CircleCI vs Jenkins
type: Article
description: CircleCI is a fully managed SaaS CI/CD platform with zero infrastructure overhead, while Jenkins is a self-hosted open-source automation server requiring significant DevOps expertise. CircleCI offers faster setup and maintenance, while Jenkins provides maximum customization and cost savings at scale.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-05-28T07:26:07.982Z
date created: 2026-05-28T07:26:07.982Z
date modified: 2026-06-27T18:05:01.445Z
content reference time: 2026-06-27T18:05:01.445Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: CircleCI
about: Jenkins
abstract: CircleCI is a fully managed SaaS CI/CD platform with zero infrastructure overhead, while Jenkins is a self-hosted open-source automation server requiring significant DevOps expertise. CircleCI offers faster setup and maintenance, while Jenkins provides maximum customization and cost savings at scale.
text: Deployment Model. Setup Time to First Pipeline. Infrastructure Management Required. Monthly Cost for 5 Users (estimated). Customization & Plugin Ecosystem. User Learning Curve. Data Residency & Compliance Control
conclusion text: Choose CircleCI if you value rapid deployment, minimal DevOps overhead, and ease of use for teams building modern applications—it's ideal for startups and growing companies. Choose Jenkins if you need extensive customization, on-premises control, compliance requirements, large-scale deployments, or have the in-house expertise to manage infrastructure and want to minimize operational costs.
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~180 (6,000 credits) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Maximum Parallel Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Setup Time for New Projects
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 15 minutes | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Community Actions/Orbs Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 5,000+ orbs | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Support SLA
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 24/7 dedicated support with 99.99% SLA | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosted Runner Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced with resource scaling | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Estimated Learning Curve
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 3-4 weeks | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Base Monthly Cost (Starter Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $15-30 (for limited minutes) | Jenkins: $0 (self-hosted only)
  value reference: Jenkins
additional property: Time to First Build
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~5-10 minutes | Jenkins: ~480-1440 minutes (8-24 hours setup)
  value reference: CircleCI
additional property: Available Plugins/Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~500+ official/community integrations | Jenkins: 6000+ plugins
  value reference: Jenkins
additional property: Infrastructure Management Required
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Fully managed by CircleCI | Jenkins: Customer responsible
additional property: Enterprise Security Certifications
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, FedRAMP Ready | Jenkins: Varies (depends on deployment)
additional property: Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | Jenkins: Unlimited (self-hosted)
  value reference: Jenkins
additional property: Supported Build Environments
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, GPU | Jenkins: Any OS (plugin dependent)
additional property: Configuration Complexity
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: YAML-based, intuitive | Jenkins: High - Groovy/Declarative DSL + extensive UI configuration
additional property: Free Tier Builds per Month
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6,000 credits (~30 standard builds) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Average Build Duration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 2-5 minutes | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Supported VCS Platforms
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Concurrent Jobs on Free Tier
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Minimum Team Plan Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $20 per user/month | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Docker Layer Caching
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced DLC feature included | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Enterprise SSO Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Available on Performance+ plan | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Orb/Integration Ecosystem
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Extensive Orb Registry (~5000+ orbs) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Monthly Subscription Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $30-1,200 (Performance plan starts at $30) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Time to First Build
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 5 minutes (GitHub authorization → first build) | Jenkins: 20-40 hours
  value reference: CircleCI
additional property: Pre-built Integrations
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 50+ official orbs | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Build Concurrency
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent build | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Docker Image Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~2,500 MB (runner image) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: GitHub Integration Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Native OAuth, PR checks, status checks, app permissions | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Configuration Syntax
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: YAML + visual builder + orb registry | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Build Cache Hit Rate
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 40-60% reduction with Docker layer caching | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Job Startup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6 seconds | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: ~400 minutes (6,000 credits) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Native Security Scanning
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: No (third-party via integrations) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Credits
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 6,000 credits | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Source Control Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab (external platforms) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosted Annual Cost (Single User)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $3,000+ | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Setup Time to First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 30 minutes | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Built-in Project Management
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: No (requires third-party tools) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Pre-built Integration Orbs/Templates
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 100+ Orbs | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited (1 concurrent job) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: $0.20/minute (pay-as-you-go) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Advanced caching (25x faster) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Artifact Storage Max Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Unlimited | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Community Actions/Orbs Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 2,000 certified orbs | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: SSH Debug Into Failed Jobs
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: Full SSH support | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Setup Time (GitHub Repo)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 10-15 minutes (OAuth + config) | Jenkins: N/A
additional property: Time to Deploy First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: CircleCI: 10 minutes | Jenkins: 5 hours
  value reference: CircleCI
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/jenkins
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/jenkins
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/circleci-vs-jenkins
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/circleci-vs-jenkins
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-drone-ci
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/jenkins-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/jenkins-vs-buildkite
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/jenkins-vs-teamcity
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-actions-vs-jenkins
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/argocd-vs-jenkins
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/jenkins-vs-drone-ci
teaches: How to choose between CircleCI and Jenkins
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: CircleCI vs Jenkins — 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 Jenkins

