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CI/CD tools · head to head

Jenkins vs GitHub Actions

Sebastiaan Smits Editor Sebastiaan Smits · Published October 19, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026

GitHub Actions wins for most teams whose code already sits on GitHub: workflows are YAML files in the repository and the runners are hosted for you. Jenkins wins where builds must run on your own machines, against any source host, with a plugin for every odd corner of the toolchain, and where someone is willing to administer a server.

Side by side

JenkinsGitHub Actions
What it isOpen source, plugin-based automation serverWorkflow automation built into GitHub repositories
Best forTeams with ops staff and custom build needsTeams whose code already lives on GitHub
HeadquartersUnited StatesUnited States
Pricing modelOpen sourcePer user / month
PricingFree open source software; the real cost is the servers, agents and administrator time you provide.Included with GitHub plans: Free has 2,000 CI/CD minutes a month, Team is $4 per user per month with 3,000 minutes, Enterprise starts at $21 per user per month.
Free optionOpen sourceFree plan
List price
as listed on October 19, 2026		Free open source software, no licence fee; you provide and maintain the servers and agents (as stated on jenkins.io)Included with GitHub plans: Free has 2,000 minutes a month, Team is $4 per user per month with 3,000 minutes, Enterprise starts at $21 per user per month with 50,000 minutes; extra Linux 2-core minutes $0.006 (GitHub pricing and billing docs)
Place in our CI/CD tools ranking#9 of 12#4 of 12
Websitejenkins.iogithub.com

Both are reviewed in full in Best CI/CD Tools in 2026. Position in that ranking can be paid for; the wording of a review or of this comparison cannot. Placement disclosure.

Which one to choose

Choose Jenkins if

your builds have to run on infrastructure you control, your code is spread over several hosts, and you have an administrator who will keep the controller, agents and plugins patched.

Jenkins, #9 in the ranking · Visit Jenkins →

Choose GitHub Actions if

your repositories already live on GitHub and you want pipelines defined as YAML next to the code, with hosted runners and no server of your own to maintain.

GitHub Actions, #4 in the ranking · Visit GitHub Actions →

Where they differ

Who runs the machines

Jenkins is a Java program you install on your own server, and the project's handbook lists 256 MB of RAM and 1 GB of disk as the minimum, with 4 GB or more and 50 GB or more suggested for a small team. Someone must run it, update it and move to new Java versions. GitHub Actions gives you hosted Linux, macOS and Windows runners on day one, so a small team can skip the server entirely.

Edge: GitHub Actions

Defining a pipeline

Jenkins pipelines are written in a Jenkinsfile, in either Declarative or Scripted syntax, and can sit in the repository or in the web interface. Shared libraries let teams reuse code across jobs. GitHub Actions workflows are YAML files under .github/workflows, triggered by repository events, a schedule or a manual run. Jenkins gives a programmer more freedom, Actions gives a newcomer a shorter path to a first green build. Neither is clearly easier overall.

Edge: even

Extensions and integrations

The Jenkins plugin index lists more than 2,300 community plugins, covering source hosts, agents on Kubernetes, credentials and reporting. That breadth reaches tools that GitHub does not know about, including other source control systems. GitHub Actions extends through reusable actions that workflows call as steps, which fits repositories hosted on GitHub well but ties the pipeline to that platform. For unusual toolchains, Jenkins reaches further.

Edge: Jenkins

What it costs

Jenkins is free open source software; the bill is servers, agents and administrator hours. GitHub Actions is included in GitHub plans: Free has 2,000 minutes a month, Team is $4 per user per month with 3,000 minutes, and Linux 2-core minutes beyond the quota cost $0.006. Runs on self-hosted runners and in public repositories using standard hosted runners cost nothing in minutes. For a small team, the included allowance is the cheaper start.

Edge: GitHub Actions

Security upkeep

Jenkins publishes security advisories and acts as a CVE numbering authority, but it says plainly that the number and diversity of plugins and the autonomy of maintainers make timely fixes impossible to guarantee. Patching core and each plugin is the administrator's job. With GitHub-hosted runners, GitHub maintains the runner images and the service. That removes a chore, and it also removes control over when changes land.

Edge: GitHub Actions

Limits you may hit

GitHub-hosted jobs stop after 6 hours, a workflow run is cancelled after 35 days, and concurrent jobs are capped by plan: 20 on Free, 60 on Team, 500 on Enterprise. Self-hosted jobs on GitHub can run for 5 days. A Jenkins controller sets no such plan ceilings, only the capacity of the machines you attach. Teams with very long or very many parallel jobs feel the caps on Actions first.

Edge: Jenkins

Tally: Jenkins 2, GitHub Actions 3, even 1.

When neither fits

A team that wants hosted pipelines without GitHub should look at CircleCI, and a team that wants the repository, issues and pipelines under one roof on a different host should look at GitLab CI/CD.

See CircleCI and GitLab CI/CD among the 12 products in Best CI/CD Tools in 2026.

Questions and answers

Is Jenkins still free?

Yes. Jenkins is open source software that the project says it does not develop or distribute for commercial purposes, so there is no licence fee. You pay for the servers and agents it runs on, plus the time of whoever maintains it.

Does GitHub Actions work with code that is not on GitHub?

Not in the usual way. Workflows are YAML files in a GitHub repository and run on repository events, so Actions belongs to code hosted there. Jenkins can pull from many source hosts through plugins, which is its main advantage for mixed estates.

Can GitHub Actions run on my own servers?

Yes. Self-hosted runners are supported, and GitHub states that Actions usage on them is free. You then maintain those machines, although the workflow definitions and the control plane stay on GitHub.

How much of Jenkins depends on plugins?

A large share. The index lists over 2,300 plugins, and the project says plugins are downloaded with their dependencies from the Update Center. Each one is maintained by its own volunteers, so check how recently a plugin was updated before you rely on it.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 19, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.