Before we begin with the top 27 continuous integration tools, it is imperative to understand what is continuous integration. Continuous Integration (CI) is the process that encourages practice methods to developers in order to integrate and transmit the developed code into a shared repository early and often.
Along with writing the code, there comes a greater responsibility of managing and integrating the code. After all, you wouldn’t want your code to break, or your production go-live to be affected merely due to a lack or mismanagement in the integration process! Of course there are a variety of top tools out there that claim to help you in the integration process, but deciding which is the correct one for your startup is a tedious task.
We have done the difficult work of answering what are the best continuous integration tools, so you can just code and integrate easily!
Below are the best continuous integration services and tools in 2023.
1. Jenkins
Jenkins is one of the most used CI tools in the field of software engineering. With features like automating builds to running quick tests, this free CI tool is widely preferred.
Jenkins is developed in Java, and it is a server-based CI tool. Using Jenkin, you can save time in various development phases like building projects, test cases, detecting bugs, code enhancements, and quick deployment.
Key Features:
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Easy to set up
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Provides numerous features and plugin supports
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Free of cost
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Can be easily updated if there are any updates with the OS
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A reliable market reputation
Cost:
Open Source
2. Bamboo
Bamboo is one of the best continuous integration tools that help in the testing and release of programs. This tool works smoothly with the JIRA software and BITbucket.
Bamboo is available in several languages and supports many technologies like Docker, SVN, CodeDeploy, GIT, and, AWS.
Key Features:
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Easy to set up
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Allows the developers and QA as per the per-environment permissions feature to deploy the environments
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Can be used in the hosted or on-premise version
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It automatically branches the built-in Git branches workflows
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Integrated with Hipchat
Cost:
Starts from $10
3. TeamCity
TeamCity gives you SCM best practices for continuous integration for every size of the software environment. It offers a lot of features for developers and the level of performance that it offers will not disappoint you at all.
The TeamCity tool supports modern software platforms that help start your work within minutes with the pre-built installers.
Key Features:
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Supports visual studio without any external scripts
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Structure your project with the comprehensive version control
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There is no need to duplicate the code because the intuitive foundation can reuse settings
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You can check the history of your project with all the changes that you made
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Uses cloud computing on Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, and, VMware vSphere
Cost:
Free, Business starts at $299
4. Gitlab Ci
Gitlab CI is one of the best continuous integration tools and it is growing rapidly. It not only provides tools for CI and deployment but also for code views and issue management in a single dashboard.
Gitlab allows you to track your progress from the starting of your idea all the way through your production stages. It is also easy to install Gitlab because of its pre-built packages.
Key Features:
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Has a friendly UI
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You can check the detailed documentation of your progress
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To scale the performance of your tests, you can add additional machines
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Program in any language with the CMD build scripts
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Allows you to check branches individually with the custom version tests
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Manual deployment available
Cost:
The community edition is free, Enterprise starts at $16 per user
5. Travis
Travis is a CI tool that allows testing of software and deployment of applications. This platform integrates with the Git continuous integration best practices for you to test your code easily.
Its customers include Facebook and Twitter among many others which makes it one of the best tools that offer the best practices in a continuous integration environment.
Key Features:
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It is open-source on GitHub
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Simple to use
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Code runs smoothly because of the bilingual support
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Easy notifications because it works with apps like Slack, Email, and, Hipchat among others
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Custom management
Cost:
Open source, Enterprise for private
6. CircleCI
CircleCI has helped more than thousands of teams build and release their codes using the comprehensive deployment process. The CircleCI uses a modern approach towards software teams to increase your productivity. It will help build your code effortlessly with the confidence required by your team.
Key Features:
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Simply create your account and start building your project. The platform will get custom settings directly from your code
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Integrated with Gradle, Maven, and other such build tools
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Tests your code while you build your next project
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Continuous integration and deployment best practices on AWS, Google Cloud, and others
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Installs dependencies in an isolated environment using language-specific tools
Cost:
Free, Premium starts at $50
7. CloudBees Codeship
CloudBees Codeship is one of the best integration tools 2020 that is simple to use and gives efficient speed. It is integrated with the GitHub project, so your team can use Codeship to directly test your code.
