Buildkite vs CircleCI:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, CircleCI had more branded searches than Buildkite among CI/CD tools worldwide. CircleCI had about 18,300 branded searches, while Buildkite had 9,920. CircleCI made up 4.4% of all CI/CD tool searches we track, and Buildkite accounted for 2.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about CI/CD tools, CircleCI appeared in all five answers and Buildkite in one. CircleCI was mentioned before Buildkite in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
CircleCI, about 85% more searches than Buildkite
Who does AI mention more?
CircleCI, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
CircleCI, named ahead of Buildkite in every answer
Follow Buildkite vs CircleCI and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top CI/CD tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, CircleCI appeared in all five answers. Buildkite was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. CircleCI was listed before Buildkite in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Jenkins5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
GitHub Actions5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- CircleCI5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
GitLab CI5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Argo CD3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Buildkite1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Travis CI1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
TeamCity0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Semaphore0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about CI/CD tools
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which CI/CD tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best CI/CD tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best CI/CD tool for software delivery?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ci/cd tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“continuous integration tools”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Buildkite or CircleCI more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Buildkite and CircleCI by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine CI/CD tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for CircleCI, Buildkite. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Jenkins | GitHub Actions | Argo CD | CircleCI | TeamCity | Buildkite | GitLab CI | Travis CI | Semaphore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 51% | 19.4% | 17.2% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 3.1% | 0.91% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 51.3% | 19.5% | 17.3% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 0.92% | 0.14% |
| Dec 2025 | 53.5% | 20.2% | 14.7% | 4% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 2.6% | 0.78% | 0.14% |
| Jan 2026 | 51.6% | 19.6% | 17.4% | 3.9% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 0.92% | 0.13% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.8% | 19.3% | 17.1% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 0.74% | 0.13% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.7% | 26.2% | 15.7% | 3.5% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 0.83% | 0.14% |
| Apr 2026 | 49.6% | 22.7% | 16.7% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 2% | 2% | 0.73% | 0.1% |
| May 2026 | 49.5% | 22.6% | 16.6% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 0.58% | 0.09% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.9% | 21.6% | 19.3% | 4.3% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 0.68% | 0.12% |
| Jul 2026 | 48.6% | 22.4% | 17.4% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2% | 0.58% | 0.12% |
| Aug 2026 | 45.9% | 25.6% | 16.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 0.55% | 0.18% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.3% | 22.1% | 17.2% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.58% | 0.15% |
How has the Buildkite and CircleCI comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- CircleCI was ahead of Buildkite in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Buildkite’s share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide moved from 1.4% to 2.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 9.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CircleCI’s share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide moved from 3.8% to 4.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.5K to 18.3K.
How did search popularity change for CI/CD tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, CircleCI gained share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide, from 3.4% to 4.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Buildkite worldwide rose 49.6% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 9.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
8 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Buildkite’s and CircleCI’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among CI/CD tools
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.