software
GitHub Actions vs Travis CI 2026: Free CI/CD Comparison
GitHub Actions is free for public repositories and integrates natively with GitHub, while Travis CI charges for private repositories and requires external configuration. GitHub Actions has become the default choice for most GitHub-hosted projects due to its seamless integration and generous free tier.
GA
GitHub Actions
Native GitHub CI/CD platform with free unlimited minutes for public repos
Teams using GitHub who want zero-friction CI/CD setup, open-source projects, and those seeking cost-effective automation
Score71%
VS
Travis CI
Established CI/CD platform with history of supporting multi-platform deployments
Enterprises with multi-VCS requirements, projects already configured on Travis CI, or teams needing advanced deployment features
Score50%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryGitHub Actions is free for public repositories and integrates natively with GitHub, while Travis CI charges for private repositories and requires external configuration. GitHub Actions has become the default choice for most GitHub-hosted projects due to its seamless integration and generous free tier.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose GitHub Actions if you host on GitHub and want a free, tightly integrated CI/CD solution with minimal setup—it's the modern standard for most projects. Choose Travis CI only if you have existing infrastructure, need multi-repository orchestration across non-GitHub platforms, or have legacy projects already configured on their system.
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G
GitHub Actions
9.4/10
Travis CI
5.6/10
G
Choose GitHub Actions if
Best pickTeams using GitHub who want zero-friction CI/CD setup, open-source projects, and those seeking cost-effective automation
Choose Travis CI if
Enterprises with multi-VCS requirements, projects already configured on Travis CI, or teams needing advanced deployment features
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Pricing for Private Repos:✓ GitHub Actions wins(Free (up to 2,000 minutes/month) vs From $69/month or $129/month for higher limits)
- Native GitHub Integration:✓ GitHub Actions wins(Built directly into GitHub vs Requires external OAuth connection)
- Configuration File Location:.github/workflows/ directory vs .travis.yml in repository root
Key Facts & Figures
79 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | GitHub Actions | Travis CI | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes) | 3,000 (public repos) | — | — |
| Supported VCS Platforms(count) | 1 (GitHub only) | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | |
| Maximum Parallel Jobs(jobs) | 256 concurrent | — | — |
| Setup Time for New Projects(minutes) | 5 minutes | — | — |
| Community Actions/Orbs Available(count) | 20,000+ actions | — | — |
| Estimated Learning Curve(weeks) | 1-2 weeks | — | — |
| Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)(minutes) | 2,000 minutes | — | — |
| Container Registry Free Storage(GB) | 0.5 GB per project | — | — |
| Marketplace Ecosystem Size(actions/templates) | 11,000+ Actions | — | — |
| Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost(USD/month per user) | $200/month (Advanced Security tier) | — | — |
| Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)(concurrent jobs) | 20 matrix configurations | — | — |
| Available Extensions/Integrations(count) | 13,000+ actions | — | — |
| Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)(USD) | $25 (usage-based + GitHub Team) | — | — |
| Free Tier Build Minutes/Month(minutes) | 2,000 (private) / unlimited (public) | — | — |
| Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks) | 1 week (YAML basics) | — | — |
| Concurrent Workflows (free tier)(parallel jobs) | 20 (GitHub-hosted runners) | — | — |
| Setup Time to First Pipeline(minutes) | 5-15 minutes | — | — |
| Free Tier Execution Minutes(minutes/month) | 2,000-3,000 | — | — |