Codeship also integrates with Bitbucket that helps combine integration and delivery to deploy your code accordingly after clearing the test automation.
Key Features:
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Signup with GitHub and Bitbucket in a single click
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Provides support for Docker instances
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Highly Customizable
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The infrastructure scales as per your requirement
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Simple configuration gets your workflow going quickly
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Friendly user interface to set up workflows
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Keeps a detailed history of all the changes you made
Cost:
Free, $49 for a starter package
8. Buddy
Buddy offers continuous integration best practices with a high-quality service that automates your development. There is no complexity to using Buddy for automating your development. It is simple to use and offers a quick solution to developers looking to test, build, and ship their software.
Key Features:
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The actions of automating deployment, setting up monitoring, and launching containers can be customized
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Feature stack includes brief philosophy of ship, build, and deploy
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Has an automated tracking algorithm. You can roll back every time.
Cost:
Free, Basic starts at $49
9. Solano labs
Solano Labs provides a fast blazing platform for the best continuous integration and deployment services. Its quick performance has helped many of its customers save their time using the comprehensive tools of Solano lab to build their testing.
Solano Lab is a good solution for private corporations and cloud-orientated companies who want to enhance the efficiency of their resources.
Key Features:
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Quick debugging with the custom debug console
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Compatible with almost every modern language like Scala, Go, etc.
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Helps conclude tests over multiple servers because of its in-built load balancer
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Works towards third-party frameworks in a friendly manner
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Tools improve the development experience
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Increased performance because of its dynamic distribution of tasks
Cost:
Free Trial of 14 days, Premium starts at $100
10. Wercker
Wercker uses Docker and microservices to help its uses achieve their goal of continuous integration. It can deploy its users’ apps without any hassle by using container-specific characteristics and cloud-native automation traits.
The customers of Wercker praise the high efficiency of the automated build and deployment process.
Key Features:
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Uses YAML for easy configuration
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The main dashboard has a spectacular UI
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Integrated with Github and Bitbucket projects
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Easy to use and set up to create microservice architectures
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Streamlined deployment flow
Cost:
The community edition is free, Virtual Pipelines available at $350
11. Semaphore
Semaphore offers continuous integration versioning best practices with efficiency. It is simple and quick to use. Semaphore helps your team stay updated on the latest bugs and errors which keeps your users away from any complicated troubles.
Semaphore provides seamless support with GitHub integration to automate your tests the minute you push out your planned changes in the new code.
Key Features:
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Customized tests for security, acceptance, units, and dependencies
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Check the new release for compliance with custom definitions for security and style
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Define environment variables
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You can test multiple branches at the same time as soon as you push new commits
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Add custom configuration files
Cost:
30 days free trial, business starts at $25 per box
12. Shippable
Shippable gives software companies a chance to accelerate their growth without spending a lot of time on manual labor. It is built to help its users streamline their tested apps to production.
It is Shippable’s mission to level the field by commoditizing custom-built continuous integration platforms that its users depend on to accelerate their growth.
Key Features:
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Unified platform for automation, integration, and deployment
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Supports many languages and tools
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You can separate your duties of security and compliance with the policy-driven permissions
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Git versioned YML custom configurations
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Quick to start and run
Cost:
Free, Premium starts at $25
13. AppVeyor
AppVeyor is a cloud-based service used for testing and deploying Windows applications. If you have software like Visual Studio or SDK, then you can install and run AppVeyor with ease.
Key Features:
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Integrated with GitHub, so just choose your project and start building
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Custom team environments
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Keep your code secure with the isolated environment
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The top speed generated by SSD drives
Cost:
Basic version for $28 and premium version for $99
14. Assertible
Assertible offers quality assurance in terms of continuous testing and monitoring its user’s apps. It has a lot of important features that enable teams to keep bugs and errors from entering their production.
Assertible has a safe testing environment where all its users get a chance to make the most of their work.
Key Features:
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Integrated with GitHub to offer a simple deployment process
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Failed tests alert you via Email or Slack
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Run your tests automatically when you make changes to the production
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Monitor the availability of your critical APIs
Cost:
Free personal version, Standard version available at $25
15. GoCD
GoCD is one of the best open source continuous integration tools that is built for growing businesses. It is ideal for automating tests and production releases. GoCD lets its users set up several servers that store data in case of an emergency.