Jenkins
type: Thing
language: en-US
description: Open-source automation server with extensive plugin ecosystem for CI/CD and infrastructure orchestration
subject of: CircleCI vs Jenkins

CircleCI vs Jenkins — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for CircleCI vs Jenkins. Contains 130 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: 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: 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: Setup Time (First Pipeline)
variable measured: Annual Cost (50 users, self-hosted)
variable measured: Deployment Options
variable measured: Learning Curve (Hours to Intermediate)
variable measured: Built-in Version Control
variable measured: Built-in Container Registry
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-jenkins

CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for CircleCI vs Jenkins.
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 Features
has defined term: Architecture
has defined term: Operational Efficiency
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: User Experience
has defined term: Cost
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: Configuration
has defined term: Resources
has defined term: Learning
has defined term: Platform Architecture
has defined term: Setup & Onboarding
has defined term: Deployment Target
has defined term: Enterprise Adoption
has defined term: Development Activity
has defined term: Maintenance
has defined term: Community & Adoption
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Standardization
has defined term: Adoption
has defined term: Industry Adoption
has defined term: Containerization
has defined term: Maturity
has defined term: Market Position

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Operational Efficiency
type: DefinedTerm
term code: operational-efficiency
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

User Experience
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-experience
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Cost
type: DefinedTerm
term code: cost
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

Resources
type: DefinedTerm
term code: resources
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Learning
type: DefinedTerm
term code: learning
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Platform Architecture
type: DefinedTerm
term code: platform-architecture
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Deployment Target
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment-target
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise-adoption
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

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

Community & Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community-&-adoption
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

Standardization
type: DefinedTerm
term code: standardization
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: adoption
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Industry Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: industry-adoption
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Containerization
type: DefinedTerm
term code: containerization
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Maturity
type: DefinedTerm
term code: maturity
in defined term set: CircleCI vs Jenkins — Attribute Category Vocabulary

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

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-06-27T18:05:01.445Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: circleci-vs-jenkins
main entity: Which is better for enterprises with strict compliance requirements?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Jenkins is the clear choice for enterprises needing on-premises deployment, data sovereignty, and compliance control (HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2). CircleCI's SaaS model means data lives on third-party servers, which may violate regulatory requirements. Jenkins' self-hosted nature gives you complete control over data residency and security auditing.
    language: en-US
main entity: How much does each platform actually cost at scale?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: CircleCI pricing is usage-based: $20-85/month base + per-credit costs ($0.006 per credit, ~1,000 credits/month typical = $6-25 extra). For a team of 5 doing moderate builds, expect $300-500/month. Jenkins' cost is infrastructure-only: a t3.medium EC2 instance runs ~$30-50/month, plus backups and bandwidth. At 100+ daily builds, Jenkins becomes significantly cheaper.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I migrate from Jenkins to CircleCI or vice versa?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Migration is one-way favoring Jenkins→CircleCI. Moving to CircleCI: convert Groovy pipelines to YAML (manual, 2-4 hours per pipeline). Moving to Jenkins: no standard tool exists; you'd rebuild from scratch. Most teams choose based on needs upfront rather than migrating. CircleCI provides migration guides, but it's a one-time effort.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which has better integration with modern tools (Kubernetes, Docker, Slack)?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Jenkins wins on depth (1,800+ plugins = custom integrations for anything), but CircleCI wins on ease (Kubernetes, Docker, and Slack are pre-configured orbs requiring 2-3 lines of YAML). For standard SaaS tools, CircleCI's orbs are faster; for niche/proprietary systems, Jenkins' plugin ecosystem is unmatched.
    language: en-US
main entity: What's the learning curve difference?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: CircleCI: 1-2 hours for developers (simple YAML, visual UI). Jenkins: 1-2 weeks for developers (Groovy syntax, pipeline structure) + 4-8 weeks for DevOps setup (server config, agent management, plugin selection). If your team lacks DevOps expertise, Jenkins is a significant commitment.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between CircleCI and Jenkins
type: HowTo
description: CircleCI is a fully managed SaaS CI/CD platform with zero infrastructure overhead, while Jenkins is a self-hosted open-source automation server requiring significant DevOps expertise. CircleCI offers faster setup and maintenance, while Jenkins provides maximum customization and cost savings at scale.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Deployment Model
step: Consider: Setup Time to First Pipeline
step: Consider: Infrastructure Management Required
step: Consider: Monthly Cost for 5 Users (estimated)
step: Consider: Customization & Plugin Ecosystem
step: Consider: User Learning Curve
step: Consider: Data Residency & Compliance Control
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose CircleCI if you value rapid deployment, minimal DevOps overhead, and ease of use for teams building modern applications—it's ideal for startups and growing companies. Choose Jenkins if you need extensive customization, on-premises control, compliance requirements, large-scale deployments, or have the in-house expertise to manage infrastructure and want to minimize operational costs.

