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CircleCI alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave CircleCI: credit-based pricing takes effort to predict, and separate tool from your code host. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces CircleCI, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. GitHub Actions currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Jenkins logoJenkinsOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, Windows +13 of 355.3
  1. Jenkins logo

    1. JenkinsTop pick

    Best for: Teams that need fully self-hosted, highly customisable CI and can maintain it

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, Windows, macOS

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from CircleCI

    Free and self-hosted if you prefer to run CI yourself.

    Pros

    • Free and runs anywhere, including air-gapped networks
    • Huge plugin ecosystem
    • Pipelines as code in a Jenkinsfile

    Cons

    • Maintenance and plugin upgrades are a constant chore
    • Dated user interface
    • Groovy pipelines can become hard to manage
    Visit Jenkins Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Jenkins a good CircleCI alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plugins
    Hundreds
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jenkins.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, Linux, macOS
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jenkins.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best CircleCI alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

GitHub Actions logo

Best CircleCI alternative for most people

GitHub Actions

Built into GitHub, so no separate service to manage.

Jenkins logo

Best CircleCI alternative for a free option

Jenkins

Free and self-hosted if you prefer to run CI yourself.

Buildkite logo

Best CircleCI alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Buildkite

Run builds on your own infrastructure with a hosted control plane.

GitLab logo

Best CircleCI alternative for open source

GitLab

CI/CD integrated with code hosting and security scanning.

Semaphore logo

Best CircleCI alternative for self-hosting

Semaphore

Fast hosted CI with per-minute pricing and an open-source edition.

Jenkins logo

Best CircleCI alternative for Mac

Jenkins

Free and self-hosted if you prefer to run CI yourself.

Jenkins logo

Best CircleCI alternative for Windows

Jenkins

Free and self-hosted if you prefer to run CI yourself.

Jenkins logo

Best CircleCI alternative for Linux

Jenkins

Free and self-hosted if you prefer to run CI yourself.

Travis CI logo

Best CircleCI alternative for working in the browser

Travis CI

Simple YAML-based hosted CI with broad OS support.

CircleCI alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to CircleCI?

GitHub Actions ranks first right now. Built into GitHub, so no separate service to manage. Buildkite and GitLab follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to CircleCI?

Yes. GitHub Actions (free plan + paid), Buildkite (free plan + paid), GitLab (free plan + paid) and Jenkins (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to CircleCI?

Yes: GitLab, Semaphore and Jenkins. GitLab, Semaphore and Jenkins can also be self-hosted.

Which CircleCI alternatives work on Linux?

Jenkins runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from CircleCI?

The complaints we hear most: credit-based pricing takes effort to predict; separate tool from your code host; config can get complex with orbs and anchors.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces CircleCI, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.