Jenkins vs TeamCity
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
TeamCity
Powerful CI/CD server from JetBrains
| Feature | Jenkins | TeamCity |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | MIT | Proprietary |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, helm | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 26,434 | — |
| First released | 2011 | 2006 |
| Replaces | CircleCI | Jenkins, CircleCI |
Why pick each one
Choose TeamCity if…
- Released under the Proprietary license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Jenkins or TeamCity better?
Neither is universally better. Jenkins has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Jenkins and TeamCity free and open-source?
Yes. Jenkins is licensed under MIT and TeamCity under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jenkins and TeamCity with Docker?
Jenkins: yes. TeamCity: yes.