GitLab CI/CD vs Jenkins

GitLab CI/CD9.3Visit Jenkins8.8Visit

Higher score GitLab CI/CD #2 in Continuous Integration Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit GitLab CI/CD

vs

Jenkins #6 in Continuous Integration Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Jenkins

• GitLab CI/CD fits best

  Integrated DevOps teams

• Jenkins fits best

  Customizable self-hosted CI

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Side by side

Feature	GitLab CI/CD 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Jenkins 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	8.8
Ranking	#2 in Continuous Integration Software	#6 in Continuous Integration Software
Best for	Integrated DevOps teams	Customizable self-hosted CI
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	$29/user/mo	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7	Docs
Integrations	41+ integrations	7 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features GitLab CI/CD 4/4 · Jenkins 3/4
Hosted option	✓ (best)	—
Self-hosted runners	✓	✓
Pull request checks	✓	✓
Artifact or dependency cache	✓	✓
Specs
Parallel jobs	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Included build minutes	10000 min/mo	Not checked yet
Pipeline configuration	Yaml	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	DAG, parent-child, matrix, and merge-request pipelines Hosted and self-managed runners across Linux, Windows, and macOS Caching, artifacts, parallel jobs, and cross-project pipelines	Distributed builds across controllers and agents Jenkinsfiles support pipeline-as-code workflows Plugin model connects development and delivery tools
Cons	The Free plan includes 400 compute minutes per month Ultimate uses custom pricing Premium pricing is listed for annual billing	No hosted CI execution option Plugin configuration can add operational complexity Pull-request workflows depend on supported plugins
Our verdict	GitLab CI/CD is a continuous integration and delivery system integrated with GitLab. Teams define pipelines in YAML files and automate builds, tests, security checks, and deployments. It supports triggers for pushes, merge requests,… Read the review →	Jenkins is an open-source automation server for building, testing, delivering, and deploying software. It suits development and operations teams that want to install and operate their own continuous integration and continuous delivery… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• GitLab CI/CD — where it wins

  • DAG, parent-child, matrix, and merge-request pipelines
  • Hosted and self-managed runners across Linux, Windows, and macOS
  • Caching, artifacts, parallel jobs, and cross-project pipelines

  Where it doesn't

  • The Free plan includes 400 compute minutes per month
  • Ultimate uses custom pricing
  • Premium pricing is listed for annual billing

• Jenkins — where it wins

  • Distributed builds across controllers and agents
  • Jenkinsfiles support pipeline-as-code workflows
  • Plugin model connects development and delivery tools

  Where it doesn't

  • No hosted CI execution option
  • Plugin configuration can add operational complexity
  • Pull-request workflows depend on supported plugins

• GitLab CI/CD9.3/10 · Free plan

  A flexible GitLab-integrated CI/CD system with strong pipeline orchestration.

  Visit GitLab CI/CDFull verdict →
• Jenkins8.8/10 · Free plan

  A flexible self-hosted CI server for teams that want pipeline control and extensibility.

  Visit JenkinsFull verdict →