CircleCI is a specialized CI/CD platform excelling in speed and ease of setup with 6-second job startup times, while GitLab is an all-in-one DevOps platform offering integrated source control, CI/CD, security scanning, and project management in a single interface.
CircleCI vs GitLab — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Managed cloud CI/CD platform with Docker-first builds and generous free tier for startups.
DevOps-first Git platform with built-in CI/CD, available as SaaS or self-hosted for complete control.
Platform Architecture. Job Startup Time. Free Tier Credit Limit. Source Control Integration. Security Scanning Features. Setup Complexity. Self-Hosted Pricing (Annual)
Choose CircleCI if you need blazing-fast CI/CD pipelines, generous free tier credits, and prefer a best-in-class specialized tool that integrates with existing Git platforms. Choose GitLab if you want a unified DevOps platform that consolidates source control, CI/CD, security, and project management to reduce tool sprawl and simplify your workflow.
CircleCI: ~180 (6,000 credits) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 24/7 dedicated support with 99.99% SLA | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Advanced with resource scaling | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: $15-30 (for limited minutes) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: ~500+ official/community integrations | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Fully managed by CircleCI | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, FedRAMP Ready | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, GPU | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: YAML-based, intuitive | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 6,000 credits (~30 standard builds) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: $20 per user/month | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Advanced DLC feature included | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Available on Performance+ plan | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Extensive Orb Registry (~5000+ orbs) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: $30-1,200 (Performance plan starts at $30) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 5 minutes (GitHub authorization → first build) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 50+ official orbs | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 1 concurrent build | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: ~2,500 MB (runner image) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Native OAuth, PR checks, status checks, app permissions | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: YAML + visual builder + orb registry | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 40-60% reduction with Docker layer caching | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 6 seconds | GitLab: 12-15 seconds
CircleCI: ~400 minutes (6,000 credits) | GitLab: 400 minutes
CircleCI: No (third-party via integrations) | GitLab: Yes (SAST, DAST, container, dependency)
CircleCI: GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab (external platforms) | GitLab: Native Git (no external required)
CircleCI: 30 minutes | GitLab: 45-60 minutes
CircleCI: No (requires third-party tools) | GitLab: Yes (issues, boards, wiki, milestones)
CircleCI: 100+ Orbs | GitLab: 80+ Templates
CircleCI: Unlimited (1 concurrent job) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: $0.20/minute (pay-as-you-go) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Advanced caching (25x faster) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 2,000 certified orbs | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Full SSH support | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 10-15 minutes (OAuth + config) | GitLab: N/A
Monthly Cost (5 Users, Mid-Volume Usage)
CircleCI: 0 hours (fully managed) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: YAML (simple, human-readable) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: 1 concurrent job free | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: ~10K GitHub discussions | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: US/EU regions only (CircleCI controls) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Bitbucket Cloud | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: Full support (DLC feature) | GitLab: N/A
Configuration File Complexity (1-10 scale)
CircleCI: 7 (moderate-complex) | GitLab: N/A
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes with shared runners
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Community and Enterprise editions available
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Unlimited on all plans
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Built-in for all tiers
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Approximately 30 million users
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes, with 5GB storage limit
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $10.50 for Premium
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 5 GB per project
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Included in Ultimate ($99/month per user)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Issues, Epics, Roadmaps, advanced Boards, Milestones
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Requires separate account/platform
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 10 concurrent pipelines
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes (free Docker registry)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $228/year ($19/month)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Third-party plugin required
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes (free Community Edition)
Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes/month
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Built-in full-featured system
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes (GitLab CI/CD)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 3 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Native (included)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 5 (SAST, DAST, dependency, secret, container)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Forgejo, GitLab Community Edition
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $8.25 (Premium at $99/year)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes (shared)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes, included in all tiers
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 10,000+ (with performance degradation)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Open-source Community Edition available
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Via third-party plugins/SAML
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Basic; limited test case tracking
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400+ via marketplace
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 10 GB (projects)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $29 (Premium plan)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Included in Free tier (SAST, DAST, Dependency, Container)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 600 (authenticated)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Community, Premium, and Ultimate editions
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes - includes 50,000 CI/CD minutes
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Native GitLab CI/CD
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $99 (Premium Edition)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: GitLab CI/CD (native pipeline engine)
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Merge Requests with code owner enforcement
CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: DORA metrics, advanced audit, compliance reporting (Premium+)
How to choose between CircleCI and GitLab
CircleCI vs GitLab — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for CircleCI vs GitLab. Contains 122 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for CircleCI vs GitLab.
Which is better for open-source projects?
CircleCI is better for OSS. It offers 6,000 free monthly credits (equivalent to ~400 build minutes) with no restrictions on public projects, while GitLab offers 400 minutes/month. CircleCI's generous free tier and support for GitHub-hosted projects makes it ideal for open-source teams.
Can I use CircleCI or GitLab for a private GitHub repository?
Yes, both support private GitHub repos. CircleCI integrates with GitHub as a third-party OAuth connection. GitLab can also connect to external GitHub repos via their CI/CD, but you lose the unified platform benefit. For seamless integration, CircleCI requires less setup time (30 min vs 45-60 min).
Which platform has better security scanning built-in?
GitLab significantly outperforms CircleCI in native security features. GitLab includes SAST (Static Application Security Testing), DAST (Dynamic), container scanning, and dependency scanning in all plans. CircleCI requires integrating third-party tools like Snyk or Aqua Security, which adds cost and complexity.
What's the cost difference for a team of 10 developers?
CircleCI's free tier ($0) and paid tiers are based on credits/seat licenses. For equivalent features, expect $50-200/month. GitLab SaaS Premium is $29/month per user, so 10 users = $290/month. For self-hosted, GitLab Premium is $990/year total (significantly cheaper than CircleCI Server at $3,000+/year).
Which is easier to migrate to if I'm currently using Jenkins?
CircleCI offers slightly faster adoption (30-min setup) with its straightforward YAML configuration, while GitLab requires more time to understand its broader feature set (45-60 min). Both support complex pipeline logic, but CircleCI's simpler scope makes it easier for teams migrating from Jenkins who want pure CI/CD without additional platform overhead.
How to Choose Between CircleCI and GitLab
Platform Architecture: CircleCI has Specialized CI/CD-only platform, while GitLab has Complete DevOps platform with integrated Git.
Job Startup Time: CircleCI has 6 seconds (industry-leading), while GitLab has 12-15 seconds average.
Free Tier Credit Limit: CircleCI has 6,000 credits/month (~400 build minutes), while GitLab has 400 pipeline minutes/month.
Source Control Integration: CircleCI has GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab (third-party), while GitLab has Native built-in Git hosting.
Security Scanning Features: CircleCI has Limited (requires Snyk/third-party), while GitLab has Native SAST, DAST, dependency scanning included.
Setup Complexity: CircleCI has 30 minutes (YAML-based config), while GitLab has 45-60 minutes (broader feature set).
Self-Hosted Pricing (Annual): CircleCI has $3,000+ (CircleCI Server), while GitLab has $990 (GitLab Premium self-managed).