GoCD vs Spinnaker
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?
| Feature | GoCD | Spinnaker |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,419 | ★ 9,762 |
| First released | 2014 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Jenkins | Harness |
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 Spinnaker if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 9.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is GoCD or Spinnaker better?
Neither is universally better. Spinnaker has the larger community, while GoCD is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are GoCD and Spinnaker free and open-source?
Yes. GoCD is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Spinnaker under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoCD and Spinnaker with Docker?
GoCD: yes. Spinnaker: check the project docs for container support.