# Project formats

CLion incorporates a set of smart features, many of which depend on project-level information (included files, compiler flags, and linker options). This information allows CLion to parse/resolve your code correctly and therefore highlight, auto-complete, inspect, and navigate through it in an error-free and convenient way.

CLion does not provide its own project model for your code but supports the following formats:

* [CMake](quick-cmake-tutorial.html)

* [Gradle](gradle-support.html) (only the [new](https://blog.gradle.org/introducing-the-new-cpp-plugins) Gradle C/C++ projects)

* [JSON compilation database](compilation-database.html)

* [Bazel](bazel.html) (provided by the [Bazel for CLion plugin](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/9554-bazel-for-clion))

* [Zephyr West](zephyr.html)

* [Meson](meson.html)

* [GNU Makefiles](makefiles-support.html)

In addition, you can set up [custom build targets](custom-build-targets.html) that call external tools to perform build and clean, and create [custom run/debug configurations](custom-build-targets.html#custom-rundebug) for such targets. As custom targets are independent of any particular build system, they can, for example, provide the functionality of building and running for your compilation database projects.

> **Tip:**
> You can also create, open and edit a non-project file or folder in CLion. In this case, CLion's functionality will be restricted, though still sufficient for reading and initial research of the code.

The table below shows how various project-level, [remote](remote-development.html), and [dynamic analysis](profiling-tools.html) features are supported for each of the project formats (compilation database is referred to as CompDB for brevity). This table doesn't include [remote GDB / gdbserver](remote-debug.html), since it's implementation in CLion works completely independent from any project model.

For [Google Sanitizers](google-sanitizers.html) and [Code Coverage](code-coverage-clion.html), some project formats are marked with a yellow check ![visualized output unavailable](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_yellow.png). It means that even though you can configure these features and get results in CLion, the output will be logged to console in plain text. The visualization of sanitizers and code coverage output is available for CMake projects only.

Also, note that some of the features marked as supported (![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold.png)) may not work out-of-the-box, and you will need to perform additional configuration steps before starting to use them.

|  | CMake | CompDB |    CompDB with     custom targets     and configurations    | Gradle | Makefiles | Meson | Zephyr West | Bazel |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|    Open     project    | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) |
|    New project     wizard    | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) |
| Build | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) |
| Run / Debug | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) |
| [Valgrind Memcheck](memory-profiling-with-valgrind.html) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) |
| [Profiler](cpu-profiler.html) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) |
| [Sanitizers](google-sanitizers.html) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![visualized output unavailable](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_yellow.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![visualized output unavailable](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_yellow.png) | ![visualized output unavailable](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_yellow.png) | ![visualized output unavailable](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_yellow.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) |
| [Code coverage](code-coverage-clion.html) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) |
| [Remote with Gateway](remote.html) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) |
| [Remote with local sources](remote-projects-support.html) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) |
| [WSL](how-to-use-wsl-development-environment-in-product.html) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) |
| [Docker](clion-toolchains-in-docker.html) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/check_retina_bold_2.png) | ![feature is not supported](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/cross_retina.png) |