1 / 2 · Book 16 · The CI/CD Landscape · drill: interview Q&A⊞ allnext →Get the book →
1.3The Big Four Platforms
As of 2026, most teams use one of four CI/CD platforms. Each has its own configuration format and hosting model, but they all share the same core concepts: triggers, jobs, steps, environment variables, secrets, and artifacts.
| Platform | Config Format | Hosted/Self-Hosted | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Actions | YAML (.github/workflows/) |
Hosted (+ self-hosted runners) | Native GitHub integration, marketplace of actions, generous free tier | Debugging workflows can be slow (push-and-pray) |
| GitLab CI | YAML (.gitlab-ci.yml) |
Both | Built-in container registry, review apps, strong DevSecOps features | YAML complexity grows quickly |
| Jenkins | Groovy (Jenkinsfile) |
Self-hosted | Maximum flexibility, massive plugin ecosystem | Maintenance burden, UI feels dated |
| CircleCI | YAML (.circleci/config.yml) |
Hosted | Fast execution, excellent caching, orbs for reuse | Cost scales with parallelism |