GitHub Actions vs Jenkins: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare GitHub Actions and Jenkins on CI/CD capabilities, hosting, plugins, and cost. Discover which platform is the best fit for your workflow.
GitHub Actions
GitHub's built-in CI/CD platform that integrates directly into your repository. With YAML-based workflows, an extensive marketplace with thousands of reusable actions, and free build minutes for public repositories, GitHub Actions offers a seamless experience for teams already working on GitHub.
Jenkins
The world's most widely used open-source automation server with over 1,500 plugins. Jenkins is fully self-hosted and provides maximum control over your CI/CD pipelines. With Jenkinsfile (declarative or scripted) and a vast ecosystem, Jenkins has been the enterprise CI/CD standard for over fifteen years.
Comparison table
| Feature | GitHub Actions | Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Fully managed by GitHub — no servers to maintain | Self-hosted — full control but requires own infrastructure |
| Configuration | YAML workflows in .github/workflows/ — declarative and clean | Jenkinsfile (Groovy DSL) or UI configuration — flexible but more complex |
| Ecosystem | GitHub Marketplace with 15,000+ reusable actions | 1,500+ plugins for virtually every integration and tool |
| Cost | Free for public repos, 2,000 min/month on free plan | Open-source and free, but infrastructure costs for hosting |
| Scalability | Automatically scalable, self-hosted runners optional | Manual scaling with agents, requires capacity planning |
| Security | Secrets management, OIDC, environment protection rules | Credentials plugin, Role-Based Access Control, audit logging |
Verdict
GitHub Actions and Jenkins represent two generations of CI/CD. Jenkins is the proven veteran with maximum flexibility and control — ideal for complex enterprise environments with specific compliance requirements. GitHub Actions is the modern, managed solution that excels through seamless GitHub integration and a low barrier to entry. For most teams working on GitHub, GitHub Actions is the logical choice thanks to its simplicity and extensive marketplace ecosystem. Jenkins remains relevant for organizations that require self-hosting or run extremely complex pipelines.
Our recommendation
At MG Software, we use GitHub Actions as our primary CI/CD solution. The direct integration with our GitHub repositories, powerful matrix builds, and extensive marketplace ecosystem make it the ideal choice for our workflow. We deploy self-hosted runners for builds requiring specific hardware or longer runtimes. For clients with existing Jenkins environments, we provide migration guidance to GitHub Actions, converting pipelines step by step and unlocking the benefits of managed CI/CD.
Frequently asked questions
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