Crates / derive_builder / Alternatives
Rust crate alternatives · data Oct 24, 2026
Alternatives to derive_builder
Short answerThe closest alternatives to derive_builder on crates.io data are educe (381K real downloads a day), derivative (321K real downloads a day), thiserror (5M real downloads a day). Of the 8 we list, the most used is thiserror, and 6 shipped a release in the last year. derive_builder itself gets 633,349 a day with 1,332 dependents.
Every alternative we found
| Alternative | Real downloads a day | vs derive_builder | Dependents | Last release | Why it is listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| educe Established | 380,869 | 0.60x | 191 | 41d | category Rust patterns, keyword "derive", keyword "macro" | compare |
| derivative Established | 320,737 | 0.51x | 616 | 5.7y | category Rust patterns, keyword "derive", keyword "macro" | side by side |
| thiserror Foundational | 5,048,791 | 7.97x | 75,923 | 31d | category Rust patterns, keyword "derive" | compare |
| zerovec-derive Pulled in | 2,561,390 | 4.04x | 6 | 2d | category Rust patterns, keyword "derive" | compare |
| lazy_static Foundational | 2,449,997 | 3.87x | 10,953 | 23d | category Rust patterns, keyword "macro" | compare |
| quick-error Established | 1,130,044 | 1.78x | 293 | 5.5y | category Rust patterns, keyword "macro" | compare |
| num_enum Widely used | 760,679 | 1.20x | 1,159 | 7mo | category Rust patterns, keyword "derive" | compare |
| document-features Established | 703,484 | 1.11x | 672 | 12mo | category Development tools, keyword "macro" | side by side |
How to choose
- Same job, not the same API. Each line is listed because it shares a crates.io category or keyword with derive_builder; read its description before you swap.
- More dependents means more answered questions and a smaller chance it disappears.
- Check the last release against how fast you need fixes. For derive_builder: is it still maintained?
Rules
Alternatives = tracked crates (top 1000 by downloads) that share a specific crates.io category (2 points each) or keyword (3 points each) with derive_builder, most similar first; its own parts (same name prefix) and crates it depends on or that depend on it are left out, because those are companions, not substitutes. Real downloads = quiet-day median, crates.io data Oct 24, 2026. Built when we find 3 or more.
Up next
The closest alternative: Established and losing ground. 380,869 real downloads a day.educeRust crate. This crate offers procedural macros designed to facilitate the swift implementation of Rust's built-in traits. Real use: 381K downloads a day on quiet days...Read it next →Also worth your time