| Supported Git Providers(platforms) | GitHub (primary), limited others | — | — |
| Project Age(years) | 6 years (since 2019) | — | — |
| Marketplace Actions/Extensions(integrations) | 18,000+ actions | — | — |
| Starting Cost (Monthly)(USD) | $0 (free tier available) | — | — |
| Free Build Minutes Monthly(minutes) | 2,000 (private repos) | — | — |
| Maximum Job Duration(minutes) | 360 (6 hours) | — | — |
| Default Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 5 | — | — |
| Artifact Retention Period(days) | 90 | — | — |
| Marketplace Actions Available(actions) | 11,000+ | — | — |
| Setup Time for First Build(minutes) | 5-10 (YAML config only) | — | — |
| Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (unlimited for public repos) | — | — |
| Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 20 concurrent jobs | — | — |
| Available Integrations/Actions(count) | 10,000+ | — | — |
| Cost Per Minute (Overage)(USD) | $0.008 | — | — |
| Starting Team Pricing(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available) | — | — |
| Active Community Repositories(count) | 750,000+ | — | — |
| Configuration File Complexity (1-5 scale)(scale) | 4 (complex YAML, matrix builds) | — | — |
| Free Minutes Per Month (Private Repos)(minutes) | 3,000 minutes | 0 minutes | |
| Minimum Paid Plan Cost(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available) | $69/month | |
| Marketplace Integrations(integrations) | 10,000+ verified actions | 500+ community apps | |
| Market Adoption Rate(percent) | 42% of CI/CD users (2024) | 8% of CI/CD users (2024) | |
| Linux Runner Cost Per Minute(USD/minute) | $0.008 | $0.012 | |
| Multi-Platform Git Support(count) | GitHub only | 4 major platforms (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea) | |
| Setup Time for First Workflow(minutes) | 5 minutes (native UI) | 10 minutes (external setup) | |
| OS Runner Support(count) | 3 (Linux, Windows, macOS) | 3 (Linux, Windows, macOS) | |
| Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (public repos only) | — | — |
| Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost(USD per minute) | $0.008/minute | — | — |
| Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement(x faster) | Standard caching (1x baseline) | — | — |
| Artifact Storage Max Size(GB) | 400 GB | — | — |
| Community Actions/Orbs Available(count) | 15,000+ actions | — | — |
| Setup Time (GitHub Repo)(minutes) | 2-3 minutes (native) | — | — |
| Free Tier Limits(minutes/month) | 2,000 minutes/month | — | — |
| Setup Time (initial)(hours) | 1-2 hours | — | — |
| Free Tier Monthly Cost(USD) | Free (2,000 min/month included) | — | — |
| Free Monthly Build Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (public: unlimited) | — | — |
| Marketplace Actions/Plugins(count) | 20,000+ | — | — |
| Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 20 | 1 | |
| Overage Cost per 1,000 Minutes(USD) | $0.24 | — | — |
| Years Since Launch(years) | 6 years (2019) | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (5 Private Repos, 100 builds/month)(USD) | $14.40 (2,000 free min + 1,800 excess min × $0.008) | — | — |
| Default Concurrent Jobs (Free/Base Tier)(jobs) | 20 concurrent jobs | — | — |
| Supported Git Platforms(platforms) | 1 (GitHub only) | — | — |
| Marketplace Integrations Available(integrations) | 10,000+ public actions | — | — |
| Default Artifact Storage(GB) | 5GB (per repository) | — | — |
| Initial Setup Time(minutes) | 2-3 minutes (GitHub integration native) | — | — |
| Build Parallelization Ceiling(jobs) | 20 jobs maximum per repository | — | — |
| Monthly Cost for Private Repos (Small Team)(USD) | $0 (includes 2,000 minutes) | $69/month | |
| Free Tier Concurrent Jobs(jobs) | 20 concurrent jobs | 1 concurrent job | |
| Free Minutes Per Month (Private)(minutes) | 2,000 minutes | 0 minutes (paid only) | |
| Marketplace Actions/Integrations(count) | 5,000+ public actions | ~200 community orbs | |
