Maven vs. Gradle in 2025: Comprehensive Comparison and Migration Guide

Table of Contents

For over a decade, the Java ecosystem has been split into two primary camps regarding build automation: Apache Maven and Gradle. As we navigate 2025, the landscape has evolved. Maven has become even more stable and predictable, while Gradle has matured significantly with its Kotlin DSL, offering type safety and superior performance for large mono-repos.

Choosing the right build tool—or knowing when and how to migrate—is a critical architectural decision that impacts developer productivity, CI/CD pipeline speeds, and project maintainability.

In this article, we will dissect the differences between the two, analyze performance benchmarks, and provide a hands-on guide to migrating a legacy Maven project to a modern Gradle setup using Kotlin DSL.

1. The Landscape in 2025
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Before diving into code, we must understand why this choice still matters. In modern cloud-native development:

Microservices: Maven’s rigid structure often suits small, decoupled microservices well.
Monorepos: Gradle’s incremental build features and build cache make it the de-facto standard for large repositories containing dozens of modules.
CI/CD Costs: Faster builds mean lower cloud infrastructure costs. Gradle often wins here, but Maven is catching up with the Maven Daemon (mvnd).

Prerequisites
#

To follow the examples in this guide, ensure you have:

Java Development Kit (JDK) 21 (LTS) or higher.
IntelliJ IDEA (Community or Ultimate) - heavily recommended for Kotlin DSL support.
Maven 3.9+ and Gradle 8.5+.

2. Head-to-Head Comparison
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The core difference lies in philosophy. Maven favors Convention over Configuration, whereas Gradle favors Flexibility and Scriptability.

Feature Comparison Matrix
#

Below is a breakdown of how the two tools compare across critical dimensions for enterprise development.

Feature	Apache Maven	Gradle (Kotlin DSL)
Configuration Language	XML (`pom.xml`)	Kotlin (`build.gradle.kts`) or Groovy
Build Philosophy	Linear, Phase-based	Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) of Tasks
Performance	Slower cold starts (improved with `mvnd`)	Superior (Daemon + Build Cache)
Flexibility	Low (requires writing plugins for custom logic)	High (scriptable logic inside build file)
Dependency Management	Strict, Transitive	Flexible, robust conflict resolution
Learning Curve	Low (Declarative)	High (Imperative + API knowledge required)
IDE Support	Excellent everywhere	Excellent in IntelliJ; Good in Eclipse/VS Code

Visualizing the Build Lifecycle
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One of the most confusing aspects for developers switching tools is the lifecycle. Maven is linear; Gradle is graph-based.

flowchart TD subgraph Maven_Lifecycle M_Clean[clean] --> M_Validate[validate] M_Validate --> M_Compile[compile] M_Compile --> M_Test[test] M_Test --> M_Package[package] M_Package --> M_Install[install] end subgraph Gradle_Lifecycle G_Init[Initialization Phase] --> G_Config[Configuration Phase] G_Config --> G_Exec[Execution Phase] G_Exec -.-> G_Task1[Task: compileJava] G_Exec -.-> G_Task2[Task: test] G_Exec -.-> G_Task3[Task: bootJar] end style Maven_Lifecycle fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px style Gradle_Lifecycle fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

In Gradle, the Configuration Phase determines which tasks need to run based on the task graph, allowing it to skip unnecessary work (Incremental Builds).

3. The Maven Standard: A Refresh
#

Maven remains the most popular build tool due to its predictability. If you see a pom.xml, you know exactly how to build the project.

Here is a standard, modern Maven configuration for a Spring Boot 3 application.

The `pom.xml`
#

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" 
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <groupId>com.javadevpro</groupId>
    <artifactId>demo-service</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>

    <properties>
        <java.version>21</java.version>
        <spring.boot.version>3.2.0</spring.boot.version>
        <maven.compiler.source>${java.version}</maven.compiler.source>
        <maven.compiler.target>${java.version}</maven.compiler.target>
    </properties>

    <dependencies>
        <!-- Core Spring Boot Starter -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
            <version>${spring.boot.version}</version>
        </dependency>
        
        <!-- Lombok for boilerplate reduction -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.projectlombok</groupId>
            <artifactId>lombok</artifactId>
            <version>1.18.30</version>
            <scope>provided</scope>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Testing -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
            <version>${spring.boot.version}</version>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>${spring.boot.version}</version>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>

Pros:

Declarative: You state what you want, not how to do it.
Tooling: Every Java tool understands this format perfectly.

Cons:

Verbosity: XML is heavy.
Rigidity: Trying to do something outside the standard lifecycle (e.g., generating frontend assets before compilation) requires complex plugin configurations.

4. The Gradle Powerhouse (Kotlin DSL)
#

In 2025, we strongly discourage using the Groovy DSL for Gradle. The Kotlin DSL (.kts) provides compile-time checks, superior IDE auto-completion, and a better developer experience.

Here is the equivalent configuration for the project above, using Gradle and the Kotlin DSL.

The `build.gradle.kts`
#

plugins {
    java
    id("org.springframework.boot") version "3.2.0"
    id("io.spring.dependency-management") version "1.1.4"
}

group = "com.javadevpro"
version = "1.0.0-SNAPSHOT"

java {
    sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_21
}

repositories {
    mavenCentral()
}

dependencies {
    // Core Spring Boot
    implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-web")
    
    // Lombok (Annotation Processor required in Gradle)
    compileOnly("org.projectlombok:lombok:1.18.30")
    annotationProcessor("org.projectlombok:lombok:1.18.30")

    // Testing
    testImplementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-test")
}

tasks.withType<Test> {
    useJUnitPlatform()
}

Key Differences to Note:

Scope Mapping: Maven’s <scope>provided</scope> becomes compileOnly. Maven’s <scope>test</scope> becomes testImplementation.
Annotation Processing: Gradle handles annotation processors (like Lombok or MapStruct) separately via the annotationProcessor configuration, which is cleaner and prevents processor leakage into the classpath.
Conciseness: The file is significantly smaller and more readable.

