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CircleCI vs TeamCity

CircleCI logo

CircleCI

Software

The leading CI/CD platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TeamCity logo

TeamCity

Software

JetBrains continuous integration and delivery server

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CircleCI the free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month; TeamCity detailed pricing requires visiting a calculator and isn't transparent on the main pricing page.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CircleCI and TeamCity actually diverge.

Attributes where CircleCI and TeamCity differ
AttributeCircleCITeamCity
PlatformsWebweb, windows, mac, linux, api
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 CircleCI

Nothing recorded that TeamCity does not also cover.

Only in TeamCity

  • Build Chains
  • Parallel Test Execution
  • VCS Integration
  • Build History & Analytics
  • Docker & Kubernetes Support
  • Access Control

What people use each for

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

CircleCI

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

TeamCity

  • Running build and test pipelines for enterprise software teamsnot CircleCI
  • Self-hosting CI/CD infrastructure behind a firewallnot CircleCI
  • Coordinating multi-stage build chains with dependenciesnot CircleCI
  • Scaling build capacity with additional agentsnot CircleCI

Where each one falls short

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

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

TeamCity

  • Detailed pricing requires visiting a calculator and isn't transparent on the main pricing page.
  • Self-hosted setup and agent management require more operational overhead than fully managed CI/CD services.
  • Additional build agents and users are priced incrementally, which can add up for larger teams.
  • The UI and configuration model have a steeper learning curve compared to YAML-first CI tools.

Pricing, plan by plan

CircleCI

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CircleCI review.

TeamCity

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • Includes 3 build agents
    • 100 build configurations
    • On-premises or Cloud
  • TeamCity Cloud / On-Premises$undefined/month
    • Priced per additional build agent
    • Additional users on Cloud plans
    • Enterprise support options

Which should you pick?

Choose CircleCI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CircleCI review

Choose TeamCity if

  • You need build chains.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, windows, mac, linux, api.
  • You also want parallel test execution.
TeamCity review

Questions people ask

Is CircleCI or TeamCity better?
Neither clearly leads. CircleCI starts at Free and TeamCity at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CircleCI or TeamCity?
CircleCI starts at Free and TeamCity at Free.
Does CircleCI or TeamCity run on more platforms?
CircleCI runs on Web. TeamCity runs on web, windows, mac, linux, api.
Can I use CircleCI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CircleCI best used for?
CircleCI is most often used for continuous integration pipelines for application code, parallel test execution across containers, docker-based builds with layer caching, deployment pipelines with approval gates. Of those, continuous integration pipelines for application code and parallel test execution across containers are not what TeamCity is typically brought in for.
What can CircleCI do that TeamCity cannot?
TeamCity covers Build Chains, Parallel Test Execution, VCS Integration, Build History & Analytics.
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Related pages

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