| Setup Time for New Project(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | 15-20 minutes | |
| Supported Languages (Pre-configured)(languages) | 20+ languages | 14+ languages | |
| Market Share on GitHub Projects(percent) | 68% adoption | 8% adoption | |
| Average Build Duration(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | 5-10 minutes | |
| Concurrent Jobs on Free Tier(jobs) | 1 concurrent job | 1 concurrent job | |
| Minimum Team Plan Cost(USD/month) | $69 per month | $69 per month | |
| Orb/Integration Ecosystem(integrations) | Limited marketplace (~50 integrations) | Limited marketplace (~50 integrations) | |
| Free Tier Monthly Credits(credits) | 0 (deprecated) | 0 (deprecated) | |
| Average Build Execution Time(minutes) | 10 | 10 | |
| Minimum Paid Plan(USD/month) | $69 | $69 | |
| Configuration File Complexity (1-10 scale)(scale) | 2 (very simple) | 2 (very simple) |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
GA
6GitHub ActionsGitHub Actions leads1 tie
GitHub Actions
Attribute
Travis CI
- Free (up to 2,000 minutes/month)(winner)Pricing for Private ReposFrom $69/month or $129/month for higher limits
- Built directly into GitHub(winner)Native GitHub IntegrationRequires external OAuth connection
- .github/workflows/ directoryConfiguration File Location.travis.yml in repository root
- 20+ languages with pre-built runners(winner)Supported Languages (Out-of-Box)14+ languages with custom setup required
- 20 concurrent jobs(winner)Free Tier Concurrent Jobs1 concurrent job
- 5,000+ public actions available(winner)Marketplace IntegrationsLimited ecosystem, requires custom scripts
- 68% of GitHub projects(winner)Market Share Among GitHub Projects8% of GitHub projects
- Pricing for Private Repos
GitHub Actions
Free (up to 2,000 minutes/month)(winner)
Travis CI
From $69/month or $129/month for higher limits
- Native GitHub Integration
GitHub Actions
Built directly into GitHub(winner)
Travis CI
Requires external OAuth connection
- Configuration File Location
GitHub Actions
.github/workflows/ directory
Travis CI
.travis.yml in repository root
- Supported Languages (Out-of-Box)
GitHub Actions
20+ languages with pre-built runners(winner)
Travis CI
14+ languages with custom setup required
- Free Tier Concurrent Jobs
GitHub Actions
20 concurrent jobs(winner)
Travis CI
1 concurrent job
- Marketplace Integrations
GitHub Actions
5,000+ public actions available(winner)
Travis CI
Limited ecosystem, requires custom scripts
- Market Share Among GitHub Projects
GitHub Actions
68% of GitHub projects(winner)
Travis CI
8% of GitHub projects
Full Comparison
| Attribute | GitHub Actions | Travis CI |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes) | 3,000 (public repos) | — |
| Free Monthly Build Minutes(minutes) | 2000 minutes (GitHub-hosted runners) | — |
| Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)(USD) | $25 (usage-based + GitHub Team) | — |
| Self-Hosted Option | Self-hosted runners available | — |
| Starting Cost (Monthly)(USD) | $0 (free tier available) | — |
Show 11 more attributesFree Build Minutes Monthly(minutes) 2,000 (private repos) — Free Minutes Per Month (Private Repos)(minutes) 3,000 minutes 0 minutes Linux Runner Cost Per Minute(USD/minute) $0.008 $0.012 Free Tier Limits(minutes/month) 2,000 minutes/month — Managed Service Cost (monthly)(USD) $0.008 per minute — Free Tier Monthly Cost(USD) Free (2,000 min/month included) — Monthly Cost (5 Private Repos, 100 builds/month)(USD) $14.40 (2,000 free min + 1,800 excess min × $0.008) — Monthly Cost for Private Repos (Small Team)(USD) $0 (includes 2,000 minutes) $69/month Free Minutes Per Month (Private)(minutes) 2,000 minutes 0 minutes (paid only) Minimum Paid Plan(USD/month) $69 — Cost per 1,000 Credits(USD) Not available — | ||
| Supported VCS Platforms(count) | 1 (GitHub only) | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket(winner) |
| Platform Support | GitHub only (primary) | — |
