CircleCI vs Drone CI
type: Article
description: CircleCI is a fully managed cloud-native CI/CD platform with extensive integrations and enterprise features, while Drone CI is a lightweight, self-hosted container-native solution that prioritizes simplicity and cost-effectiveness. CircleCI suits teams wanting managed infrastructure; Drone CI is ideal for organizations needing complete control and lower operational costs.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-07-09T04:52:13.653Z
date created: 2026-07-09T04:52:13.653Z
date modified: 2026-07-09T04:52:14.009Z
content reference time: 2026-07-09T04:52:14.009Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: CircleCI
about: Drone CI
abstract: CircleCI is a fully managed cloud-native CI/CD platform with extensive integrations and enterprise features, while Drone CI is a lightweight, self-hosted container-native solution that prioritizes simplicity and cost-effectiveness. CircleCI suits teams wanting managed infrastructure; Drone CI is ideal for organizations needing complete control and lower operational costs.
text: Deployment Model. Starting Price (Monthly). Out-of-the-box Integrations. Learning Curve. Enterprise Support. Container-Native Architecture. Compliance & Compliance Certifications
conclusion text: Choose CircleCI if your team needs a fully managed, enterprise-grade solution with extensive integrations, premium support, and compliance certifications—ideal for larger organizations prioritizing reliability and out-of-the-box features. Choose Drone CI if you want a lightweight, container-native CI/CD system with minimal overhead, complete infrastructure control, and zero licensing costs—perfect for teams comfortable managing their own deployments.
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~180 (6,000 credits) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Maximum Parallel Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Setup Time for New Projects
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 15 minutes | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Community Actions/Orbs Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 5,000+ orbs | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Support SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 24/7 dedicated support with 99.99% SLA | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosted Runner Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced with resource scaling | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Estimated Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 3-4 weeks | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Base Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $15-30 (for limited minutes) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Time to First Build
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~5-10 minutes | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Available Plugins/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~500+ official/community integrations | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Infrastructure Management Required
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Fully managed by CircleCI | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Security Certifications
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, FedRAMP Ready | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Supported Build Environments
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, GPU | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Configuration Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: YAML-based, intuitive | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Builds per Month
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6,000 credits (~30 standard builds) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Average Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 2-5 minutes | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Supported VCS Platforms
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Concurrent Jobs on Free Tier
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Minimum Team Plan Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $20 per user/month | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Docker Layer Caching
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced DLC feature included | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Enterprise SSO Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Available on Performance+ plan | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Orb/Integration Ecosystem
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Extensive Orb Registry (~5000+ orbs) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Monthly Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $30-1,200 (Performance plan starts at $30) | Drone CI: $0 (self-hosted only)
  value reference: Drone CI
additional property: Time to First Build
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 5 minutes (GitHub authorization → first build) | Drone CI: 2-4 hours
  value reference: Drone CI
additional property: Pre-built Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 50+ official orbs | Drone CI: 15-20 community plugins
  value reference: CircleCI
additional property: Free Tier Build Concurrency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent build | Drone CI: Unlimited (infrastructure dependent)
additional property: Docker Image Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~2,500 MB (runner image) | Drone CI: 8 MB (single binary)
  value reference: Drone CI
additional property: GitHub Integration Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Native OAuth, PR checks, status checks, app permissions | Drone CI: Webhook-based only, no native PR UI
additional property: Configuration Syntax
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: YAML + visual builder + orb registry | Drone CI: YAML only
additional property: Build Cache Hit Rate
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 40-60% reduction with Docker layer caching | Drone CI: 35-45% reduction (plugin-dependent)
  value reference: CircleCI
additional property: Job Startup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6 seconds | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~400 minutes (6,000 credits) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Native Security Scanning
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: No (third-party via integrations) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Credits
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6,000 credits | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Source Control Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab (external platforms) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosted Annual Cost (Single User)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $3,000+ | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Setup Time to First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 30 minutes | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Built-in Project Management
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: No (requires third-party tools) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Pre-built Integration Orbs/Templates
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 100+ Orbs | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited (1 concurrent job) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $0.20/minute (pay-as-you-go) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced caching (25x faster) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Artifact Storage Max Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Community Actions/Orbs Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 2,000 certified orbs | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: SSH Debug Into Failed Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Full SSH support | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Setup Time (GitHub Repo)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 10-15 minutes (OAuth + config) | Drone CI: N/A
additional property: Time to Deploy First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 10 minutes | Drone CI: N/A
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/circleci
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/circleci
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/drone-ci
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/drone-ci
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/circleci-vs-drone-ci)
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/circleci-vs-drone-ci)
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-drone-ci
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/jenkins-vs-drone-ci
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-github-actions
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-jenkins
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/tekton-vs-circleci
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-travis-ci
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-buildkite
teaches: How to choose between CircleCI and Drone CI
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

