your ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/weekyour ad here · $149/week

DevOps

Free and open-source GitHub Actions alternatives

GitHub Actions (CI/CD and automation built into GitHub) is a commercial product. These 2 tools do the same job and are free to use or to self-host.
Short answer: the best free alternatives to GitHub Actions are Woodpecker CI and Jenkins. Self-hosting is free; you pay only for the server (a small VPS is about $4–6/mo). Licenses and prices checked 2026-10-01.
  1. 1
    Woodpecker CI

    Simple, container-based open-source CI engine

    Simple self-hosted CI with YAML pipelines.

    Open source (Apache-2.0) ·★ 8k GitHub stars · last commit 2026-10-07 · details

  2. 2
    Jenkins

    Open-source automation server for CI/CD

    The classic self-hosted automation server.

    Open source (MIT) ·★ 27k GitHub stars · last commit 2026-10-06 · details

Want paid options too? See all GitHub Actions alternatives or the full free alternatives list. Beyond developer tools, OSS Software lists more open-source GitHub Actions alternatives.

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to GitHub Actions?+

Yes. Woodpecker CI and Jenkins do the same job for free; Woodpecker CI and Jenkins are open source.

What is the best open-source alternative to GitHub Actions?+

Jenkins is the most starred on GitHub (27k stars). The classic self-hosted automation server.

Open source: OSI-approved license. Free to self-host: the code is public and free to run yourself, with limits in the license.