Dagger

Open-source engine for writing CI pipelines as code that run the same locally and in any CI.

Open sourceSelf-hostableCI/CD and code hosting platforms

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Dagger

Dagger lets you write build, test and deploy pipelines in a real programming language instead of CI-specific YAML. Using SDKs for Go, Python, TypeScript and other languages, you define functions that run in containers on the Dagger Engine, with every operation cached so repeated runs are fast. Because the engine runs anywhere containers do, the same pipeline runs on a laptop, in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins or any other CI, which reduces the push-and-wait debugging loop and the lock-in that comes with each CI's syntax. Modules can be shared and reused through the Daggerverse. It was founded by the creators of Docker. The trade-off is another abstraction layer to learn, and teams still need a CI service or Dagger Cloud to trigger and host runs. The engine is free and open source under Apache 2.0; Dagger Cloud adds managed engines, distributed caching and observability, billed by usage with a monthly minimum.

Best for: Developers tired of YAML who want portable, testable pipelines in code.

What works

Same pipeline runs locally and in any CI
Real programming languages instead of YAML
Aggressive caching speeds up runs

Why people leave

Another abstraction layer to learn
Still needs a CI service or Dagger Cloud to trigger runs
Requires a container runtime

Top Dagger alternatives

See all 5

1
GitHub Actions
Hosted CI with a marketplace, if YAML is acceptable.
66.5
2
Tekton
Kubernetes-native pipeline building blocks.
62.6
3
Buildkite
Dynamic pipelines generated by code on your own agents.
59.6
4
Depot
Faster builds and runners without changing your pipeline tool.
57.2
5
GitLab
Integrated CI/CD with a mature pipeline model.
55.3

Why people left Dagger

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Dagger: common questions

Is Dagger free?

Yes. Dagger is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Dagger open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at dagger/dagger. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Dagger run on?

Dagger is available for Self-hosted, Linux, macOS and Windows.

What are the best alternatives to Dagger?

The highest-ranked Dagger alternatives right now are GitHub Actions, Tekton and Buildkite. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Dagger alternatives

Dagger facts

3 of 3 verified

License: Apache-2.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: Apache-2.0 (Apache License 2.0).”
Engine cost: Free, open source; Checked Oct 25, 2026dagger.io(opens source in a new tab); “Cost The Dagger Engine is open source. It runs on your local machine or your own server, at no cost.”
Dagger Cloud minimum: $20/month individuals, $200 teams; Checked Oct 25, 2026dagger.io(opens source in a new tab); “Invoiced monthly with a minimum spend of $20 for individuals, $200 for teams.”