Consider: Deployment Model
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Deployment Model: CircleCI has Cloud-hosted SaaS (fully managed), while Jenkins has Self-hosted open-source.

Consider: Setup Time to First Pipeline
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Setup Time to First Pipeline: CircleCI has 5-15 minutes, while Jenkins has 2-8 hours.

Consider: Infrastructure Management Required
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Infrastructure Management Required: CircleCI has None (fully managed by CircleCI), while Jenkins has Full responsibility (servers, updates, security patches).

Consider: Monthly Cost for 5 Users (estimated)
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Monthly Cost for 5 Users (estimated): CircleCI has $200-500 (per credits/performance plan), while Jenkins has $0-100 (self-hosted, just server costs).

Consider: Customization & Plugin Ecosystem
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Customization & Plugin Ecosystem: CircleCI has Limited (CircleCI orbs, ~500+ available), while Jenkins has Extreme (1,800+ plugins and scripts).

Consider: User Learning Curve
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: User Learning Curve: CircleCI has Minimal (visual UI, guided setup), while Jenkins has Steep (Groovy/Declarative DSL, XML config).

Consider: Data Residency & Compliance Control
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Data Residency & Compliance Control: CircleCI has Limited (SaaS provider controls data), while Jenkins has Complete (on-premises, full control).

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: CircleCI vs Jenkins
review body: CircleCI is a fully managed SaaS CI/CD platform with zero infrastructure overhead, while Jenkins is a self-hosted open-source automation server requiring significant DevOps expertise. CircleCI offers faster setup and maintenance, while Jenkins provides maximum customization and cost savings at scale.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: CircleCI vs Jenkins

Available Plugins/Extensions
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 500+ orbs | Jenkins: 1,800+ plugins
value reference: Jenkins

Monthly Cost (5 Users, Mid-Volume Usage)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: $350/month | Jenkins: $50-150/month (server costs only)
value reference: Jenkins

Infrastructure Management Overhead
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 0 hours (fully managed) | Jenkins: 20-40 hours
value reference: CircleCI

Configuration File Format
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: YAML (simple, human-readable) | Jenkins: Groovy/XML (powerful but complex)

Free Tier Concurrent Jobs
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: 1 concurrent job free | Jenkins: Unlimited (if self-hosted)

Community Size & Activity
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: ~10K GitHub discussions | Jenkins: ~23K GitHub stars, 20+ year history
value reference: Jenkins

Data Residency Control
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: US/EU regions only (CircleCI controls) | Jenkins: Full control (on-premises)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Setup Time (First Pipeline)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 6 hours

Annual Cost (50 users, self-hosted)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: $5,000 (infrastructure)

Deployment Options
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Self-hosted only

Learning Curve (Hours to Intermediate)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 50 hours

Built-in Version Control
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: No (requires external Git)

Built-in Container Registry
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: No (plugin available)

Community Size (GitHub Stars)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 23,000+ stars

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 40-80 hours for full enterprise setup

Available Plugins/Actions
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 2000+ plugins

Free Monthly Build Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Unlimited (self-hosted)

Platform Support
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea, custom platforms

Deployment Model Options
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Self-hosted only

Scalability Ceiling
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Unlimited (with distributed agents)

Enterprise Support Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: $5000-$50000+ (optional support plans)

Setup Time (First Build)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 120-180 minutes

Base Annual Cost (50 users)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: $0 (self-hosted)

Available Integrations/Plugins
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 1,800+

Infrastructure Maintenance Burden
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 20-40 hours/month

Agent Auto-Scaling
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Manual provisioning via plugins

UI Framework
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Legacy JSP (2010s); Blue Ocean React optional

Deployment Flexibility
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: On-prem, Docker, Kubernetes, VMs, air-gapped

Security Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Responsibility of operator

Base Licensing Cost (Annual)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: $0 (free)

Setup Time (Small Project)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 4-8 hours

Professional Support Availability
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Community only (24/7 forum)

UI/UX Rating (StackOverflow Sentiment)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 6.2/10

Configuration Methods
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 2 (Jenkinsfile + UI)

