Jenkins is a Continuous Integration Platform that is crucial for the DevOps Lifecycle and is a key element for server automation for many. It is an open-source tool that has been around for quite some time; in fact from the early days of server automation itself.

But for many DevOps professionals, Jenkins might not be the preferred Continuation Integration/Continuous Development tool. Over time Jenkins has gotten a little outdated and many DevOps teams are looking for better alternatives to take its place. Here are a few great Jenkins alternatives that might work well for your particular requirements.

What is Jenkins?

Jenkins is a popular open-source automation server utilised extensively in software development for automating tasks like building, testing, and deploying applications. It offers a framework to automate different aspects of the software development cycle, such as code integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment. Jenkins is one of the oldest and most widely used CD/CI tools and with features like Plugins that allow for basically any type of automation testing, automation builds and deployment on various servers, it has rightfully been crowned as one of the best CI/CD tools out there. Jenkins is free and open source, which is yet another plus point.

However, considering the complex needs and requirements of different users and due to the outdated design and features of Jenkins, many are looking for alternatives that can take its place. These are some of the best Jenkins alternatives you can find out there.

10 Best Jenkins Alternatives

1. Buddy

Buddy significantly eases the process of developing, testing and bringing software into action. It is a good Jerkins alternative primarily because of the overall UI design that makes it a joy to use. If you are on a small-scale project and require a simple CI tool Buddy is right for you as the clever and sleek UX eliminates the need for a dedicated DevOps engineer to look after the process. Some of its features are:

Easy configuration within 15 minutes with GUI and easy export to YAML
Ensure compatibility across teams with isolated build containers.
Cloud availability.
Super quick deployment.
Can integrate with Azure, Google Cloud, AWS etc.
Multi-language and multiple framework support.

2. Final Builder

Final Builder is a build tool from Vsoft that makes it extremely easy to visually define, design and modify your build scripts, integrate with other tools like Jenkins or Vsoft’s very own Continua CI, schedule with Windows scheduler and more. The whole process becomes extremely simplified and users don’t have to take on the task of editing XML or writing scripts. Here are some of the best features of Final Builder that make it an exceptional Jenkins alternative:

The build process is presented in a clever, structured graphical interface.
Great debugging engine.
Supports MSN, FTP, Email and SFTP.
Lets you tag and carry out many build-related processes with a dozen-plus version control software support.
Scripting support for Javascript, IronPython, VBScript and Powershell.
Can write custom Final Builder actions with Action Studio.

3. CruiseControl

What makes Cruise Control unique is that besides being an excellent continuous integration tool it also can be viewed as a framework for crafting a custom continuous build process, with a variety of plugins to help developers. These plugins range in purpose across several source controls and build technologies. Cruise Control also has a web interface that lets you view details of builds, both current and previous ones. Other features include:

Use a single server for multiple projects.
Remote management support.
Integrate with tools like NAnt, MSBuild, Microsoft Visual Studios, NDepend, NUnit and MBUnit.
Integration with VCS like Git, CSV, Perforce, Subversion and more.
Open source and maintained by dedicated volunteers.

4. Integrity

Though Integrity only works with GitHub, it is a great Continuous integration server that lets users easily build and run codes. Integrity, besides working with Git, can also easily mirror other SCM, so it is more flexible than one would think. Integrity also gives reports and notifications to the user about processes making it a great option for those looking for something new from Jenkins. Here are some of its strong points:

Supports notification mechanisms like HTTP, email, Amazon SES, AMQP, TCP, Shell and Flowdock.
HTTP post requests are sent to specific URLs with HTTP Notifier.
Allows easy mirroring with other SCMs.

5. GoCD

GoCD is a CI tool that can very well compete with Jenkins, considering how it is also an open-source server. GoCD lets you build, model and visualize a number of complex workflows effortlessly along with an intuitive UI to build CI Pipelines. It also lets you carry out continuous delivery. Here are some of its features:

Supports sequential and parallel execution.
Value Stream Map that lets you visualize workflows in real-time.
Secure deployment.
A number of plugins are available.
Support provided by an active and dedicated community.

6. Bamboo

Bamboo is an Atlassian-based continuous integration tool which can effortlessly perform automatic building, testing and releasing, in a single place, making it a strong contender among other Jenkins alternatives. Bamboo also works well with other tools like JIRA and Bitbucket. It also supports multiple languages as well as tools like Ducker, Mercurial, Git, AWS and more. It’s features include:

Easy set up.
Allows running of parallel batch tests.
Trigger builds based on repository changes.
Hosted and on-premise versions available.
In-built Git branching.

7. JIRA

JIRA is a popular brand CI/CD tool that is extremely intuitive because of the range of functionalities and features it provides. From Scrum boards to customizable backlogs to reporting options, the functionalities on offer make it a dynamic and unique tool. Besides being a good scrum project managerJIRA is also a great Jenkins alternatives for those in IT and software development sectors. Some of the features of JIRA include:

Highly functional Kanban boards.
JIRA Query Language or JQL for creating customer fillers.
Singular view for all user stories.
End-to-end traceability with well integrated developer tools.
Search and filter option.
Reports can be exported in PDF, CSV and Excel formats.

8. Circle CI

Circle CI is a highly intuitive and flexible tool for continuous integration and deployment and it runs perfectly on any environment and platforms like Python API and Docker cluster. If you are out looking for a tool to effectively debug and improve the quality of your projects, Circle CI is a great choice that can meet your needs. Some of its features include:

Multiple build environments to choose from.
Supports languages like Linux, C++, Javascript, NET, Ruby, Python, and PHP.
Configure customized environments with Docker.
Reduce overall build duration with split and balance tests across multiple containers.
Integrates with different Version Control Systems.

9. Buildkite

If you are looking for a reliable continuous integration and deployment tool with cross-platform functionality Buildkite is a feasible alternative to Jenkins. The interface is extremely easy to navigate, making the whole process of running automated builds super efficient and seamless. Some of the features of Buildkite include:

Runs on a lot of architectures and OS.
Can run codes from any VCS.
Lets you run any number of build agents on any machine easily.
Integrates well with tools like Flowdock, Slack or HipChat.
Secure and stable infrastructure.

10. UrbanCode

UrbanCode from IBM is one of the most popular continuous integration applications available. It is one of the biggest competitors for Jenkins, without which this list would be incomplete. UrbanCode is a one-stop solution for anyone looking for a CI/CD tool that houses great auditing features while providing great visibility and traceability. It also has one of the lowest deployment failure rates in this list, and hence can easily be classified among the best Jenkins alternatives ever. Its features include:

Has hybrid cloud environment modelling.
Can deploy multi-channel apps to both on-premise and cloud environments in a streamlined manner.
Allows for easy drop-and-drag automation.
Security and scalability at the enterprise level.
Easily automated deployment processes for high-frequency software delivery.

6 More Great CI/CD Jenkins Alternatives

Conclusion

Exploring Jenkins alternatives is essential to meet evolving software development needs. While Jenkins is a powerful tool, there are diverse alternatives that offer flexibility, scalability, and enhanced features, allowing teams to adapt to changing project requirements and effectively optimize their automation workflows. The above list features some of the best CI/CD tools available out there that can do all of this in an effective manner.

Choosing the right alternative, after carefully considering your requirements and the specificities of your project, ensures efficient and tailored automation solutions for modern development practices.