ninja-build/ninja
a small build system with a focus on speed
Star History
Momentum
+332
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
11
PER DAY
#33
MOST-STARRED C++
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +77 | +332 | +990 |
| Per day | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Forks gained | +9 | +37 | +92 |
ninja gained 332 stars in the last 30 days, about 11 a day, and now has 13.3K. It is about 16 years old and has averaged roughly 829 stars a year. It ranks #33 among C++ repositories and #578 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
4
DAYS ON TRENDING
#787
BEST RANK
Sep 25, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
ninja has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #787. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
ninja is an open-source project written in C++: a small build system with a focus on speed.
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in C++. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in C++ for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ git clone https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja.git
cd ninja⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
C++20 compliant compiler (GCC 11+, Clang 13+, MSVC)
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
ninja coordinates its core functionality through a modular C++ pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed ninja into C++ backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open Apache-2.0 license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install ninja using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja.git`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for ninja.
Import ninja into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `ninja --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with C++, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
ninja-build/ninja is currently ranked #578 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #573 | facebook/astryx | TypeScript | ★ 13.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #574 | jonas/tig | C | ★ 13.4K | Compare ↗ |
| #575 | huggingface/speech-to-speech | Python | ★ 13.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #576 | mealie-recipes/mealie | Python | ★ 13.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #577 | plantuml/plantuml | Java | ★ 13.3K | Compare ↗ |
| #578 | ninja-build/ninja This Project | C++ | ★ 13.3K | |
| #579 | oblien/openship | TypeScript | ★ 13.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #580 | rommapp/romm | Python | ★ 13.2K | Compare ↗ |
| #581 | mozilla-mobile/firefox-ios | Swift | ★ 13K | Compare ↗ |
| #582 | DustinBrett/daedalOS | JavaScript | ★ 13K | Compare ↗ |
| #583 | capistrano/capistrano | Ruby | ★ 13K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ninja do? +
a small build system with a focus on speed
What language is ninja written in? +
The primary language is C++. Topics include: software.
Is ninja actively maintained? +
Yes, the last recorded push was on Sep 24, 2026 with 410 open issues being tracked.
How many stars does ninja have? +
ninja has 13,267 stars and 1,831 forks on GitHub.
How does ninja rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 13,267 stars, ninja-build/ninja is ranked #578 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #33 among C++ projects.
What license is ninja distributed under? +
The repository reports a Apache-2.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
