Jenkins 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?
Jenkins
Extensible open-source automation server for CI/CD
VS
Spinnaker
Multi-cloud continuous delivery platform
| Feature | Jenkins | Spinnaker |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, helm | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 26,434 | ★ 9,762 |
| First released | 2011 | 2015 |
| Replaces | CircleCI | Harness |
Why pick each one
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 Jenkins or Spinnaker better?
Jenkins is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Spinnaker if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Jenkins and Spinnaker free and open-source?
Yes. Jenkins is licensed under MIT and Spinnaker under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jenkins and Spinnaker with Docker?
Jenkins: yes. Spinnaker: check the project docs for container support.