| GitHub Repository Integration(setup complexity) | Native (zero additional setup) | — |
| GitHub Integration Type | Native (built-in) | — |
| Repository Platform Requirement(text) | GitHub only | — |
Show 1 more attributeNative GitHub Integration Built-in, no external setup Requires OAuth token | ||
| Maximum Parallel Jobs(jobs) | 256 concurrent | — |
| Scalability Ceiling(concurrent jobs) | Limited by GitHub account quotas | — |
| Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)(concurrent jobs) | 20 matrix configurations | — |
| Concurrent Workflows (free tier)(parallel jobs) | 20 (GitHub-hosted runners) | — |
| Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement(x faster) | Standard caching (1x baseline) | — |
Show 6 more attributesConcurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) 20 1 Default Concurrent Jobs (Free/Base Tier)(jobs) 20 concurrent jobs — Free Tier Concurrent Jobs(jobs) 20 concurrent jobs 1 concurrent job Average Build Duration(minutes) 5-10 minutes — Concurrent Jobs on Free Tier(jobs) 1 concurrent job — Average Build Execution Time(minutes) 10 — | ||
| Setup Time for New Projects(minutes) | 5 minutes | — |
| Estimated Learning Curve(weeks) | 1-2 weeks | — |
| Configuration Complexity | Low - Simple YAML syntax | — |
| Setup Time to First Pipeline(minutes) | 5-15 minutes | — |
| Configuration File Complexity (1-5 scale)(scale) | 4 (complex YAML, matrix builds) | — |
Show 3 more attributesSetup Time for First Workflow(minutes) 5 minutes (native UI) 10 minutes (external setup) Setup Time (GitHub Repo)(minutes) 2-3 minutes (native) — Configuration File Complexity (1-10 scale)(scale) 2 (very simple) — | ||
| Community Actions/Orbs Available(count) | 20,000+ actions | — |
| Orb/Integration Ecosystem(integrations) | Limited marketplace (~50 integrations) | — |
| Enterprise Support SLA | Standard support available | — |
| Enterprise Support Cost(USD/year (estimated)) | $231/user/year (GitHub Enterprise) | — |
| Self-Hosted Runner Capability | Supported with basic controls | — |
| Kubernetes Requirement(required) | Not required | — |
| Initial Setup Time(hours) | 15 minutes to first workflow | — |
| Setup Time (initial)(hours) | 1-2 hours | — |
| Available Plugins/Actions(count) | 10000+ actions | — |
| Marketplace Ecosystem Size(actions/templates) | 11,000+ Actions | — |
| Marketplace Actions/Extensions(integrations) | 18,000+ actions | — |
| Marketplace Actions Available(actions) | 11,000+ | — |
| Available Integrations/Actions(count) | 10,000+ | — |
Show 6 more attributesActive Community Repositories(count) 750,000+ — Marketplace Integrations(integrations) 10,000+ verified actions 500+ community apps Community Actions/Orbs Available(count) 15,000+ actions — Marketplace Actions/Plugins(count) 20,000+ — Marketplace Integrations Available(integrations) 10,000+ public actions — Marketplace Actions/Integrations(count) 5,000+ public actions ~200 community orbs | ||
| Deployment Model Options(count) | Cloud-hosted and self-hosted | — |
| Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)(minutes) | 2,000 minutes | — |
| Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (unlimited for public repos) | — |
| Cost Per Minute (Overage)(USD) | $0.008 | — |
| Starting Team Pricing(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available) | — |
| Minimum Paid Plan Cost(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available)(winner) | $69/month |
Show 2 more attributesFree Monthly Build Minutes(minutes) 2,000 (public: unlimited) — Overage Cost per 1,000 Minutes(USD) $0.24 — | ||
| Container Registry Free Storage(GB) | 0.5 GB per project | — |
| Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost(USD/month per user) | $200/month (Advanced Security tier) | — |
| Self-Hosted Option Available | Enterprise Server tier (paid only, $231+/month) | — |
| Self-Hosted Infrastructure Required(boolean) | No (fully managed by GitHub) | — |
| Built-in Project Management Features | Issues, basic Boards, limited automation | — |
