Jenkins is a free, open-source CI/CD platform with extensive plugin ecosystem and steep learning curve, while TeamCity is a commercial, enterprise-focused solution with superior out-of-the-box features and intuitive UI but requires licensing costs.
Jenkins vs TeamCity — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Open-source automation server with extensive plugin ecosystem for CI/CD and infrastructure orchestration
Commercial CI/CD platform by JetBrains with enterprise features, intuitive UI, and professional support
Licensing Model. Out-of-the-Box Setup Time. Plugin Ecosystem. User Interface Complexity. Enterprise Support. Deployment Infrastructure. Configuration as Code
Choose Jenkins if you need maximum flexibility at zero cost and have experienced developers willing to manage infrastructure and plugin configurations. Choose TeamCity if you prioritize rapid deployment, intuitive UI, professional support, and are willing to invest in licensing for enterprise-grade reliability and built-in features.
Jenkins: $0 (self-hosted only) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: ~480-1440 minutes (8-24 hours setup) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Customer responsible | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Varies (depends on deployment) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Unlimited (self-hosted) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Any OS (plugin dependent) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: $5,000 (infrastructure) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Self-hosted only | TeamCity: Cloud + self-hosted
Jenkins: No (requires external Git) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: No (plugin available) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: 40-80 hours for full enterprise setup | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea, custom platforms | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: High - Groovy/Declarative DSL + extensive UI configuration | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Self-hosted only | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Unlimited (with distributed agents) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: $5000-$50000+ (optional support plans) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: 120-180 minutes | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: $0 (self-hosted) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: 20-40 hours/month | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Manual provisioning via plugins | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Legacy JSP (2010s); Blue Ocean React optional | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: On-prem, Docker, Kubernetes, VMs, air-gapped | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Responsibility of operator | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: $0 (free) | TeamCity: $299-$2,299
Jenkins: 4-8 hours | TeamCity: 0.5-1 hour
Jenkins: Community only (24/7 forum) | TeamCity: 24/7 professional support
Jenkins: 2 (Jenkinsfile + UI) | TeamCity: 2 (Kotlin DSL + UI)
Jenkins: 5,000+ (GitHub) | TeamCity: 200+ (JetBrains-led)
Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)
Jenkins: $1,200 (server + maintenance) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: 3 weeks (Groovy DSL mastery) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Unlimited (on your infrastructure) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Medium (GitHub plugin + configuration) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: No (requires agent/plugin configuration) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Imperative Groovy scripting | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: No (manual reconciliation) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: ~30-60 min (VM setup, Docker, plugins) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Any platform (VM, cloud, on-prem, serverless) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: ~200,000+ organizations | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Via plugins/agents | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Biweekly (2 weeks) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Groovy DSL + YAML | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Kubernetes, VMs, bare metal, cloud-agnostic | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Manual/webhook-based | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Dedicated server + agents needed | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Imperative Groovy/XML (UI + code) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Not CNCF member | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Moderate (familiar CI/CD concepts) | TeamCity: N/A
Monthly Cost (5 Users, Mid-Volume Usage)
Jenkins: $50-150/month (server costs only) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Groovy/XML (powerful but complex) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Unlimited (if self-hosted) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: ~23K GitHub stars, 20+ year history | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Full control (on-premises) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: ~45% market share | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Requires configuration | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: ~16 years (2010 launch) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: Secondary (JCasC/Jenkinsfile) | TeamCity: N/A
Setup Complexity (1-10, lower is easier)
Jenkins: 5/10 (standard server setup) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: 1,800+ official plugins | TeamCity: 1,000+ integrations
Jenkins: Via plugin (Kubernetes plugin) | TeamCity: N/A
Jenkins: UI + Groovy DSL + Jenkinsfile | TeamCity: N/A
How to choose between Jenkins and TeamCity
Jenkins vs TeamCity — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Jenkins vs TeamCity. Contains 84 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Jenkins vs TeamCity — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Jenkins vs TeamCity.
Which CI/CD tool is best for startups with limited budgets?
Jenkins is the clear choice for budget-constrained startups since it's completely free and open-source with no per-user licensing fees. However, factor in infrastructure costs and DevOps engineering time for maintenance. Small teams should be aware that Jenkins requires 4-8 hours of initial setup, whereas TeamCity's faster onboarding (30-60 minutes) may save time costs that offset its $299-$2,299 annual licensing.
Which has better integration capabilities for enterprise toolchains?
Jenkins edges out TeamCity with 2,800+ plugins vs 1,000+ integrations, offering more flexibility for niche or legacy system connections. However, TeamCity's integrations are pre-curated and more reliable out-of-the-box. For enterprises prioritizing rapid deployment with minimal integration troubleshooting, TeamCity's professional support (24/7) makes it superior despite fewer total integrations.
Can I migrate from Jenkins to TeamCity or vice versa?
Migration between them is possible but not seamless. Jenkins-to-TeamCity requires recreating pipelines in Kotlin DSL/UI format (manual conversion of Jenkinsfiles). TeamCity-to-Jenkins requires exporting configurations and rewriting them as Jenkinsfiles. Both processes typically require 2-4 weeks for mid-sized deployments with 20+ pipelines. Most organizations use build-and-run-in-parallel approaches during transitions.
What's the total cost of ownership comparison?
Jenkins: $0 software licensing but requires dedicated DevOps FTE ($100K-$150K annually) plus infrastructure costs ($5K-$20K/year). TeamCity: $299-$2,299/year plus modest infrastructure ($2K-$5K) if self-hosted, or fully managed cloud. For 5-person teams, Jenkins TCO is $50K-$70K annually; TeamCity is $10K-$15K annually including licensing. Break-even occurs around 3-4 year timeframes for small teams.
Which tool scales better for large enterprises with 100+ developers?
TeamCity scales more reliably for enterprise environments due to professional support, commercial SLAs, and built-in cluster modes handling thousands of builds. Jenkins can scale via distributed agents but requires expert infrastructure management and becomes operationally complex. Enterprise customers report TeamCity reducing DevOps operational overhead by 40-50% compared to Jenkins at scale.
How to Choose Between Jenkins and TeamCity
Licensing Model: Jenkins has Free, open-source, while TeamCity has Commercial, paid subscription.
Out-of-the-Box Setup Time: Jenkins has 4-8 hours (requires plugins), while TeamCity has 30-60 minutes.
Plugin Ecosystem: Jenkins has 2,800+ plugins available, while TeamCity has 1,000+ integrations.
User Interface Complexity: Jenkins has Steep learning curve, while TeamCity has Intuitive, modern UI.
Enterprise Support: Jenkins has Community-driven, while TeamCity has 24/7 professional support.
Deployment Infrastructure: Jenkins has Self-hosted only, while TeamCity has Cloud or self-hosted options.
Configuration as Code: Jenkins has Jenkinsfile (Groovy-based), while TeamCity has Kotlin DSL or UI-based.