Side by side
Jenkins vs Tekton Pipelines
Both stand on continuous delivery software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2
Jenkins offers a wide range of CI/CD workflows, deployment formats, and community plugins without a software fee. Teams should account for the project’s stated limits on plugin vulnerability fixes and current security-report delays.
Visit Jenkins
Free plan APILinuxSelf-hosted
Tekton Pipelines provides Kubernetes-native CI/CD building blocks, event triggers, Git integrations, and provenance tooling. Its free, self-hosted model is suited to organizations operating Kubernetes infrastructure.
Visit Tekton PipelinesThe facts
| Jenkins | Tekton Pipelines | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | jenkins.io | tekton.dev |
| On continuous delivery software | #17 of 32 | #21 of 32 |
Jenkins: what it does well
- Free and open-source automation server.
- Pipelines can pause, run in parallel, and survive restarts.
- More than 2,000 community-contributed plugins are listed.
- Builds, tests, and deployments can span multiple machines.
- Available as packages, installers, WAR files, and Docker images.
What to know first
- Plugin vulnerability fixes are not guaranteed to be timely.
- Security report processing is currently delayed.
- The project does not provide compliance documents or certifications.
Tekton Pipelines: what it does well
- Open-source framework with a free plan
- Reusable Kubernetes resources define pipeline workflows
- Triggers pipelines from events such as merged pull requests
- Integrates with four listed Git providers
- Supports provenance signing through Tekton Chains
What to know first
- Requires a Kubernetes cluster for installation
- Dashboard is described as a work in progress
- Self-hosted deployment; no hosted option listed
Alternatives to Jenkins Alternatives to Tekton Pipelines The whole list