Tekton

Kubernetes-native open-source framework for building CI/CD pipelines from custom resources.

Open sourceSelf-hostableCI/CD and code hosting platforms

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Tekton

Tekton is an open-source framework for building CI/CD systems on Kubernetes rather than a ready-made CI product. It installs as an extension to a cluster and defines Tasks, Pipelines and their runs as Kubernetes custom resources, so each step runs in a container in a pod and is managed with kubectl or the Tekton CLI like any other resource. Triggers start pipelines from webhooks, Chains adds supply chain security with signed provenance, a Dashboard provides a web view, and the Tekton Catalog and Hub share reusable tasks. Its building-block design is why it underpins several commercial and open-source platforms, such as OpenShift Pipelines. For a team that simply wants CI, Tekton can feel low-level and verbose, and there is no hosted service from the project itself. It is free under the Apache 2.0 licence and is an incubating project at the CNCF. It runs on any Kubernetes cluster.

Best for: Platform teams building their own CI/CD system on Kubernetes.

What works

Kubernetes-native resources and tooling
Reusable tasks from a shared catalog
Supply chain security with Tekton Chains

Why people leave

Low-level and verbose for everyday CI
Requires running Kubernetes
No hosted offering from the project

Top Tekton alternatives

See all 5

1
Argo CD
Pairs with or replaces the CD side using GitOps.
66.5
2
Jenkins
Ready-made CI server with a large plugin ecosystem.
62.6
3
Concourse
Container-based CI with a complete UI out of the box.
59.6
4
GitHub Actions
Hosted CI with far less setup.
57.2
5
Dagger
Write pipelines as code that run the same locally and in any CI.
55.3

Why people left Tekton

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Tekton: common questions

Is Tekton free?

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

Is Tekton open source?

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

What platforms does Tekton run on?

Tekton is available for Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to Tekton?

The highest-ranked Tekton alternatives right now are Argo CD, Jenkins and Concourse. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Tekton alternatives

Tekton facts

4 of 4 verified

License: Apache-2.0; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: Apache-2.0 (Apache License 2.0).”
CNCF status: Incubating; Checked Oct 25, 2026tekton.dev(opens source in a new tab); “Tekton is an incubating project at the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) .”
Kubernetes-native: Custom Resources; Checked Oct 25, 2026tekton.dev(opens source in a new tab); “Tekton installs and runs as an extension on a Kubernetes cluster and comprises a set of Kubernetes Custom Resources that define the building blocks you can create and reuse for your pipelines.”
Open source: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026tekton.dev(opens source in a new tab); “Tekton is a powerful and flexible open-source framework for creating CI/CD systems”