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Developer Tools · head to head

Dagger vs TeamCity

Dagger logo

Dagger

Developer Tools

Programmable CI/CD engine that runs your pipeline as containers on any runner

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TeamCity logo

TeamCity

Software Development

JetBrains continuous integration and delivery server

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Dagger dagger is not a CI provider, so you keep paying for GitHub Actions or GitLab runners underneath it; the Dagger Cloud subscription is an addition to your CI bill, not a replacement for it.; TeamCity detailed pricing requires visiting a calculator and isn't transparent on the main pricing page.
  • They diverge on capability: Dagger covers Pipelines as code, TeamCity covers Build Chains.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dagger and TeamCity actually diverge.

Attributes where Dagger and TeamCity differ
AttributeDaggerTeamCity
Pricing modelPer month per team for Dagger Cloudfreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Self-hostedweb, windows, mac, linux, api
CategoryDeveloper ToolsSoftware Development

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

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 Dagger

  • Pipelines as code
  • Local and CI parity
  • Content-addressed caching
  • Dagger Functions and modules
  • CI-provider agnostic
  • Dagger Cloud traces
  • GitHub Checks integration
  • Container-native execution

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.

Dagger

  • A platform team maintaining near-identical build YAML across forty repositories that wants one versioned module every repository calls insteadnot TeamCity
  • An engineering organisation migrating off a CI provider that does not want to rewrite every pipeline as part of the migrationnot TeamCity
  • A team whose engineers waste hours pushing commits to debug CI-only failures and needs to reproduce the exact run locallynot TeamCity
  • A monorepo where most commits touch a small subset of services and cache-accurate step skipping cuts build minutes materiallynot TeamCity

TeamCity

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dagger

  • Dagger is not a CI provider, so you keep paying for GitHub Actions or GitLab runners underneath it; the Dagger Cloud subscription is an addition to your CI bill, not a replacement for it.
  • Writing pipelines in Go or TypeScript raises the barrier to entry: a release engineer who could edit a YAML step now needs to read code, and the people who can fix a broken build shrink to those comfortable with the SDK.
  • The engine runs as a container on the runner and needs a persistent cache volume to deliver its main benefit, so ephemeral CI runners give you correctness without the speed, and provisioning durable cache storage is extra platform work.
  • The Team plan caps at ten users and ten million events per month; an organisation of any size crosses that quickly and moves to Enterprise pricing that is not published, so cost at scale is unknowable up front.
  • The module ecosystem is young and thinly maintained relative to the marketplace of a mature CI provider, so integrations that exist as a one-line Action often have to be written yourself as a Dagger function.

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

Dagger

Free
  • IndividualFree
    • One user
    • One million events per month
    • Workflow logs and function call traces
  • Team$50/month
    • Up to ten users
    • Ten million events per month
    • Module insights and module catalogue
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom user and event limits
    • SSO
    • Managed single-tenant deployment

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 Dagger if

  • You need pipelines as code.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted.
  • You also want local and ci parity.
Dagger 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 Dagger or TeamCity better?
Neither clearly leads. Dagger 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, Dagger or TeamCity?
Dagger starts at Free and TeamCity at Free.
Does Dagger or TeamCity run on more platforms?
Dagger runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Self-hosted. TeamCity runs on web, windows, mac, linux, api.
Can I use Dagger for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Dagger best used for?
Dagger is most often used for a platform team maintaining near-identical build yaml across forty repositories that wants one versioned module every repository calls instead, an engineering organisation migrating off a ci provider that does not want to rewrite every pipeline as part of the migration, a team whose engineers waste hours pushing commits to debug ci-only failures and needs to reproduce the exact run locally, a monorepo where most commits touch a small subset of services and cache-accurate step skipping cuts build minutes materially. Of those, a platform team maintaining near-identical build yaml across forty repositories that wants one versioned module every repository calls instead and an engineering organisation migrating off a ci provider that does not want to rewrite every pipeline as part of the migration are not what TeamCity is typically brought in for.
What can Dagger do that TeamCity cannot?
Dagger covers Pipelines as code, Local and CI parity, Content-addressed caching, Dagger Functions and modules. TeamCity covers Build Chains, Parallel Test Execution, VCS Integration, Build History & Analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dagger: Does Dagger replace GitHub Actions?

No. Dagger runs inside GitHub Actions or any other CI. It replaces the YAML that describes your pipeline steps, not the trigger and runner layer.

TeamCity: How much does TeamCity cost?

TeamCity offers a free download option but specific pricing for commercial use is not detailed on the website. Customers must contact JetBrains for licensing and pricing information.

Source
Dagger: Is the engine open source?

Yes, the Dagger engine and SDKs are open source and free. Dagger Cloud, the observability product, is what costs money.

TeamCity: Is TeamCity free to use?

TeamCity has a free option available for download, but full pricing and licensing details require contacting JetBrains directly.

Source
Dagger: What is an event in the pricing?

Dagger Cloud meters pipeline telemetry events. One million per month is free; the Team plan at 50 USD per month allows ten million.

Dagger: Can I run the same pipeline on my laptop?

Yes, that is the main reason teams adopt it. The dagger CLI executes the identical graph locally, so CI-only failures become reproducible.

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