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Technology · head to head

Jenkins vs Netlify

Jenkins logo

Jenkins

Technology

The leading open source automation server

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Netlify logo

Netlify

Technology

The fastest way to build the fastest sites

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Jenkins described by the vendor as the leading open source automation server and a community-driven project, with no commercial edition or license fee; Netlify the free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month
  • They diverge on capability: Jenkins covers Continuous integration, Netlify covers Continuous deployment.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Jenkins and Netlify actually diverge.

Attributes where Jenkins and Netlify differ
AttributeJenkinsNetlify
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsLinux, Windows, Macos, DockerWeb
Founded20112014

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

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 Jenkins

  • Continuous integration
  • Continuous delivery
  • Pipeline as code
  • Distributed builds
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • REST API
  • CLI tools
  • Build triggers

Only in Netlify

  • Continuous deployment
  • Instant rollbacks
  • Deploy previews
  • Split testing
  • Forms handling
  • Identity/Auth
  • Serverless functions
  • Edge handlers

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Bitbucket
  • SSL

What people use each for

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

Jenkins

  • CI/CD pipelinesnot Netlify
  • Automated testingnot Netlify
  • Build automationnot Netlify
  • Deployment automationnot Netlify
  • Infrastructure as codenot Netlify

Netlify

  • Hosting static sites and frontend frameworks with global CDN deliverynot Jenkins
  • Deploy previews on every pull requestnot Jenkins
  • Serverless functions alongside a static sitenot Jenkins
  • Netlify Database and Blob storage for small application statenot Jenkins

Where each one falls short

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

Jenkins

  • Described by the vendor as the leading open source automation server and a community-driven project, with no commercial edition or license fee

Netlify

  • The free tier is an individual account with 300 credits; team members require the Pro plan at $20 a month
  • Everything is metered in credits, so bandwidth at 20 credits per GB and production deploys at 15 credits each consume the allowance in ways a bandwidth figure alone would not show
  • Compute is billed at 10 credits per GB-hour, so server-rendered work costs more than static hosting
  • Running past the allowance means buying credit packs, at $5 for 500 on Personal and $10 for 1,500 on Pro
  • AI inference is priced by model rather than at a flat credit rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Jenkins

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Unlimited builds
    • 1000+ plugins
    • Self-hosted
  • CloudBees CI$undefined/month
    • Enterprise features
    • High availability
    • Role-based access

Netlify

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 100GB bandwidth
    • 300 build minutes
    • 1 concurrent build
  • Pro$19/month
    • 400GB bandwidth
    • 25,000 build minutes
    • 3 concurrent builds
  • Business$99/month
    • 600GB bandwidth
    • 35,000 build minutes
    • 5 concurrent builds
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom bandwidth
    • Custom build minutes
    • Unlimited concurrent builds

Which should you pick?

Choose Jenkins if

  • You need continuous integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker.
  • You also want continuous delivery.
Jenkins review

Choose Netlify if

  • You need continuous deployment.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want instant rollbacks.
Netlify review

Questions people ask

Is Jenkins or Netlify better?
Neither clearly leads. Jenkins starts at Free and Netlify at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Jenkins or Netlify?
Jenkins starts at Free and Netlify at Free.
Does Jenkins or Netlify run on more platforms?
Jenkins runs on Linux, Windows, Macos, Docker. Netlify runs on Web.
Can I use Jenkins for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Jenkins best used for?
Jenkins is most often used for ci/cd pipelines, automated testing, build automation, deployment automation. Of those, ci/cd pipelines and automated testing are not what Netlify is typically brought in for.
What can Jenkins do that Netlify cannot?
Jenkins covers Continuous integration, Continuous delivery, Pipeline as code, Distributed builds. Netlify covers Continuous deployment, Instant rollbacks, Deploy previews, Split testing. Both handle GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, SSL.
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