Key Features:
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Monitor all your changes with the value stream map
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Save the functional versions of your app or website manually
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Build comparison helps you analyze broken pipelines
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Configuration reuse using the custom template system
Cost:
Open Source
16. Strider
Use Strider for continuous integration and continuous delivery best practices for free. It uses MongoDB for backing stores, which is why it is important to have MongoDB to install Strider. This tool supports various different plugins that allow you to register HTTP routes.
Key Features:
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Integrated with GitHub and Bitbucket among others
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You can continuously test your project
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Supports Docker
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You can add hooks for executing arbitrary build actions
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You can modify the Strider interface
Cost:
Open Source
17. Codemagic Nevercode
Nevercode is the best mobile continuous integration tool that automates the testing and building process of mobile apps. It is highly reliable and flexible to use without much human assistance.
If you are struggling to set up your mobile application, then the Nevercode app might help you maintain your CI workflow.
Key Features:
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New code commits can be automated easily
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Uses an emulator for UI tests
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For a familiar development experience, it has common tools to develop your app
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Your important passwords and sensitive information are encrypted
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Deploy automatically your apps to any app store
Cost:
The hobby plan is free, freelancing starts at $43, enterprise at $263
18. CruiseControl
CruiseControl offers an extensible framework along with providing the best continuous deployment practices. You can customize your build process with this tool. CruiseControl has several plugins to support various source controls.
Key Features:
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Integrated with various source control systems like CSV, VSS, Git, filesystem, etc.
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A single server can build multiple projects
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Integrated with tools like NUnit, Nant, MBUnit, Visual Studio, etc.
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Remote management is supported
19. FinalBuilder
FinalBuilder from Vsoft offers the best continuous integration that does not need to be XML edited. You don’t even need to write scripts; you can define the scripts while scheduling them with Windows.
Key Features:
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Improves your automation process with its huge library of predefined actions
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Integrated with Windows scheduling to schedule your builds consistently
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You can handle local errors
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Notifications via Email
Cost:
The standard version starts at $359, Professional starts at $599
20. Buildkite
Buildkite is a fairly new tool but it offers an easy way to make a self-hosted continuous integration environment. This tool was built by its founder because he found a lack of self-hosted CI tools at a reasonable price. The fast performance of Buildkite and its reasonable rate has made it popular among many users.
Key Features:
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It offers a lot of toolchains and languages to choose from
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Supports Docker
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Integrated with GitHub
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You can make the most of your machine performance with Builkite’s distributed agents
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Its interface triggers build pipelines
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Code does not get leaked and remains on-site
Cost:
$15 per user for every month
21. Visual Studio Team Services
Visual Studio Team Services is best for continuous integration who need to ship faster. You can create your code in any language for any target store. It is integrated with various tools from the market to create an ideal environment for the development of your app. It is the best Windows continuous integration tool.
Key Features:
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Has hosted builds
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Release pipelines are automated
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You can test commits before you merge your code
Cost:
Team Foundation Server can use it for free
22. Urbancode
UrbanCode is ideal for companies that need concise integration of tools to manage complicated builds that can’t be managed by low-level tools. Several huge companies use Urbancode to solve complicated builds.
Key Features:
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You can manage a wide range of configurations
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Stores the data history of all the changes you made
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You can check the visual data
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You can use external tools to enhance your workflow
Cost:
Free Trial
23. Quickbuild
QuickBuild is one of the most powerful platforms for continuous integration. It offers a reliable solution to make custom scripts and override rules for better deployment. Even though it is popular for its open-source environment, its premium version supports a better environment.
Key Features:
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Checks for bugs and errors before committing
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Shows real-time updates
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Visually design a complex build
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Clone all your projects in a single click
Cost:
Open-source
24. Buildbot
Buildbot is an ideal CI tool for testing frameworks. The primary function of Buildbot is to conclude automated builds. It can also automate complex build systems and manage software releases.
Key Features:
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Wide range of workers
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Custom notifications
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Firewalled workers can work if you enable the permit at checkout
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Get real-time updates
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You can view your data history
Cost:
Open Source
25. Puppet
Puppet is best used to manage the configurations of Windows. It is a free tool that helps developers find a way to operate their programs. You can use the output results of Puppet as a source to compare other projects with.
