6 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to GitHub Actions / CircleCI
The best open-source alternative to GitHub Actions / CircleCI is Gitea (MIT, 58,694 GitHub stars, Docker image). Drone stands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license, and Jenkins stands out for a permissive MIT license.
About GitHub Actions / CircleCI: Hosted continuous integration services that build and test code on every push.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Gitea
go-gitea/gitea
Git with a cup of tea! Painless self-hosted all-in-one software development service, including Git hosting, code review, team collaboration, package registry and CI/CD.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Project ManagementGoDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
Drone
harness/harness
Container-native continuous integration platform.
Active · last commit Oct 23, 2026
CI/CD & DeploymentGoDockerStands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license.
- Rank 3:
Jenkins
jenkinsci/jenkins
The leading open-source automation server for building, testing and deploying software.
Active · last commit Oct 26, 2026
CI/CD & DeploymentJavaDockerStands out for a permissive MIT license.
At a glance
GitHub Actions / CircleCI alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gitea | the most GitHub stars | MIT | 58,694 | 1,901 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| Drone | a permissive Apache-2.0 license | Apache-2.0 | 38,710 | 530 | Oct 23, 2026 | Yes |
| Jenkins | a permissive MIT license | MIT | 26,692 | 1,150 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| GitLab | the most commits in the last 12 months (2,388) | MIT | 24,544 | 2,388 | Oct 23, 2026 | Yes |
| OneDev | AI features named in its own description | MIT | 15,328 | 1,031 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
| Woodpecker CI | – | Apache-2.0 | 8,048 | 1,371 | Oct 26, 2026 | Yes |
Full list
All 6 GitHub Actions / CircleCI alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Gitea
Git with a cup of tea! Painless self-hosted all-in-one software development service, including Git hosting, code review, team collaboration, package registry and CI/CD.
Project ManagementDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Gitea has 58,694 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,901 commits in the last year.
- 2
Drone
Container-native continuous integration platform.
CI/CD & DeploymentDockerStands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license. Drone has 38,710 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 530 commits in the last year.
- 3
Jenkins
The leading open-source automation server for building, testing and deploying software.
CI/CD & DeploymentDockerStands out for a permissive MIT license. Jenkins has 26,692 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,150 commits in the last year.
- 4
GitLab
DevOps platform with Git hosting, CI/CD, issue tracking and security scanning in one app.
Project ManagementDockerStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (2,388). GitLab has 24,544 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 2,388 commits in the last year.
- 5
OneDev
All-In-One DevOps Platform. With Git Management, Issue Tracking, and CI/CD. Simple yet Powerful.
Project ManagementDockerAI-nativeStands out for AI features named in its own description. OneDev has 15,328 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 1,031 commits in the last year.
- 6
Woodpecker CI
Simple yet powerful container-based CI/CD engine.
CI/CD & DeploymentDockerWoodpecker CI has 8,048 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,371 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to GitHub Actions / CircleCI?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace GitHub Actions / CircleCI without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.
Can I self-host an alternative to GitHub Actions / CircleCI with Docker?
Yes. All 6 apps here publish a Docker image, including Gitea, Drone and Jenkins, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which GitHub Actions / CircleCI alternative is the most actively developed?
GitLab (MIT), with 2,388 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.