ccache
Ranked 2 of 3 compiler caches by recommenders
Caches compiler output so repeat builds finish much faster, and people use it by default alongside build tools like meson.
Caches compiler output so repeat builds finish much faster, and people use it by default alongside build tools like meson.
8 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 7
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 88%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 7 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Cuts rebuild times significantly
“the 20mins are down from 50mins without ccache”
Comment from 25 Nov 2025 in “Ask HN: Is starting a new project in C++ just a mistake in 2025?” “Every build is warm, as they share ccache and page cache.”
Comment from 24 Aug 2026 in “Parallel development without the headaches using Git worktree” Default choice with meson
“I don't even want to imagine doing it without ccache and meson”
Comment from 7 Mar 2026 in “macOS code injection for fun and no profit (2024)” “I always use it coupled with ccache.”
Comment from 30 Mar 2026 in “ninja: a small build system with a focus on speed” “agreed with ajb on "just use ccache" in practice”
Comment from 2 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: Git bayesect – Bayesian Git bisection for non-deterministic bugs” Easy to add to builds
“We'd have ccache built in to make”
Comment from 19 Nov 2025 in “Reproducible C++ builds by logging Git hashes” “Ccache would work for sure”
Comment from 10 Mar 2026 in “RISC-V Is Sloooow”
Other compiler caches people recommend
The two most recommended other compiler caches, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
See all 3 compiler caches, rankedWhat people said
8 of the 9 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“ccache for portage is broken since at least 2010”
“Every build is warm, as they share ccache and page cache.”
“agreed with ajb on "just use ccache" in practice”
“I always use it coupled with ccache.”
“Ccache would work for sure”
“I don't even want to imagine doing it without ccache and meson”
“the 20mins are down from 50mins without ccache”
“We'd have ccache built in to make”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.