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Cake

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Cake's own site

What Cake is

Cake is a free, open-source build automation system for compiling code and coordinating other development tasks. Its C# domain-specific language can copy files and folders, run tests, compress files, and create NuGet packages. Builds can be expressed as Cake scripts, Cake.Sdk projects, single-file applications, or Cake Frosting console applications. Cake runs on modern .NET across Windows, Linux, and macOS, and the Cake .NET Tool NuGet package requires .NET 8 or newer. Built-in support covers MSBuild, the .NET CLI, MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, NuGet, ILMerge, WiX, and SignTool. Listed editor integrations include Atom, JetBrains Rider, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio, with IntelliSense available in some. Documented CI connections include Azure Pipelines, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, TeamCity, Bitbucket Pipelines, and RWX. Cake.Sdk supports native .NET CLI publishing of self-contained executables and containers. It uses self-hosted runners, has extension addins and modules, and is free for commercial use.

Who it suits

Cake suits developers and teams automating .NET builds across Windows, Linux, or macOS. It is also suited to projects using the listed editors, CI systems, and build tools.

What it does well

  • Free and open source, including commercial use
  • Runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS
  • Supports multiple C# build formats
  • Built-in support for major .NET tools
  • Integrates with several CI systems

What to know first

  • Cake .NET Tool requires .NET 8 or newer
  • Runners are self-hosted
  • Extension support comes from each extension author

Limits

The .NET Tool NuGet package requires .NET 8 or newer. Cake supports the current major release with bug fixes to its latest version; support for that major release ends when the next major version is published.

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
CakeFree and open source, including for commercial useFree

As cakebuild.net lists them, read 29 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

  1. Open the Cake website
  2. Install the .NET Tool package on .NET 8 or newer
  3. Choose Cake scripts, Cake.Sdk, a single-file app, or Cake Frosting
  4. Run builds on a Windows, Linux, or macOS self-hosted runner
  5. Connect the build to a listed CI system if needed

Verdict

Cake provides a flexible C# approach to automating compilation, testing, packaging, and file operations. Its broad tool, editor, and CI integrations make it suitable for teams standardizing builds across operating systems.

Questions

Is Cake free?

Yes. Cake is free and open source, including for commercial use.

Which operating systems does Cake support?

Cake runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS through modern .NET.

What can Cake automate?

It can compile code, copy files and folders, run tests, compress files, and build NuGet packages.

Which CI systems integrate with Cake?

Documented integrations include Azure Pipelines, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, TeamCity, Bitbucket Pipelines, and RWX.

Does Cake include editor integrations?

Listed integrations cover Atom, JetBrains Rider, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio; some provide IntelliSense.

Facts from Cake's own pages

Built-in tools
Cake supports MSBuild, .NET CLI, MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, NuGet, ILMerge, WiX, and SignTool out of the box. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
CI integrations
Documented build system integrations include Azure Pipelines, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, TeamCity, Bitbucket Pipelines, and RWX. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
Community support
The community page points users to discussion and getting-help resources and reports several hundred contributors. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
Editor integrations
The site lists integrations for Atom, JetBrains Rider, Visual Studio Code, and Visual Studio, including features such as IntelliSense for some editors. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
Extensions
The extensions directory lists addins and modules that extend Cake, and says extension issues should be directed to each extension's author. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
Founded
2014 · cakebuild.net, 28 Sept 2026
Operating systems
Cake runs on modern .NET and is available on Windows, Linux, and macOS. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
Runtime requirement
The Cake .NET Tool NuGet package requires .NET 8 or newer. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
SDK capabilities
Cake.Sdk supports native .NET CLI publishing of self-contained executables and containers. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
Security-related feature
Cake 6.3.0 introduced GitHub Actions OIDC trusted publishing that exchanges an OIDC token for a short-lived NuGet.org API key, avoiding a long-lived publishing secret. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
Support lifecycle
Cake supports the current major release with bug fixes to its latest version, and ends support for a major release when the next major version is published. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
Ways to write builds
Build scripts can be written as Cake scripts, Cake.Sdk projects or single-file apps, or Cake Frosting console applications. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026
What it does
Cake is a cross-platform build automation system with a C# DSL for compiling code, copying files and folders, running tests, compressing files, and building NuGet packages. · cakebuild.net, 29 Sept 2026

Where Cake stands on Freedom251

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