CircleCI
type: Thing
alternate name: Circleci
language: en-US
description: Cloud-native CI/CD platform with GitHub/GitLab integration and zero infrastructure management.
image: ImageObject
  caption: CircleCI
subject of: CircleCI vs Drone CI
image: ImageObject
  caption: CircleCI

Drone CI
type: SoftwareApplication
alternate name: DC
alternate name: Drone Ci
language: en-US
description: Lightweight, self-hosted container-native CI/CD platform with minimal configuration overhead
subject of: CircleCI vs Drone CI

CircleCI vs Drone CI — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for CircleCI vs Drone CI. Contains 91 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Parallel Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Setup Time for New Projects
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Community Actions/Orbs Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Extensibility
variable measured: Enterprise Support SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Support
variable measured: Self-Hosted Runner Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Estimated Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Base Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Time to First Build
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Implementation
variable measured: Available Plugins/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Extensibility
variable measured: Infrastructure Management Required
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operations
variable measured: Enterprise Security Certifications
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Supported Build Environments
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compatibility
variable measured: Configuration Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Free Tier Builds per Month
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Value
variable measured: Average Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Supported VCS Platforms
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Concurrent Jobs on Free Tier
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Minimum Team Plan Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Value
variable measured: Docker Layer Caching
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Enterprise SSO Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Orb/Integration Ecosystem
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Extensibility
variable measured: Monthly Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Limits
variable measured: Time to First Build
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Setup & Learning
variable measured: Pre-built Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Free Tier Build Concurrency
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Docker Image Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Container Performance
variable measured: GitHub Integration Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Configuration Syntax
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: Build Cache Hit Rate
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Job Startup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Native Security Scanning
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Free Tier Monthly Credits
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Value
variable measured: Source Control Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Self-Hosted Annual Cost (Single User)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Setup Time to First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Built-in Project Management
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Pre-built Integration Orbs/Templates
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Extensibility
variable measured: Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Quotas
variable measured: Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Quotas
variable measured: Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Artifact Storage Max Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Storage & Limits
variable measured: Community Actions/Orbs Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: SSH Debug Into Failed Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Parallelization
variable measured: Setup Time (GitHub Repo)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Time to Deploy First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Setup & Ease of Use
variable measured: Available Plugins/Extensions
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Extensibility
variable measured: Monthly Cost (5 Users, Mid-Volume Usage)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Infrastructure Management Overhead
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Operations
variable measured: Configuration File Format
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Developer Experience
variable measured: Free Tier Concurrent Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Community Size & Activity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Data Residency Control
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compliance
variable measured: Minimum Paid Plan
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Supported Version Control Systems
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Native Docker Layer Caching
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Configuration File Complexity (1-10 scale)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
variable measured: Cost per 1,000 Credits
variable measured: Average Build Execution Time
variable measured: Base Monthly Cost
variable measured: Available Integrations
variable measured: Deployment Options
variable measured: Container-Native Architecture
variable measured: Compliance Certifications
variable measured: Infrastructure Control
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-drone-ci)

CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for CircleCI vs Drone CI.
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Extensibility
has defined term: Support
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Implementation
has defined term: Operations
has defined term: Security
has defined term: Compatibility
has defined term: Pricing & Value
has defined term: Integration
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Pricing & Limits
has defined term: Setup & Learning
has defined term: Container Performance
has defined term: Developer Experience
has defined term: Pricing & Quotas
has defined term: Storage & Limits
has defined term: Ecosystem
has defined term: Parallelization
has defined term: Setup & Ease of Use
has defined term: Community
has defined term: Compliance
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Flexibility
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: Management
has defined term: Onboarding & Setup
has defined term: Market Position
has defined term: Development Activity
has defined term: Maintenance
has defined term: Configuration

