CircleCI vs GitLab
type: Article
description: 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.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-06-23T01:54:20.612Z
date created: 2026-06-23T01:54:20.612Z
date modified: 2026-06-23T01:54:20.669Z
content reference time: 2026-06-23T01:54:20.669Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: CircleCI
about: GitLab
abstract: 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.
text: Platform Architecture. Job Startup Time. Free Tier Credit Limit. Source Control Integration. Security Scanning Features. Setup Complexity. Self-Hosted Pricing (Annual)
conclusion text: 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.
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~180 (6,000 credits) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Maximum Parallel Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Setup Time for New Projects
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 15 minutes | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Community Actions/Orbs Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 5,000+ orbs | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Support SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 24/7 dedicated support with 99.99% SLA | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosted Runner Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced with resource scaling | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Estimated Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 3-4 weeks | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Base Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $15-30 (for limited minutes) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Time to First Build
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~5-10 minutes | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Available Plugins/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~500+ official/community integrations | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Infrastructure Management Required
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Fully managed by CircleCI | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Security Certifications
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, FedRAMP Ready | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Supported Build Environments
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, GPU | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Configuration Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: YAML-based, intuitive | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Builds per Month
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6,000 credits (~30 standard builds) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Average Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 2-5 minutes | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Supported VCS Platforms
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Concurrent Jobs on Free Tier
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Minimum Team Plan Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $20 per user/month | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Docker Layer Caching
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced DLC feature included | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Enterprise SSO Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Available on Performance+ plan | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Orb/Integration Ecosystem
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Extensive Orb Registry (~5000+ orbs) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Monthly Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $30-1,200 (Performance plan starts at $30) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Time to First Build
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 5 minutes (GitHub authorization → first build) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Pre-built Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 50+ official orbs | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Build Concurrency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent build | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Docker Image Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~2,500 MB (runner image) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: GitHub Integration Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Native OAuth, PR checks, status checks, app permissions | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Configuration Syntax
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: YAML + visual builder + orb registry | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Build Cache Hit Rate
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 40-60% reduction with Docker layer caching | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Job Startup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6 seconds | GitLab: 12-15 seconds
  value reference: CircleCI
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~400 minutes (6,000 credits) | GitLab: 400 minutes
additional property: Native Security Scanning
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: No (third-party via integrations) | GitLab: Yes (SAST, DAST, container, dependency)
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Credits
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6,000 credits | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Source Control Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab (external platforms) | GitLab: Native Git (no external required)
additional property: Self-Hosted Annual Cost (Single User)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $3,000+ | GitLab: $990
  value reference: GitLab
additional property: Setup Time to First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 30 minutes | GitLab: 45-60 minutes
  value reference: CircleCI
additional property: Built-in Project Management
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: No (requires third-party tools) | GitLab: Yes (issues, boards, wiki, milestones)
  value reference: GitLab
additional property: Pre-built Integration Orbs/Templates
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 100+ Orbs | GitLab: 80+ Templates
  value reference: CircleCI
additional property: Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited (1 concurrent job) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $0.20/minute (pay-as-you-go) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced caching (25x faster) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Artifact Storage Max Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Community Actions/Orbs Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 2,000 certified orbs | GitLab: N/A
additional property: SSH Debug Into Failed Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Full SSH support | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Setup Time (GitHub Repo)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 10-15 minutes (OAuth + config) | GitLab: N/A
additional property: Time to Deploy First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 10 minutes | GitLab: 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/gitlab
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/gitlab
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/circleci-vs-gitlab
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/circleci-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-drone-ci
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-actions-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gitlab-vs-bitbucket
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gitlab-vs-gitea
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/bitbucket-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gitlab-vs-azure-devops
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gitlab-vs-jira
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-vs-gitlab
teaches: How to choose between CircleCI and GitLab
genre: Software

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

A Versus B
type: Organization

CircleCI
type: Thing
alternate name: Circleci
language: en-US
description: Managed cloud CI/CD platform with Docker-first builds and generous free tier for startups.
subject of: CircleCI vs GitLab

GitLab
type: Thing
alternate name: Gitlab
language: en-US
description: DevOps-first Git platform with built-in CI/CD, available as SaaS or self-hosted for complete control.
image: ImageObject
  caption: GitLab
subject of: CircleCI vs GitLab
image: ImageObject
  caption: GitLab

CircleCI vs GitLab — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for CircleCI vs GitLab. Contains 122 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
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: Ecosystem
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: Pricing
variable measured: Community Size & Activity
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Data Residency Control
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Compliance
variable measured: Average Build Execution Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
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)
variable measured: Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
variable measured: Cost per 1,000 Credits
variable measured: Built-in CI/CD Minutes (Free Plan)
variable measured: Self-Hosting Support
variable measured: Public Repositories
variable measured: Storage (Free Plan)
variable measured: SAST Security Scanning
variable measured: Monthly Active Users
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-gitlab

CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for CircleCI vs GitLab.
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: 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: DevOps
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: Repositories
has defined term: Storage
has defined term: User Base
has defined term: Pricing & Limits
has defined term: Storage & Infrastructure
has defined term: Security & Compliance
has defined term: Project Management
has defined term: Platform Integration
has defined term: Pricing & Access
has defined term: Integrations
has defined term: CI/CD Features
has defined term: DevOps Features
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Deployment & Control
has defined term: Enterprise Features
has defined term: Testing Features
has defined term: CI/CD
has defined term: Community & Scale
has defined term: Collaboration
has defined term: Enterprise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DevOps
type: DefinedTerm
term code: devops
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Repositories
type: DefinedTerm
term code: repositories
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Storage
type: DefinedTerm
term code: storage
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Base
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-base
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Storage & Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: storage-&-infrastructure
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security & Compliance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security-&-compliance
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Project Management
type: DefinedTerm
term code: project-management
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Platform Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: platform-integration
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Access
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-access
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integrations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integrations
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

CI/CD Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ci/cd-features
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

DevOps Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: devops-features
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scalability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scalability
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment & Control
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment-&-control
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise-features
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Testing Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: testing-features
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

CI/CD
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ci/cd
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community & Scale
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community-&-scale
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Collaboration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: collaboration
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise
in defined term set: CircleCI vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-06-23T01:54:20.669Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: circleci-vs-gitlab
main entity: Which is better for open-source projects?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I use CircleCI or GitLab for a private GitHub repository?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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).
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform has better security scanning built-in?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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.
    language: en-US
main entity: What's the cost difference for a team of 10 developers?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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).
    language: en-US
main entity: Which is easier to migrate to if I'm currently using Jenkins?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: 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.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between CircleCI and GitLab
type: HowTo
description: 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.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Platform Architecture
step: Consider: Job Startup Time
step: Consider: Free Tier Credit Limit
step: Consider: Source Control Integration
step: Consider: Security Scanning Features
step: Consider: Setup Complexity
step: Consider: Self-Hosted Pricing (Annual)
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: 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.

Consider: Platform Architecture
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Platform Architecture: CircleCI has Specialized CI/CD-only platform, while GitLab has Complete DevOps platform with integrated Git.

Consider: Job Startup Time
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Job Startup Time: CircleCI has 6 seconds (industry-leading), while GitLab has 12-15 seconds average.

Consider: Free Tier Credit Limit
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Free Tier Credit Limit: CircleCI has 6,000 credits/month (~400 build minutes), while GitLab has 400 pipeline minutes/month.

Consider: Source Control Integration
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Source Control Integration: CircleCI has GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab (third-party), while GitLab has Native built-in Git hosting.

Consider: Security Scanning Features
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Security Scanning Features: CircleCI has Limited (requires Snyk/third-party), while GitLab has Native SAST, DAST, dependency scanning included.

Consider: Setup Complexity
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Setup Complexity: CircleCI has 30 minutes (YAML-based config), while GitLab has 45-60 minutes (broader feature set).

Consider: Self-Hosted Pricing (Annual)
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Self-Hosted Pricing (Annual): CircleCI has $3,000+ (CircleCI Server), while GitLab has $990 (GitLab Premium self-managed).

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: CircleCI vs GitLab
review body: 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.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: CircleCI vs GitLab

Available Plugins/Extensions
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 500+ orbs | GitLab: N/A

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

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

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

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

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

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

Average Build Execution Time
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 4 | GitLab: N/A

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

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

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

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

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

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

Built-in CI/CD Minutes (Free Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes with shared runners

Self-Hosting Support
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Community and Enterprise editions available

Public Repositories
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Unlimited on all plans

Storage (Free Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 5GB total

SAST Security Scanning
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Built-in for all tiers

Monthly Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Approximately 30 million users

Free Plan Available
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes, with 5GB storage limit

Starting Price (Per User/Month)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $10.50 for Premium

Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes

Container Registry Free Storage
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 5 GB per project

Marketplace Ecosystem Size
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 900+ Templates

Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Included in Ultimate ($99/month per user)

Built-in Project Management Features
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Issues, Epics, Roadmaps, advanced Boards, Milestones

Native GitHub Integration Required
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Requires separate account/platform

Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 10 concurrent pipelines

Free Tier Private Repositories
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Unlimited

Container Registry Included
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes (free Docker registry)

Pro Plan Annual Cost (per user)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $228/year ($19/month)

