Buildbot vs TeamCity
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ci/cd & build options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Buildbot
Flexible Python-based continuous integration framework
VS
TeamCity
Powerful CI/CD server from JetBrains
| Feature | Buildbot | TeamCity |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | Python | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,460 | — |
| First released | 2003 | 2006 |
| Replaces | Jenkins | Jenkins, CircleCI |
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 TeamCity if…
- Released under the Proprietary license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Buildbot or TeamCity better?
Neither is universally better. Buildbot has the larger community, while TeamCity is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Buildbot and TeamCity free and open-source?
Yes. Buildbot is licensed under GPL-2.0 and TeamCity under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Buildbot and TeamCity with Docker?
Buildbot: yes. TeamCity: yes.