The CI/CD Platform Decision
Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment are foundational to modern DevOps and software delivery. The two most discussed options are Jenkins—the veteran open-source CI server—and GitHub Actions—GitHub's native CI/CD offering that's taken the industry by storm.
As CI/CD consultants who've implemented both across organizations of all sizes, we'll share the practical differences that should drive your decision.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Jenkins | GitHub Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted (you manage) | Managed (GitHub-hosted) or self-hosted |
| Pricing | Free (OSS) + infra costs | Free tier + paid minutes |
| Setup Complexity | High (install, configure, maintain) | Low (YAML in repo) |
| Pipeline Syntax | Groovy (Jenkinsfile) | YAML (workflow files) |
| Plugin Ecosystem | 1800+ plugins | Marketplace (growing fast) |
| VCS Integration | Any (Git, SVN, etc.) | GitHub only |
| Scalability | Manual (add agents) | Automatic (managed runners) |
| On-Premises | Native support | Self-hosted runners only |
| Enterprise Features | Via plugins + enterprise version | GitHub Enterprise |
| Best For | Complex, custom, on-prem | GitHub-native, simpler ops |
When to Choose Each Tool
Compare side-by-side to find the right CI/CD platform for your team.
Choose Jenkins
Full control & unlimited flexibility
Runs in your data center or air-gapped environment. Your servers, your rules.
Groovy allows loops, conditionals, shared libraries. When YAML isn't enough.
Plugins for every tool imaginable. Legacy systems, obscure SCMs, specialized tools.
Works with GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, SVN, Perforce—any VCS.
Complete audit trails, custom security policies for regulated industries.
Unlimited builds with no minute-based billing. Lower cost at high volume.
Choose GitHub Actions
GitHub-native simplicity
Seamless integration—PRs trigger workflows, status checks block merges.
No servers to provision or patch. Add YAML and you have CI/CD.
Unlimited free minutes for public repos. Enterprise-grade at zero cost.
Thousands of pre-built actions. Deploy, scan, publish—reusable building blocks.
GitHub-hosted runners scale automatically. Burst to hundreds of parallel jobs.
Developers own their pipelines without infrastructure expertise needed.
Pipeline Syntax Comparison
See how a typical build-test-deploy pipeline looks in both tools.
Jenkinsfile
Groovy DSLDeclarative pipeline with stages
pipeline {
agent any
stages {
stage('Build') {
steps {
sh 'npm install'
sh 'npm run build'
}
}
stage('Test') {
steps {
sh 'npm test'
}
}
stage('Deploy') {
when {
branch 'main'
}
steps {
sh './deploy.sh'
}
}
}
}GitHub Actions
YAML WorkflowWorkflow with jobs and steps
name: CI/CD
on:
push:
branches: [main]
pull_request:
jobs:
build-test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: npm install
- run: npm run build
- run: npm test
deploy:
needs: build-test
if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: ./deploy.shCost Deep Dive
Understanding total cost of ownership beyond sticker price.
Jenkins Costs
Free and open source. CloudBees enterprise has licensing costs.
EC2/VM costs for controller + agents. Storage for artifacts.
Engineering time for setup, maintenance, upgrades, troubleshooting.
Lower TCO at high volume. No per-minute billing.
$500-5,000+/month for typical production setups.
GitHub Actions Costs
Free with unlimited minutes on GitHub-hosted runners.
2,000 minutes/month Linux, 500 MB storage for private repos.
$4/user/month with 3,000 minutes included.
$21/user/month with 50,000 minutes included.
No infrastructure to manage. Self-hosted runners available.
Decision Framework
Answer these questions to guide your decision.
Where Is Your Code?
GitHub → GitHub Actions is the natural fit. GitLab, Bitbucket, other → Jenkins or their native CI. Don't fight the platform.
On-Premises Required?
Yes → Jenkins. Full on-prem deployment native. No → Either works. GitHub Actions with self-hosted runners is an option but adds complexity.
DevOps Team Size?
No dedicated DevOps → GitHub Actions. Less to manage. Platform/DevOps team → Jenkins gives more control and customization.
Pipeline Complexity?
Complex approval flows, shared libraries, custom logic → Jenkins. Groovy is more powerful. Standard build-test-deploy → GitHub Actions. YAML is sufficient.
Build Volume?
Very high volume → Jenkins avoids minute-based billing. Moderate volume → GitHub Actions is simpler with predictable costs.
Security Deep Dive
Security considerations for your CI/CD platform choice.
Jenkins Security
Complete control over security config, network isolation, access controls.
HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, or Credentials plugin.
Can run completely isolated from internet for high security.
You must patch, update, and secure Jenkins yourself.
Plugins can introduce vulnerabilities if not vetted.
GitHub Actions Security
GitHub handles runner security, patching, and isolation.
Encrypted secrets, OIDC for cloud auth (no stored credentials).
Dependabot, secret scanning, code scanning integration.
Your code and secrets are on GitHub's infrastructure.
Third-party actions can be malicious if not reviewed.
Migration Paths
Most Common Migration
Convert Jenkinsfile to workflow YAML. Replace Jenkins plugins with GitHub Actions. Migrate secrets to GitHub Secrets. GitHub provides migration tools and documentation. Typical timeline: 2-6 weeks.
Less Common
Usually driven by on-premises requirements or cost optimization at scale. Convert YAML to Jenkinsfile. Set up Jenkins infrastructure. Find equivalent plugins for Actions used. Timeline: 4-8 weeks.
Hybrid Approach
Some organizations run both: GitHub Actions for standard workflows, Jenkins for complex or on-prem requirements. Works but adds operational complexity. Consider consolidating long-term.