| Native GitHub Integration Required | Integrated (GitHub-only) | — |
| Available Extensions/Integrations(count) | 13,000+ actions | — |
| OS Runner Support(count) | 3 (Linux, Windows, macOS) | 3 (Linux, Windows, macOS) |
| SSH Debug Into Failed Jobs | Not supported | — |
| Supported Languages (Pre-configured)(languages) | 20+ languages(winner) | 14+ languages |
| Docker Layer Caching | Limited support | — |
Show 2 more attributesSupported Version Control Systems GitHub primary, limited others — Native Docker Layer Caching Not available — | ||
| Free Tier Build Minutes/Month(minutes) | 2,000 (private) / unlimited (public) | — |
| Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks) | 1 week (YAML basics) | — |
| Data Residency Control | No (GitHub cloud default, Enterprise option) | — |
| Free Tier Execution Minutes(minutes/month) | 2,000-3,000 | — |
| Supported Git Providers(platforms) | GitHub (primary), limited others | — |
| Repository Host Lock-in | GitHub only | — |
| Project Age(years) | 6 years (since 2019) | — |
| Years Since Launch(years) | 6 years (2019) | — |
| Enterprise Adoption(Fortune 500 companies) | Microsoft, GitHub, 60% of public repos | — |
| Maximum Job Duration(minutes) | 360 (6 hours) | — |
| Default Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 5 | — |
| Artifact Retention Period(days) | 90 | — |
| Default Artifact Storage(GB) | 5GB (per repository) | — |
| Setup Time for First Build(minutes) | 5-10 (YAML config only) | — |
| Setup Time for New Project(minutes) | 5-10 minutes(winner) | 15-20 minutes |
| Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 20 concurrent jobs | — |
| Market Adoption Rate(percent) | 42% of CI/CD users (2024)(winner) | 8% of CI/CD users (2024) |
| Market Share on GitHub Projects(percent) | 68% adoption(winner) | 8% adoption |
| Multi-Platform Git Support(count) | GitHub only | 4 major platforms (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea)(winner) |
| Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (public repos only) | — |
| Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost(USD per minute) | $0.008/minute | — |
| Artifact Storage Max Size(GB) | 400 GB | — |
| Kubernetes CRD Support(percentage) | Requires plugins | — |
| Native Jira Integration | Via third-party actions (workaround) | — |
| Supported Git Platforms(platforms) | 1 (GitHub only) | — |
| Initial Setup Time(minutes) | 2-3 minutes (GitHub integration native) | — |
| Build Parallelization Ceiling(jobs) | 20 jobs maximum per repository | — |
| Free Tier Builds per Month(builds) | Unlimited for open-source | — |
| Minimum Team Plan Cost(USD/month) | $69 per month | — |
| Free Tier Monthly Credits(credits) | 0 (deprecated) | — |
| Enterprise SSO Support | Available on Enterprise plan only | — |
GGitHub Actions
Travis CIFree Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes)
3,000 (public repos)
—
Free Monthly Build Minutes(minutes)
2000 minutes (GitHub-hosted runners)
—
Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)(USD)
$25 (usage-based + GitHub Team)
—
Self-Hosted Option
Self-hosted runners available
—
Starting Cost (Monthly)(USD)
$0 (free tier available)
—
Show 11 more attributes
Free Build Minutes Monthly(minutes)
2,000 (private repos)
—
Free Minutes Per Month (Private Repos)(minutes)
3,000 minutes
0 minutes
Linux Runner Cost Per Minute(USD/minute)
$0.008
$0.012
Free Tier Limits(minutes/month)
2,000 minutes/month
—
Managed Service Cost (monthly)(USD)
$0.008 per minute
—
Free Tier Monthly Cost(USD)
Free (2,000 min/month included)
—
Monthly Cost (5 Private Repos, 100 builds/month)(USD)
$14.40 (2,000 free min + 1,800 excess min × $0.008)
—
Monthly Cost for Private Repos (Small Team)(USD)
$0 (includes 2,000 minutes)
$69/month
Free Minutes Per Month (Private)(minutes)
2,000 minutes
0 minutes (paid only)
Minimum Paid Plan(USD/month)
$69
—
Cost per 1,000 Credits(USD)
Not available
—
