Laminar 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.
| Feature | Laminar | TeamCity |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | CI/CD & Build | CI/CD & Build |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Language | C++ | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 354 | — |
| First released | 2016 | 2006 |
| Replaces | Jenkins | Jenkins, CircleCI |
What are Laminar and TeamCity?
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
TeamCity
TeamCity is a build management and continuous integration server from JetBrains. The Professional edition is free for self-hosting smaller teams and supports many build runners and VCS systems.
- Smart build configuration
- Build chains and dependencies
- Rich VCS integration
- Detailed test reporting
Laminar vs TeamCity: key differences
Laminar is written in C++, while TeamCity is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Laminar versus Proprietary for TeamCity. Laminar is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for TeamCity. TeamCity is the more established project (first released 2006), while Laminar arrived in 2016. TeamCity lists first-class Docker deployment; Laminar does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Laminar if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose TeamCity if…
- Released under the Proprietary license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Laminar or TeamCity better?
Neither is universally better. Laminar has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Laminar and TeamCity free and open-source?
Yes. Laminar is licensed under GPL-3.0 and TeamCity under Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Laminar and TeamCity with Docker?
Laminar: check the project docs for container support. TeamCity: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Laminar or TeamCity?
Laminar has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for TeamCity. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.