Buildbot vs Drone
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ci/cd & build options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Buildbot
Flexible Python-based continuous integration framework
VS
Drone
Container-based continuous delivery platform
| Feature | Buildbot | Drone |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 97 · Excellent |
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,474 | ★ 38,422 |
| First released | 2003 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Jenkins | Jenkins, CircleCI |
What are Buildbot and Drone?
Buildbot
Buildbot is an open-source continuous integration framework that automates the compile and test cycle. Configured entirely in Python, it scales from small projects to large distributed self-hosted build farms.
- Python-based config
- Distributed build workers
- Highly customizable
- Web dashboard
Drone
Drone is a container-based continuous integration and delivery platform that runs each pipeline step in an isolated container. It targets teams wanting CI defined entirely in code. It is deployed via Docker.
- Pipelines defined as code
- Every step runs in a container
- Many Git provider integrations
- Plugin ecosystem
Buildbot vs Drone: key differences
Buildbot is written in Python, while Drone is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Buildbot versus Apache-2.0 for Drone. Drone is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Buildbot. Buildbot is the more established project (first released 2003), while Drone arrived in 2014. Drone has the considerably larger community, at 38,422 GitHub stars versus 5,474.
Why pick each one
Choose Buildbot if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Choose Drone if…
- Clean container model
- Configuration as code
- Scales with runners
Watch out for
- Now under commercial steward
- Spurred the Woodpecker fork
Frequently asked questions
Is Buildbot or Drone better?
Drone is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Buildbot if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Buildbot and Drone free and open-source?
Yes. Buildbot is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Drone under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buildbot and Drone with Docker?
Buildbot: yes. Drone: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Buildbot or Drone?
Drone has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Buildbot. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.