Supported VCS Platforms(count)
1 (GitHub only)
GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
Platform Support
GitHub only (primary)
—
GitHub Repository Integration(setup complexity)
Native (zero additional setup)
—
GitHub Integration Type
Native (built-in)
—
Repository Platform Requirement(text)
GitHub only
—
Show 1 more attribute
Native GitHub Integration
Built-in, no external setup
Requires OAuth token
Maximum Parallel Jobs(jobs)
256 concurrent
—
Scalability Ceiling(concurrent jobs)
Limited by GitHub account quotas
—
Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)(concurrent jobs)
20 matrix configurations
—
Concurrent Workflows (free tier)(parallel jobs)
20 (GitHub-hosted runners)
—
Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement(x faster)
Standard caching (1x baseline)
—
Show 6 more attributes
Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs)
20
1
Default Concurrent Jobs (Free/Base Tier)(jobs)
20 concurrent jobs
—
Free Tier Concurrent Jobs(jobs)
20 concurrent jobs
1 concurrent job
Average Build Duration(minutes)
5-10 minutes
—
Concurrent Jobs on Free Tier(jobs)
1 concurrent job
—
Average Build Execution Time(minutes)
10
—
Setup Time for New Projects(minutes)
5 minutes
—
Estimated Learning Curve(weeks)
1-2 weeks
—
Configuration Complexity
Low - Simple YAML syntax
—
Setup Time to First Pipeline(minutes)
5-15 minutes
—
Configuration File Complexity (1-5 scale)(scale)
4 (complex YAML, matrix builds)
—
Show 3 more attributes
Setup Time for First Workflow(minutes)
5 minutes (native UI)
10 minutes (external setup)
Setup Time (GitHub Repo)(minutes)
2-3 minutes (native)
—
Configuration File Complexity (1-10 scale)(scale)
2 (very simple)
—
Community Actions/Orbs Available(count)
20,000+ actions
—
Orb/Integration Ecosystem(integrations)
Limited marketplace (~50 integrations)
—
Enterprise Support SLA
Standard support available
—
Enterprise Support Cost(USD/year (estimated))
$231/user/year (GitHub Enterprise)
—
Self-Hosted Runner Capability
Supported with basic controls
—
Kubernetes Requirement(required)
Not required
—
Initial Setup Time(hours)
15 minutes to first workflow
—
Setup Time (initial)(hours)
1-2 hours
—
Available Plugins/Actions(count)
10000+ actions
—
Marketplace Ecosystem Size(actions/templates)
11,000+ Actions
—
Marketplace Actions/Extensions(integrations)
18,000+ actions
—
Marketplace Actions Available(actions)
11,000+
—
Available Integrations/Actions(count)
10,000+
—
Show 6 more attributes
Active Community Repositories(count)
750,000+
—
Marketplace Integrations(integrations)
10,000+ verified actions
500+ community apps
Community Actions/Orbs Available(count)
15,000+ actions
—
Marketplace Actions/Plugins(count)
20,000+
—
Marketplace Integrations Available(integrations)
10,000+ public actions
—
Marketplace Actions/Integrations(count)
5,000+ public actions
~200 community orbs
Deployment Model Options(count)
Cloud-hosted and self-hosted
—
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)(minutes)
2,000 minutes
—
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes(minutes)
2,000 (unlimited for public repos)
—
Cost Per Minute (Overage)(USD)
$0.008
—
Starting Team Pricing(USD/month)
$0 (free tier available)
—
Minimum Paid Plan Cost(USD/month)
$0 (free tier available)
$69/month
Show 2 more attributes
Free Monthly Build Minutes(minutes)
2,000 (public: unlimited)
—
Overage Cost per 1,000 Minutes(USD)
$0.24
—
Container Registry Free Storage(GB)
0.5 GB per project
—
Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost(USD/month per user)
$200/month (Advanced Security tier)
—
Self-Hosted Option Available
Enterprise Server tier (paid only, $231+/month)
—
Self-Hosted Infrastructure Required(boolean)
No (fully managed by GitHub)
—
Built-in Project Management Features
Issues, basic Boards, limited automation
—
Native GitHub Integration Required
Integrated (GitHub-only)
—
Available Extensions/Integrations(count)
13,000+ actions
—
OS Runner Support(count)