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ease-of-use
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Extensibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: extensibility
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Support
type: DefinedTerm
term code: support
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Implementation
type: DefinedTerm
term code: implementation
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Operations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operations
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compatibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compatibility
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Value
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-value
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integration
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-limits
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Setup & Learning
type: DefinedTerm
term code: setup-&-learning
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Container Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: container-performance
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Developer Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: developer-experience
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Quotas
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-quotas
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Storage & Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: storage-&-limits
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ecosystem
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ecosystem
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Parallelization
type: DefinedTerm
term code: parallelization
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Setup & Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: setup-&-ease-of-use
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compliance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compliance
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Usability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: usability
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Flexibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: flexibility
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Architecture
type: DefinedTerm
term code: architecture
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Management
type: DefinedTerm
term code: management
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Onboarding & Setup
type: DefinedTerm
term code: onboarding-&-setup
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Market Position
type: DefinedTerm
term code: market-position
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Development Activity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: development-activity
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maintenance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maintenance
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Configuration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: configuration
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Drone CI — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-07-09T04:52:14.009Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: circleci-vs-drone-ci)
main entity: What's the main cost difference between CircleCI and Drone CI?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: CircleCI operates on a SaaS model starting at $30/month for the Performance plan (6,000 credits), with costs scaling based on pipeline minutes used. Enterprise plans typically exceed $1,000/month. Drone CI is completely free as open-source software; you only pay for the infrastructure (servers) you run it on, making it significantly cheaper for high-volume builds.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I use CircleCI or Drone CI on-premises or self-hosted?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: CircleCI offers a self-hosted Enterprise option, but it requires a separate license (usually $2,000+ annually). Drone CI is designed for self-hosting from the ground up and requires only Docker and your own server infrastructure. If on-premises deployment is critical, Drone CI is the more accessible option.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform has better integration support?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: CircleCI has 100+ native integrations including Slack, AWS, Datadog, Splunk, and major version control systems. Drone CI has 30+ integrations focused on core needs (GitHub, GitLab, Docker Registry, Kubernetes). For teams heavily invested in third-party tools, CircleCI provides more out-of-the-box connectivity.
    language: en-US
main entity: Is Drone CI suitable for enterprise teams?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Drone CI can work for enterprises with DevOps expertise and self-hosting capability, but it lacks CircleCI's compliance certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA) and enterprise support guarantees. Enterprises requiring strict compliance, audit logs, or 24/7 SLA support should choose CircleCI or Drone's paid Harness support option.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform is easier to set up and configure?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Drone CI has a simpler configuration syntax (.drone.yml) with fewer abstraction layers, making it faster for developers to learn. CircleCI's YAML configuration is more powerful but steeper to master. For speed-to-value, Drone wins; for feature completeness, CircleCI wins.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between CircleCI and Drone CI
type: HowTo
description: CircleCI is a fully managed cloud-native CI/CD platform with extensive integrations and enterprise features, while Drone CI is a lightweight, self-hosted container-native solution that prioritizes simplicity and cost-effectiveness. CircleCI suits teams wanting managed infrastructure; Drone CI is ideal for organizations needing complete control and lower operational costs.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Deployment Model
step: Consider: Starting Price (Monthly)
step: Consider: Out-of-the-box Integrations
step: Consider: Learning Curve
step: Consider: Enterprise Support
step: Consider: Container-Native Architecture
step: Consider: Compliance & Compliance Certifications
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose CircleCI if your team needs a fully managed, enterprise-grade solution with extensive integrations, premium support, and compliance certifications—ideal for larger organizations prioritizing reliability and out-of-the-box features. Choose Drone CI if you want a lightweight, container-native CI/CD system with minimal overhead, complete infrastructure control, and zero licensing costs—perfect for teams comfortable managing their own deployments.

Consider: Deployment Model
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Deployment Model: CircleCI has Cloud-hosted SaaS (with self-hosted enterprise option), while Drone CI has Self-hosted only (Docker containers).

Consider: Starting Price (Monthly)
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Starting Price (Monthly): CircleCI has $30 (Performance plan with 6,000 credits), while Drone CI has $0 (Open source; paid support optional).

Consider: Out-of-the-box Integrations
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Out-of-the-box Integrations: CircleCI has 100+ integrations (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, AWS, Slack, etc.), while Drone CI has 30+ integrations (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Docker Registry).

Consider: Learning Curve
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Learning Curve: CircleCI has Moderate (YAML config, web UI for setup), while Drone CI has Low (.drone.yml is simpler, minimal abstraction).

Consider: Enterprise Support
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Enterprise Support: CircleCI has 24/7 priority support, SLA guarantees, audit logs, while Drone CI has Community support; paid support via Harness.

Consider: Container-Native Architecture
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Container-Native Architecture: CircleCI has Good (Docker support, but VMs also available), while Drone CI has Excellent (all pipelines run as Docker containers).

Consider: Compliance & Compliance Certifications
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Compliance & Compliance Certifications: CircleCI has SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA-eligible, while Drone CI has Limited certifications (community-driven).