Key Features:
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Helps consolidate your CI process
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Wide range of free-to-use templates for quick development
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Integrated with Git and Jenkins
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You can manage almost all the IP-connected devices
Cost:
Free trial
26. AppCircle
AppCircle is one of the best CI tools, specifically for mobile applications. With all the best practices in place, you should use this tool if you are looking for a DevOps solution while developing mobile applications.
Key Features:
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Easy to set up, by simply connecting your Git or Bitbucket repo with AppCircle
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Simple user interface
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Integrated with GitHub, GitLab and BitBucket
Cost:
Free starter plan, $39/Month Developer plan
27. Perforce Helix
Perforce Helix is an open, flexible and uniform platform for continuous integration which supports documented APIs. This CI tool comes with multiple features and advantages. Helix consists of a very robust, highly effective versioning engine that secures and manages any size or type of file. People can use this tool with ease and satisfy their needs as it supports different types of applications.
Helix code application enables development teams to collaborate on different projects and also share files with the team members. Some important features of this tool include agile planning along with management, application management, open source management, and dev collaboration.
Key Features:
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Massive codebase
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Can be customized for certain development teams for a variety of purposes like merge or batch patterns, extended server functionality, workflows etc.
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Supports developers across diverse platforms
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Ensures concurrent development and development integrity. Enables dependencies between and within the parts of the code
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Supports binary or graphical materials which do not code making it very fast
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Powerful graphical CI tool
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Easy to use and install
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Streamlines collaboration
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Supports different server platforms
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Offers high performance and is scalable to the specific requirements of the company
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Requires low admin overhead
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Renowned customer support worldwide
Cost:
Free up to five users and twenty workspaces. You can request a quote or directly contact the account representative of Perforce Helix if you want to know more details about the pricing option.
5 Things To Consider While Selecting A Best Continuous Integration App
Below are the key things that you need to consider while deciding the best tools for continuous integration.
1. Ease Of Setup
The CI tool that you select should be set up easily without any hassles. You wouldn’t want to waste your time setting up something which is supposed to save your time. Ideally, the tool that you select should have detailed documentation, a reliable question-and-answer community, and great customer support.
2. Swift Builds and Deployments
Select a CI tool that will work quickly and provide you with rapid feedback for every code change that you make. The build and the deployment shouldn’t take forever.
3. Third-Party Support and Integrations
The IDE that you select, your programming language, any automated testing tools, or any other service that you would be using to build your software: the CI tool should have the support for these services.
4. Price
Thoroughly understand the various pricing options, the free plans, and what all features can you expect by purchasing a premium plan. If you are going to spend some money, do it wisely by making an informed choice. And if you want the free tools, don’t worry!
5. Customer Satisfaction
This would basically mean how the customer support team interacts with the developers/managers or the team when they are clueless about a specific feature! The customer team is expected to have answers to all the questions pertaining to how to achieve continuous integration using their tool.
Conclusion
Using continuous integration tools is ideal for your team to build and test programs quickly and efficiently. You need to find the CI tool that fits your team’s requirements. You can compare the above-mentioned CI tools and pick the one that is best for you.
FAQs
1. Does Continuous Delivery Pay Off?
Continuous Delivery does pay off. Many customers have reviewed that they have saved not only time but also money to automate builds and test their programs.
2. What Is The Difference Between CI and CD?
CI integrates your code into a mainline code base whereas CD is a process that takes place after the code is integrated so that the changes in your app can be delivered to your users.
3. Which Is The Most popular CI/CD Tool?
There are many popular and highly useful CI CD tools available on the present day however Jenkins is one of the best and most popular continuous integration tools which has been used in the field of software engineering widely. It is a well-known tool that helps to create CI or CD pipelines and has gained an excellent reputation for its local application, features, and easy installation benefits.
4. What Features Should a Good Continuous Integration Tool Offer?
A good continuous integration tool will help you to speed up your project and comes with a robust ecosystem. It should have cloud compatibility as well as deployment options. It should be safe and secure for your project data irrespective of whether it is open source or commercial in nature.