Active Community Contributors
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 5,000+ (GitHub)

Available Extensions/Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 1,800+ plugins

Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: $1,200 (server + maintenance)

Free Tier Build Minutes/Month
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Unlimited (self-hosted)

Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 3 weeks (Groovy DSL mastery)

Concurrent Workflows (free tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Unlimited (on your infrastructure)

GitHub Repository Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Medium (GitHub plugin + configuration)

GitHub Stars
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: ~22,000 stars

Kubernetes Native
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: No (requires agent/plugin configuration)

Configuration Model
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Imperative Groovy scripting

Automatic Drift Detection
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: No (manual reconciliation)

Installation Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: ~30-60 min (VM setup, Docker, plugins)

Multi-Cloud Platform Support
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Any platform (VM, cloud, on-prem, serverless)

Production Users (Estimated)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: ~200,000+ organizations

Minimum Memory Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 512 MB

GitHub Commits (Annual)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 2,500+

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 60-120 minutes

Kubernetes Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Via plugins/agents

Release Cycle
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Biweekly (2 weeks)

Configuration Language
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Groovy DSL + YAML

GitHub Stars (Community Size)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 23,000+ stars

Supported Platforms
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Kubernetes, VMs, bare metal, cloud-agnostic

Default Reconciliation Interval
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Manual/webhook-based

Infrastructure Requirements
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Dedicated server + agents needed

Configuration Format
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Imperative Groovy/XML (UI + code)

CNCF Sandbox Status
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Not CNCF member

Learning Curve for Kubernetes Teams
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Moderate (familiar CI/CD concepts)

Available Plugins/Tasks
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 1,800+ plugins

Market Share (CI/CD Tools)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: ~45% market share

Container Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Requires configuration

Project Age
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: ~16 years (2010 launch)

YAML/Declarative Pipeline Support
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Secondary (JCasC/Jenkinsfile)

Setup Complexity (1-10, lower is easier)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 5/10 (standard server setup)

Available Plugins/Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 1,800+ official plugins

Baseline Memory Usage
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 512-2,048 MB

Enterprise Market Adoption
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 72%

Container Startup Time
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 30-60 seconds

Kubernetes Integration Type
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: Via plugin (Kubernetes plugin)

Configuration Method
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: UI + Groovy DSL + Jenkinsfile

Community Activity (GitHub stars)
type: PropertyValue
value: CircleCI: N/A | Jenkins: 23,000+ stars

SpeakableSpecification
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CircleCI — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Jenkins — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

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

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

Setup Time (First Pipeline)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Annual Cost (50 users, self-hosted)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Deployment Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Learning Curve (Hours to Intermediate)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Built-in Version Control
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

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

Community Size (GitHub Stars)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Implementation

Available Plugins/Actions
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Free Monthly Build Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Platform Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Deployment Model Options
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Architecture

Scalability Ceiling
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Enterprise Support Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

Setup Time (First Build)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Operational Efficiency

Base Annual Cost (50 users)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Available Integrations/Plugins
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Infrastructure Maintenance Burden
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Operations

Agent Auto-Scaling
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Scalability

UI Framework
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Experience

Deployment Flexibility
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Infrastructure

Security Compliance Certifications
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Security

Base Licensing Cost (Annual)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Cost

Setup Time (Small Project)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Professional Support Availability
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Support

UI/UX Rating (StackOverflow Sentiment)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Experience

Configuration Methods
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Configuration

Active Community Contributors
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Available Extensions/Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Tier Build Minutes/Month
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resources

Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Learning

Concurrent Workflows (free tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

GitHub Repository Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

GitHub Stars
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community

Kubernetes Native
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Platform Architecture

Configuration Model
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Operations

Automatic Drift Detection
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Installation Complexity
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Setup & Onboarding

Multi-Cloud Platform Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment Target

Production Users (Estimated)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise Adoption

Minimum Memory Requirement
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Resources

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

Initial Setup Time
type: PropertyValue
value reference: User Experience

Kubernetes Native Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration

Release Cycle
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Maintenance

Configuration Language
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Configuration

GitHub Stars (Community Size)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Community & Adoption

Supported Platforms
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compatibility

Default Reconciliation Interval
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Infrastructure Requirements
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Deployment

Configuration Format
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

CNCF Sandbox Status
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Standardization

Learning Curve for Kubernetes Teams
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Adoption

Available Plugins/Tasks
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Market Share (CI/CD Tools)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Industry Adoption

Container Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Containerization

Project Age
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Maturity

YAML/Declarative Pipeline Support
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Configuration

Setup Complexity (1-10, lower is easier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ease of Use

Available Plugins/Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Extensibility

Baseline Memory Usage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Performance

Enterprise Market Adoption
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Market Position

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