No. 5of 40 ·Build Automation Software

Shake

Windows · Mac · Linux

Freedom report

Three barsScore 6.6

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Shake is ranked #5 of 40 in build automation software on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. There is a free plan.

Shake plans and pricing

All plans

Shake Free Open source under the BSD license · install with Haskell Stack shakebuild.com · 9 Oct 2026

Compared on build automation software

Free plan: Yes
Build as code: Yes
Build caching: Yes
Supported operating systems: multi-platform

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The record

What it is: Shake is a Haskell library for writing build systems, designed as a replacement for make.
Who it serves: Shake primarily benefits developers who run build systems and developers who write them.
Dynamic dependencies: Build rules can discover additional dependencies after earlier rules run, such as by examining generated files.
Dependency types: Shake supports dependencies on files, file existence, environment variables, directory contents, and user-defined inputs.
Build performance: Shake supports parallel builds and is designed for fast execution when nothing has changed.
Diagnostics: Shake can generate profiling reports with plots, tables, graphs, and information about what built and why.
Completion estimates: Shake can report estimated completion time and percentage complete, and its progress information can be integrated with continuous integration systems such as Team City.
Integrations: Shake can execute Ninja files, allowing integration with CMake and Meson.
Languages: Shake build systems are Haskell programs, though the manual is designed for readers without prior Haskell knowledge.
Notable limitation: Shake does not provide default build rules, so users must express their build rules themselves.
Installation: The site’s getting-started instructions say to install Haskell Stack and then run `stack install shake`.
Support: Users can ask questions through the mailing list or Stack Overflow, and report bugs through GitHub issues.
License: Shake is an open source project under the BSD license.
Purpose: Shake is a Haskell library for writing build systems as an alternative to tools such as make, Ant, and Scons.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Build Automation Software in 2026#5 of 40

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Sources

shakebuild.com/manual· checked 9 Oct 2026
shakebuild.com/why· checked 9 Oct 2026
shakebuild.com· checked 9 Oct 2026
shakebuild.com/faq· checked 9 Oct 2026