5. Step-by-Step Migration Strategy
#

Migrating a production application is risky. Don’t do a “Big Bang” migration. Follow this strategy to ensure safety and correctness.

Step 1: Initialize Gradle
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Navigate to your Maven project root. Gradle has a built-in converter, though it is often imperfect, it provides a starting point.

# In the root of your Maven project
gradle init

Select yes when asked if you want to generate a build script based on the existing Maven build.
Select Kotlin as the build script DSL.
Select yes to generate new APIs/behavior.

Step 2: Fix Dependency Scopes
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The automatic converter might default to implementation or api. Review your dependencies manually.

Common Mapping Table:

Maven Scope	Gradle Configuration	Note
`compile` (default)	`implementation`	Hides dependencies from consumers (faster build)
`compile` (default)	`api`	Exposes dependencies (use in libraries)
`provided`	`compileOnly`	Available at compile time, not runtime
`runtime`	`runtimeOnly`	Available only at runtime
`test`	`testImplementation`	Standard test scope

Step 3: Configure Plugins & Tasks
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This is usually where the automatic conversion fails. You need to rewrite custom plugin configurations into Kotlin logic.

Example: Copying a custom file before build

Maven (Exec Plugin): Extremely verbose XML configuration.

Gradle (Kotlin DSL):

tasks.register<Copy>("copyConfig") {
    from("src/config")
    into("build/config")
}

tasks.named("processResources") {
    dependsOn("copyConfig")
}

Step 4: Verify Artifacts
#

Ensure the produced JAR/WAR files are identical in content to the Maven output.

Run mvn clean package. Save the resulting JAR.
Run ./gradlew clean build. Save the resulting JAR.
Unzip both and compare the lib folder and class files.

Step 5: Implement Version Catalogs (2025 Best Practice)
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Modern Gradle discourages hardcoding versions in build.gradle.kts. Use a libs.versions.toml file.

gradle/libs.versions.toml:

[versions]
springBoot = "3.2.0"
lombok = "1.18.30"

[libraries]
spring-boot-web = { module = "org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-web", version.ref = "springBoot" }
lombok = { module = "org.projectlombok:lombok", version.ref = "lombok" }

[plugins]
springBoot = { id = "org.springframework.boot", version.ref = "springBoot" }

Updated build.gradle.kts:

dependencies {
    implementation(libs.spring.boot.web)
    compileOnly(libs.lombok)
    annotationProcessor(libs.lombok)
}

This centralizes dependency management, similar to Maven’s <dependencyManagement>, but typesafe and accessible across multi-module builds.

6. Performance & Optimization
#

Why switch? Performance is the primary driver.

Incremental Builds
#

Gradle checks input and output hashes. If you change one class in a module, Gradle only recompiles that class and re-executes tests affected by that class. Maven (by default) recompiles the whole module.

To verify this, run a build twice:

./gradlew build
# Output: BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 2s
./gradlew build
# Output: BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 500ms (UP-TO-DATE)

The Gradle Daemon
#

The Gradle Daemon is a long-lived background process that keeps the JVM warm and libraries loaded in memory. This drastically reduces startup time compared to Maven, which spins up a new JVM for every command (unless using mvnd).

Best Practice: The Wrapper
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Never rely on the locally installed version of the build tool. Both tools offer wrappers, but Gradle’s is more ubiquitous.

Gradle: Commit gradlew, gradlew.bat, and gradle/wrapper/* to Git. This ensures every developer and the CI server uses the exact same Gradle version.
Maven: Use the Maven Wrapper (mvnw). Run mvn wrapper:wrapper to generate it.

7. Conclusion
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In 2025, the choice between Maven and Gradle is no longer about “good vs. bad,” but about Standardization vs. Performance.

Stick with Maven if: You have a small-to-medium project, your team knows Maven well, you value simplicity over raw speed, and you don’t require complex build logic.
Migrate to Gradle if: You have a multi-module monorepo, your build times are slowing down development, you need advanced caching, or you prefer the type-safety of Kotlin for build scripts.

Recommendation: For new enterprise Java projects in 2025, Gradle with Kotlin DSL is the superior choice due to its developer experience (DX) and build speed capabilities. However, for legacy maintenance, Maven remains a rock-solid, low-maintenance option.

1. The Landscape in 2025 #

Prerequisites #

2. Head-to-Head Comparison #

Feature Comparison Matrix #

Visualizing the Build Lifecycle #

3. The Maven Standard: A Refresh #

The pom.xml #

4. The Gradle Powerhouse (Kotlin DSL) #

The build.gradle.kts #

5. Step-by-Step Migration Strategy #

Step 1: Initialize Gradle #

Step 2: Fix Dependency Scopes #

Step 3: Configure Plugins & Tasks #

Step 4: Verify Artifacts #

Step 5: Implement Version Catalogs (2025 Best Practice) #

6. Performance & Optimization #

Incremental Builds #

The Gradle Daemon #

Best Practice: The Wrapper #

7. Conclusion #

Further Reading #

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