Compare tools
Pick 2–5 published tools. Values come from our evidence-checked profiles — an em-dash means unknown, never “no”. Ranking rows reflect the current published methodology for the comparison context.
GitHub Actions vs Jenkins
Context: CI/CD Tools · 18 rows
| Attribute | GitHub ActionsGitHub | JenkinsJenkins Project |
|---|---|---|
| Identity · Taxonomy | ||
| Documentation | https://docs.github.com/en/actions | https://www.jenkins.io/doc/ |
| Tags | ci, cd, github, workflows, automation | ci, open-source, java, plugins, self-hosted |
| Platform · Deployment | ||
| Delivery model | SaaS, self-hosted | self-hosted |
| Pricing · Licensing | ||
| Free plan | true | true |
| License model | proprietary | open-source |
| Pricing model | free, usage | free |
| Source repository | https://github.com/actions/runner | https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins |
| SPDX license IDs | — | MIT |
| Features · Product · Fit | ||
| Core capabilities | Workflow automation defined in YAML within GitHub repositories, GitHub-hosted runners for Linux, macOS, Windows, ARM, and GPU, Self-hosted runners in the cloud or on-premises, Kubernetes-based runner scaling with Actions Runner Controller, REST API and GitHub CLI workflow interactions | Open source automation server built in Java, Self-contained installation with packages for Windows, Linux, and macOS, Extensible via plugins for building, testing, and deploying software, Continuous Delivery Foundation project with community governance |
| Api · Integrations · Ecosystem | ||
| API available | true | — |
| CLI | true | — |
| Audience · Use · Case | ||
| Best for | Workflow automation integrated into GitHub, free for public repositories with per-minute rates for private repository usage. | An open-source automation server for teams that want a self-hosted, plugin-extensible CI/CD system maintained by its community. |
| Primary use cases | CI/CD for code hosted on GitHub, Automating repository workflows | Continuous integration builds, Continuous delivery and deployment automation, Extending CI with community plugins |
| Lifecycle · Versioning | ||
| Current version | v2.334.0 | 2.568.3 (LTS) |
| Maintenance status | active | active |
| Vendor · Maintainer | ||
| Founded year | 2008 | 2011 |
| Headquarters country | United States | — |
| Vendor type | commercial | foundation |
“—” means unknown (we never treat missing evidence as a negative). Cells reflect each value's current evidence state; superseded or stale values are excluded. Ranking rows are editorial assessments under the cited methodology version — see the CI/CD Tools category for definitions.