GoCD vs Laminar
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?
GoCD
Open-source continuous delivery server
VS
Laminar
Lightweight and modular continuous integration service
| Feature | GoCD | Laminar |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,419 | ★ 352 |
| First released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Jenkins | Jenkins |
Why pick each one
Choose GoCD if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 7.4k GitHub stars
Choose Laminar if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is GoCD or Laminar better?
Neither is universally better. GoCD has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are GoCD and Laminar free and open-source?
Yes. GoCD is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Laminar under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoCD and Laminar with Docker?
GoCD: yes. Laminar: check the project docs for container support.