Crates / Compare / document-features vs derive_builder
Rust crates side by side · data Oct 24, 2026
document-features vs derive_builder
Short answerBy steady daily use, document-features is bigger: 703,484 real downloads a day against 633,349 for derive_builder (1.1x). 672 crates depend on document-features and 1,332 on derive_builder. document-features last shipped 12 months ago, derive_builder 2.0 years ago.
document-features
EstablishedEstablished and steady.
672 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
Extract documentation for the feature flags from comments in Cargo.toml
derive_builder
Widely usedWidely used and quiet for years.
1,332 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
Rust macro to automatically implement the builder pattern for arbitrary structs.
document-featuresderive_builder · 100% = that crate's normal quiet day, so a spike to 300% is triple its usual traffic
Every number, side by side
| Same window, same method | document-features | derive_builder |
|---|---|---|
| Real downloads a day | 703,484 | 633,349 |
| Crates that depend on it | 672 | 1,332 |
| Last release | 0.2.12, 12 months ago | 0.20.2, 2.0 years ago |
| Trend vs the field | -5% | -5% |
| Release-window share | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Downloads in the window | 64,110,261 | 55,470,654 |
| All-time downloads | 185,013,634 | 224,662,192 |
| Versions published | 14 | 34 |
| License | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | MIT OR Apache-2.0 |
| MSRV | 1.56 | not set |
| First published | Feb 1, 2022 | Aug 7, 2016 |
Which to pick
- Downloads tell you what is common, not what fits. Each crate's own description above says what it is for; when the jobs differ, pick by the job.
- When both fit, prefer the one more crates depend on (derive_builder, 1,332 dependents): more eyes, more answered questions, and you may already have it in your tree.
- Check the release dates against your own pace: document-features 12 months ago, derive_builder 2.0 years ago.
Also in this space
Method
Real downloads = the median day with no release that day or the day before, from the crates.io API (Jul 27, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026). Raw crates.io counts include CI and bots and run high (why); the method is from our 90-day study.
Up next
Another comparison: Same method, same window. Foundational and steady vs widely used and steady.reqwest vs ureqRead it next →Also worth your time