Build Cache Strategy: Bazel, Nx, Turborepo Compared

Build caches turn monorepo CI from minutes to seconds. The tool you pick determines your ceiling.

Why build cache matters

Without build cache: every CI run rebuilds everything. With one: only changed code rebuilds.

At meaningful scale, the difference is 30 minutes vs 30 seconds.

Bazel: hermetic and rigorous

• Bazel: hermetic builds; remote cache; remote execution; works for any language.
• High setup cost; high payoff at scale; steep learning curve.

Nx: pragmatic JS/TS focus

Nx: JavaScript/TypeScript-first; affected-graph computation; cloud cache via Nx Cloud.

Most ergonomic for web teams; less ambitious than Bazel.

Turborepo: lightweight default

Turborepo: lightweight; quick to set up; shared cache via Vercel.

Best for small-to-mid teams; less powerful than Bazel/Nx at scale.

Antipatterns

• Bazel for a 5-package repo. Overkill.
• No remote cache. CI rebuilds everything per run.
• Mixing tools across the same repo. Configuration nightmare.

What to do this week

Three moves. (1) Apply this to one pipeline first. (2) Measure deploy frequency / MTTR before/after. (3) Document the outcome so the next team starts from data.