MSVC Build Tools Uses and Alternatives | Generated by AI
The MSVC Build Tools are indeed massive! Here’s what they’re actually used for:
Primary Uses
For Rust specifically:
- Building Rust crates that have C/C++ dependencies (very common)
- Compiling native Windows system APIs
- Linking against Windows libraries
- Building projects that use
cccrate or bindgen
General purposes:
- Compiling C/C++ code on Windows
- Building Python packages with native extensions (like numpy, pandas)
- Compiling Node.js native addons
- Building any software that needs a C/C++ compiler on Windows
Why So Large?
The bloat comes from:
- Windows SDK (headers, libraries for every Windows version)
- Multiple compiler toolchains (x86, x64, ARM, ARM64)
- ATL/MFC libraries
- Debugging tools and symbols
- Build system components (MSBuild)
Lighter Alternatives
If you only need Rust:
- Use the GNU toolchain instead - install
rustupwith thex86_64-pc-windows-gnutarget (needs MinGW, ~2-3GB) - WSL2 - Use Linux toolchain entirely
- Minimal MSVC install - During installation, deselect optional components you don’t need
For pure Rust code without C/C++ dependencies, you don’t need MSVC at all. But realistically, many popular crates (like openssl-sys, ring, windowing libraries) need a C compiler, so most Windows Rust developers end up installing it.
It’s annoying, but Microsoft’s toolchain has always been heavy. The GNU alternative works but occasionally has compatibility issues with some crates.