Project-level vs Module-level build.gradle in Android — What’s the Difference?

If you are learning Android development, one of the first things you will notice is that your project contains two types of Gradle files:

• Project-level build.gradle
• Module-level build.gradle (inside the app folder)

Both files are essential, but they serve different purposes. In this article, you will learn the difference in a simple and practical way, along with real examples.

🔷 What Is Gradle in Android?

Gradle is the build system Android uses to compile your app, manage dependencies, and generate APK/AAB files.
Think of Gradle as the “manager” that organizes how your project is built.

Inside every Android project, Gradle is divided into:

• Project-level configuration (global settings)
• Module-level configuration (app-specific settings)

🔹 1. Project-level build.gradle (Global settings)

Where is it?

YourProject/build.gradle

What does it do?

This file controls global settings that affect your entire project, not just one app module.

Common tasks here:

• Setting Gradle plugin versions
• Configuring repositories (Google, Maven Central)
• Setting Kotlin plugin versions
• Adding project-wide classpaths

Example:

buildscript {
    dependencies {
        classpath "com.android.tools.build:gradle:8.2.0"
        classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:1.9.0"
    }
}

allprojects {
    repositories {
        google()
        mavenCentral()
    }
}

Easy way to remember:

Project-level = decides the tools your project uses.

🔹 2. Module-level build.gradle (App-level settings)

Where is it?

YourProject/app/build.gradle

What does it do?

This file defines everything related to your Android app, such as:

• SDK versions
• Application ID
• Version code & name
• Build types (debug/release)
• App dependencies
• Enabling ViewBinding / Compose

Example:

android {
    namespace "com.example.myapp"
    compileSdk 34

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.example.myapp"
        minSdk 21
        targetSdk 34
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
    }

    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled false
        }
    }
}

dependencies {
    implementation "androidx.core:core-ktx:1.12.0"
    implementation "com.google.android.material:material:1.10.0"
}

Easy way to remember:

Module-level = decides how your app is built.

🔸 Key Differences at a Glance

🔹 Why Android Has Two Gradle Files

Android apps often contain multiple modules, for example:

• app module
• library module
• dynamic feature module
• analytics module
• networking module

Each module may need different dependencies or configurations.

The project-level Gradle ensures all modules follow shared rules.
The module-level Gradle handles individual module settings.

🔷 Summary

• The Project-level build.gradle handles global tools and settings.
• The Module-level build.gradle handles app-specific configurations, like SDK versions, dependencies, and build types.

Understanding these two files helps you customize your build process, upgrade libraries safely, and organize large Android projects efficiently.