SHSelfHostIndex

Buildbot vs Woodpecker CI

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?
BU Buildbot Flexible Python-based continuous integration framework VS WO Woodpecker CI Simple, container-native continuous integration
FeatureBuildbotWoodpecker CI
CategoryCI/CD & BuildCI/CD & Build
LicenseGPL-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguagePythonGo
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcedocker, kubernetes
GitHub stars★ 5,460★ 7,650
First released20032019
ReplacesJenkinsJenkins, 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
Buildbot details

Choose Woodpecker CI if…

  • Easy to set up
  • Lightweight CI
  • Good Git integrations
Woodpecker CI details

Frequently asked questions

Is Buildbot or Woodpecker CI better?

Woodpecker CI 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 Woodpecker CI free and open-source?

Yes. Buildbot is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Woodpecker CI under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Buildbot and Woodpecker CI with Docker?

Buildbot: yes. Woodpecker CI: yes.

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