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: CircleCI vs Drone CI
review body: CircleCI is a fully managed cloud-native CI/CD platform with extensive integrations and enterprise features, while Drone CI is a lightweight, self-hosted container-native solution that prioritizes simplicity and cost-effectiveness. CircleCI suits teams wanting managed infrastructure; Drone CI is ideal for organizations needing complete control and lower operational costs.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: CircleCI vs Drone CI

Available Plugins/Extensions
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 500+ orbs | Drone CI: 250+
value reference: CircleCI

Monthly Cost (5 Users, Mid-Volume Usage)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: $350/month | Drone CI: N/A

Infrastructure Management Overhead
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 0 hours (fully managed) | Drone CI: N/A

Configuration File Format
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: YAML (simple, human-readable) | Drone CI: N/A

Free Tier Concurrent Jobs
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job free | Drone CI: N/A

Community Size & Activity
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: ~10K GitHub discussions | Drone CI: N/A

Data Residency Control
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: US/EU regions only (CircleCI controls) | Drone CI: N/A

Minimum Paid Plan
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: $30 | Drone CI: N/A

Supported Version Control Systems
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Bitbucket Cloud | Drone CI: N/A

Native Docker Layer Caching
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: Full support (DLC feature) | Drone CI: N/A

Configuration File Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 7 (moderate-complex) | Drone CI: N/A

Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 1 | Drone CI: N/A

Cost per 1,000 Credits
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: $15 | Drone CI: N/A

Average Build Execution Time
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 42 seconds | Drone CI: N/A

Configuration Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 7 | Drone CI: 4
value reference: Drone CI

Base Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: $30 | Drone CI: $0
value reference: Drone CI

Available Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 100+ | Drone CI: 30+
value reference: CircleCI

Enterprise Support SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 24/7 with guaranteed response times | Drone CI: Community-driven; paid support available

Deployment Options
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: Cloud SaaS + Self-hosted Enterprise | Drone CI: Self-hosted only

Container-Native Architecture
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: Good (Docker support alongside VMs) | Drone CI: Native (all pipelines containerized)

Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 3 (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA-eligible) | Drone CI: 0 (community project)
value reference: CircleCI

Infrastructure Control
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: Limited (vendor-managed cloud) | Drone CI: Complete (self-hosted control)

Setup Time to First Build
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 5-15 minutes | Drone CI: N/A

Monthly Cost (Small Team)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: $30 (Starter plan) | Drone CI: N/A

Available Plugins/Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 200+ curated integrations | Drone CI: 200+ plugins

Build Cache Size (Free Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 5GB per run | Drone CI: N/A

Infrastructure Management Required
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: None (fully managed) | Drone CI: N/A

On-Premise Deployment Option
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: Not available | Drone CI: N/A

Concurrent Build Limit (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent | Drone CI: N/A

Learning Curve
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 8-12 hours for proficiency | Drone CI: N/A

Minimum Memory Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: 100 MB

Enterprise Market Adoption
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: 8-12%

GitHub Commits (Annual)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: 800+

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: 10-15 minutes

Kubernetes Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: Built-in

Release Cycle
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: Monthly (4 weeks)

Configuration Language
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: YAML only

Baseline Memory Usage
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: 64-256 MB

Container Startup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: <5 seconds

Kubernetes Integration Type
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: Native first-class citizen

Configuration Method
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: YAML-only (.drone.yml)

Community Activity (GitHub stars)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Drone CI: 31,000+ stars

SpeakableSpecification
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CircleCI — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Drone CI — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare CircleCI vs Drone CI
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-drone-ci)
object: CircleCI
object: Drone CI

Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Cost per 1,000 Credits
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Average Build Execution Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Configuration Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Base Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Available Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Enterprise Support SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Deployment Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Flexibility

Container-Native Architecture
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Architecture

Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Infrastructure Control
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Management

Setup Time to First Build
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Onboarding & Setup

Monthly Cost (Small Team)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Available Plugins/Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Extensibility

Build Cache Size (Free Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Infrastructure Management Required
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Operations

On-Premise Deployment Option
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compliance

Concurrent Build Limit (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Learning Curve
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Minimum Memory Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Enterprise Market Adoption
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Market Position

GitHub Commits (Annual)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Development Activity

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Kubernetes Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Release Cycle
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Maintenance

Configuration Language
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Configuration

Baseline Memory Usage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Container Startup Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Kubernetes Integration Type
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Architecture

Configuration Method
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Community Activity (GitHub stars)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community