3 (Linux, Windows, macOS)
3 (Linux, Windows, macOS)
SSH Debug Into Failed Jobs
Not supported
—
Supported Languages (Pre-configured)(languages)
20+ languages
14+ languages
Docker Layer Caching
Limited support
—
Show 2 more attributes
Supported Version Control Systems
GitHub primary, limited others
—
Native Docker Layer Caching
Not available
—
Free Tier Build Minutes/Month(minutes)
2,000 (private) / unlimited (public)
—
Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks)
1 week (YAML basics)
—
Data Residency Control
No (GitHub cloud default, Enterprise option)
—
Free Tier Execution Minutes(minutes/month)
2,000-3,000
—
Supported Git Providers(platforms)
GitHub (primary), limited others
—
Repository Host Lock-in
GitHub only
—
Project Age(years)
6 years (since 2019)
—
Years Since Launch(years)
6 years (2019)
—
Enterprise Adoption(Fortune 500 companies)
Microsoft, GitHub, 60% of public repos
—
Maximum Job Duration(minutes)
360 (6 hours)
—
Default Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs)
5
—
Artifact Retention Period(days)
90
—
Default Artifact Storage(GB)
5GB (per repository)
—
Setup Time for First Build(minutes)
5-10 (YAML config only)
—
Setup Time for New Project(minutes)
5-10 minutes
15-20 minutes
Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs)
20 concurrent jobs
—
Market Adoption Rate(percent)
42% of CI/CD users (2024)
8% of CI/CD users (2024)
Market Share on GitHub Projects(percent)
68% adoption
8% adoption
Multi-Platform Git Support(count)
GitHub only
4 major platforms (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea)
Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes(minutes)
2,000 (public repos only)
—
Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost(USD per minute)
$0.008/minute
—
Artifact Storage Max Size(GB)
400 GB
—
Kubernetes CRD Support(percentage)
Requires plugins
—
Native Jira Integration
Via third-party actions (workaround)
—
Supported Git Platforms(platforms)
1 (GitHub only)
—
Initial Setup Time(minutes)
2-3 minutes (GitHub integration native)
—
Build Parallelization Ceiling(jobs)
20 jobs maximum per repository
—
Free Tier Builds per Month(builds)
Unlimited for open-source
—
Minimum Team Plan Cost(USD/month)
$69 per month
—
Free Tier Monthly Credits(credits)
0 (deprecated)
—
Enterprise SSO Support
Available on Enterprise plan only
—
Pros & Cons
9 pros·6 cons across both
GA
GA
GitHub Actions
+5-2
Pros
- Free for public repositories with unlimited minutes
- Native GitHub integration—no external authentication required
- 20 concurrent jobs on free tier vs Travis CI's 1
- 5,000+ pre-built actions in GitHub Marketplace reduce boilerplate
- Matrix builds for testing across multiple OS/language versions simultaneously
Cons
- Limited to 2,000 minutes/month on private repos (paid plans start at $4/month for 3,000 additional minutes)
- Younger ecosystem with less historical documentation compared to Travis CI
Travis CI
+4-4
Pros
- Established platform since 2011 with mature documentation and community knowledge
- Support for multiple version control systems (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket)
- Detailed build logs and historical build data
- Good support for complex deployment pipelines and enterprise environments
Cons
- Paid plans required for private repositories ($69/month minimum for 10 concurrent jobs)
- Only 1 concurrent job on free tier vs GitHub Actions' 20
- Requires external OAuth setup and leaves GitHub ecosystem
- Smaller action/plugin ecosystem compared to GitHub Actions' marketplace
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
GitHub Actions provides 2,000 free minutes per month for private repositories, which covers most small team workflows. Once you exceed that, you pay $0.24 per additional minute. For comparison, Travis CI charges a flat $69/month minimum with no free tier for private repos. GitHub Actions is significantly cheaper for most projects.
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