Softwr

Software · head to head

Asyncapi vs CircleCI

Asyncapi logo

Asyncapi

Software

Specification and tools for defining asynchronous APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
CircleCI logo

CircleCI

Software

The leading CI/CD platform

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Asyncapi complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature; CircleCI the free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Asyncapi and CircleCI actually diverge.

Attributes where Asyncapi and CircleCI differ
AttributeAsyncapiCircleCI
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsWeb, CLI, IDE ExtensionsWeb
Founded20192011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Asyncapi

  • API Specification
  • Code generation
  • Documentation
  • Multiple messaging protocols
  • Code generators
  • Specification support
  • Tools support
  • CLI support

Only in CircleCI

Nothing recorded that Asyncapi does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Asyncapi

  • API Developmentnot CircleCI
  • API Gatewaynot CircleCI
  • API Testingnot CircleCI
  • API Documentationnot CircleCI
  • Microservicesnot CircleCI

CircleCI

  • Continuous integration pipelines for application codenot Asyncapi
  • Parallel test execution across containersnot Asyncapi
  • Docker-based builds with layer cachingnot Asyncapi
  • Deployment pipelines with approval gatesnot Asyncapi
  • Self-hosted runners for private infrastructurenot Asyncapi

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Asyncapi

  • Complex to implement and debug asynchronous operations due to their non-linear and concurrent nature
  • Keeping AsyncAPI documents up to date is challenging as systems evolve
  • Tracing and debugging asynchronous operations is more difficult than synchronous request-response patterns

CircleCI

  • The free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
  • Active users are billed at $15 each beyond the included five, and an active user is anyone who commits to a project
  • Everything runs on credits, so compute, Docker layer caching at 200 credits a job and IP ranges at 450 credits per GB all draw from the same pool
  • Network and storage overage costs 420 credits per GB
  • Free credits expire monthly with no rollover, and paid credits expire after a year
  • Scale is annual billing only

Pricing, plan by plan

Asyncapi

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • AsyncAPI specification
    • Tools
    • Community support

CircleCI

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CircleCI review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Asyncapi if

  • You need api specification.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions.
  • You also want code generation.

Choose CircleCI if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is Asyncapi or CircleCI better?
Neither clearly leads. Asyncapi starts at Free and CircleCI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Asyncapi or CircleCI?
Asyncapi starts at Free and CircleCI at Free.
Does Asyncapi or CircleCI run on more platforms?
Asyncapi runs on Web, CLI, IDE Extensions. CircleCI runs on Web.
Can I use Asyncapi for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Asyncapi best used for?
Asyncapi is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what CircleCI is typically brought in for.
What can Asyncapi do that CircleCI cannot?
Asyncapi covers API Specification, Code generation, Documentation, Multiple messaging protocols.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Asyncapi: What is AsyncAPI used for?

AsyncAPI is an open-source specification for defining and documenting asynchronous APIs, message-driven systems, and event-driven architectures. It serves the same purpose for async APIs as OpenAPI does for REST APIs, providing standardized documentation, code generation, and tooling.

Source
Asyncapi: Is AsyncAPI free to use?

Yes, AsyncAPI is completely free and open-source. It is hosted by the Linux Foundation and supported by community contributions and sponsorships from companies like Postman, IBM, IQVIA Technology, and Solace.

Source
Asyncapi: What protocols and technologies does AsyncAPI support?

AsyncAPI supports multiple protocols and technologies including Kafka, RabbitMQ, MQTT, Socket.IO, AWS EventBridge, and others. It provides language support for JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Java, Go, C#/.NET, Kotlin, and PHP.

Source
Asyncapi: Does AsyncAPI have IDE support?

Yes, AsyncAPI has IDE extensions available for VSCode and IntelliJ, along with CLI utilities and GitHub Actions integration for developers.

Source

Related pages

Other head to heads