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.
| Feature | GoCD | Laminar |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 77 · Good |
| 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 | ★ 7,433 | ★ 354 |
| First released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Jenkins | Jenkins |
What are GoCD and Laminar?
GoCD
GoCD is a continuous delivery and automation server that models complex CD workflows with its value stream map. It visualizes the entire path from commit to deployment.
- Value stream mapping
- Pipeline modeling
- Plugin ecosystem
- Parallel and fan-out builds
Laminar
Laminar is a fast, lightweight CI service that runs build jobs defined as simple shell scripts. It avoids heavy configuration in favor of plain scripts and a minimal web dashboard.
- Scripts as build jobs
- Tiny resource footprint
- Real-time job output
- No web configuration needed
GoCD vs Laminar: key differences
GoCD is written in Java, while Laminar is built with C++. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for GoCD versus GPL-3.0 for Laminar. Laminar is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for GoCD. GoCD is the more established project (first released 2014), while Laminar arrived in 2016. GoCD has the considerably larger community, at 7,433 GitHub stars versus 354. GoCD lists first-class Docker deployment; Laminar does not.
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.
Which is lighter on resources, GoCD or Laminar?
Laminar has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for GoCD. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.