Development Tools · head to head
Bitbucket vs Buildkite
Bitbucket
Development Tools
Git code management for professional teams
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Buildkite
Development Tools
CI/CD pipelines that run on your own compute
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Bitbucket limited build minutes compared to GitHub Actions - free tier capped at 50 minutes/month vs unlimited on GitHub; Buildkite free plan caps at 5 users and 10 concurrent jobs, with 2,000 Linux vCPU minutes per month and 30 day build retention
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bitbucket and Buildkite actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Development Tools).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bitbucket
- Hosting Git repositories for a software teamnot Buildkite
- Running CI and deployments with Bitbucket Pipelinesnot Buildkite
- Code review with branch permissions and access controlsnot Buildkite
- Linking commits to Jira issues and updating their status automaticallynot Buildkite
- Security scanning through Snyk and partner integrationsnot Buildkite
Buildkite
No use cases recorded yet. See the Buildkite review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bitbucket
- Limited build minutes compared to GitHub Actions - free tier capped at 50 minutes/month vs unlimited on GitHub
- Reliability issues with frequent outages reported by users
- No native way to execute Bitbucket Pipeline YAML files locally for testing
- Smaller ecosystem and community compared to GitHub
Buildkite
- Free plan caps at 5 users and 10 concurrent jobs, with 2,000 Linux vCPU minutes per month and 30 day build retention
- Pro plan is $30 per active user per month, capped at 50 users, with only 10 of the up to 250 concurrent agents included before extra usage
- Enterprise plan enforces a 30 user minimum even though pricing itself is custom
- Hosted compute beyond included minutes is metered at $0.004 per vCPU minute on Linux and $0.02 per vCPU minute on Mac
Pricing, plan by plan
Bitbucket
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 5 users
- Unlimited repositories
- 1 GB storage
- Standard$3.65/month
- 2,500 pooled build minutes
- All Bitbucket features
- Premium$7.25/month
- 3,500 build minutes
- Merge checks
- IP allowlisting
Buildkite
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Buildkite review.
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is Bitbucket or Buildkite better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bitbucket starts at Free and Buildkite at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bitbucket or Buildkite?
- Bitbucket starts at Free and Buildkite at Free.
- Does Bitbucket or Buildkite run on more platforms?
- Bitbucket runs on Web, Data Center. Buildkite runs on Web.
- Can I use Bitbucket for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Bitbucket best used for?
- Bitbucket is most often used for hosting git repositories for a software team, running ci and deployments with bitbucket pipelines, code review with branch permissions and access controls, linking commits to jira issues and updating their status automatically. Of those, hosting git repositories for a software team and running ci and deployments with bitbucket pipelines are not what Buildkite is typically brought in for.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Bitbucket: Does Bitbucket offer a free tier?
Yes. The Free plan supports up to 5 users with 1 GB of file storage for LFS, 50 build minutes per month, and unlimited public and private repositories. The plan can be upgraded anytime.
SourceBitbucket: Can I self-host Bitbucket?
Yes. Bitbucket Data Center is available for self-hosted deployments starting at $2,300 per year. It provides teams with complete control of their environments and disaster recovery capabilities.
SourceBitbucket: How many build minutes do I get with Bitbucket Pipelines?
Free plan includes 50 build minutes per month. Standard plan ($3.65/user/month) includes 2,500 pooled build minutes. Premium plan ($7.25/user/month) includes 3,500 build minutes. Additional minutes can be purchased in $10 packs for 1,000 minutes.
SourceBitbucket: Does Bitbucket integrate with Jira?
Yes. Bitbucket integrates natively with Jira, allowing you to track associated builds and deployments to Jira work items. It also integrates with Slack, Compass, and VS Code.
Source