Jira Integration Quality
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Third-party plugin required

Self-Hosted Option Available
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes (free Community Edition)

Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes/month

Issue Tracking & Project Management
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Built-in full-featured system

Minimum RAM Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 4GB

Setup Time (Fresh Installation)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 30-45 minutes

Built-in CI/CD Included
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes (GitLab CI/CD)

Database Options Supported
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 3 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite)

API Rate Limit (Unauthenticated)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 300

Container Registry Support
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Native (included)

Security Scanning Features
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 5 (SAST, DAST, dependency, secret, container)

Community-Maintained Forks/Mirrors
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Forgejo, GitLab Community Edition

Monthly Cost (Single User, Premium)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $8.25 (Premium at $99/year)

Free CI/CD Minutes Monthly
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes (shared)

Built-in Container Registry
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes, included in all tiers

Maximum Concurrent Users Supported
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 10,000+ (with performance degradation)

Self-Hosting Capability
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Open-source Community Edition available

Active Directory Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Via third-party plugins/SAML

Test Case Management Module
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Basic; limited test case tracking

Platform Integration Count
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400+ via marketplace

Free Tier Storage Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 10 GB (projects)

CI/CD Minutes Included (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes

Pro Plan Cost Per User
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $29 (Premium plan)

Maximum Team Members (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Unlimited

Built-in Security Scanning Tools
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Included in Free tier (SAST, DAST, Dependency, Container)

API Rate Limits (free tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 600 (authenticated)

Self-Hosted Edition Available
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Community, Premium, and Ultimate editions

Community Forum Members (approx)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 150000

Cloud Pricing (Starting Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $29/month

Free Tier Access
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Yes - includes 50,000 CI/CD minutes

Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Native GitLab CI/CD

Git Repository Hosting
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Integrated

Agile Board Templates
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 5-8 built-in

Public Repositories (Total)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 14,000,000+

Free Tier CI/CD Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes/month

Self-Hosting Cost (Per User/Year)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: $99 (Premium Edition)

Built-in CI/CD Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: GitLab CI/CD (native pipeline engine)

Marketplace Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: 2,500+

Web-based Code Review
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Merge Requests with code owner enforcement

Free Public Repo Storage
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: Unlimited

Enterprise Compliance Features
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | GitLab: DORA metrics, advanced audit, compliance reporting (Premium+)

SpeakableSpecification
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css selector: #verdict
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CircleCI — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

GitLab — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare CircleCI vs GitLab
type: Action
additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-gitlab
object: CircleCI
object: GitLab

Configuration File Complexity (1-10 scale)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

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

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

Built-in CI/CD Minutes (Free Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: DevOps

Self-Hosting Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Public Repositories
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Repositories

Storage (Free Plan)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Storage

SAST Security Scanning
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Monthly Active Users
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Base

Free Plan Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Starting Price (Per User/Month)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing & Limits

Container Registry Free Storage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Storage & Infrastructure

Marketplace Ecosystem Size
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security & Compliance

Built-in Project Management Features
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Project Management

Native GitHub Integration Required
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Platform Integration

Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Free Tier Private Repositories
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing & Access

Container Registry Included
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Pro Plan Annual Cost (per user)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing & Access

Jira Integration Quality
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integrations

Self-Hosted Option Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Issue Tracking & Project Management
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Minimum RAM Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Setup Time (Fresh Installation)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Built-in CI/CD Included
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Database Options Supported
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

API Rate Limit (Unauthenticated)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Container Registry Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Security Scanning Features
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Community-Maintained Forks/Mirrors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Monthly Cost (Single User, Premium)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free CI/CD Minutes Monthly
type: PropertyValue
value reference: CI/CD Features

Built-in Container Registry
type: PropertyValue
value reference: DevOps Features

Maximum Concurrent Users Supported
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Self-Hosting Capability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment & Control

Active Directory Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise Features

Test Case Management Module
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Testing Features

Platform Integration Count
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Free Tier Storage Limit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

CI/CD Minutes Included (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: CI/CD

Pro Plan Cost Per User
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Maximum Team Members (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Built-in Security Scanning Tools
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

API Rate Limits (free tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

Self-Hosted Edition Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Community Forum Members (approx)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Cloud Pricing (Starting Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Tier Access
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
type: PropertyValue
value reference: DevOps

Git Repository Hosting
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Agile Board Templates
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Public Repositories (Total)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community & Scale

Free Tier CI/CD Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: DevOps Features

Self-Hosting Cost (Per User/Year)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Built-in CI/CD Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: DevOps Features

Marketplace Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Web-based Code Review
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Collaboration

Free Public Repo Storage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Enterprise Compliance Features
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise