CircleCI vs GitLab CI:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, GitLab CI had more branded searches than CircleCI among CI/CD tools worldwide. GitLab CI had about 8,100 branded searches, while CircleCI had 50. GitLab CI made up 2% of all CI/CD tool searches we track, and CircleCI accounted for 0.01%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is CircleCI or GitLab CI more popular in search?
Compare the ci/cd tools people choose between. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for GitLab CI, CircleCI. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Jenkins | GitHub Actions | Argo CD | TeamCity | Buildkite | GitLab CI | Travis CI | CircleCI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 53.5% | 19.7% | 18% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 3.2% | 0.96% | 0.03% |
| Nov 2025 | 53.8% | 19.8% | 18.1% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 2.6% | 0.96% | 0.02% |
| Dec 2025 | 56.1% | 20.6% | 15.4% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 2.8% | 0.82% | 0.03% |
| Jan 2026 | 54.1% | 19.9% | 18.2% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 0.97% | 0.02% |
| Feb 2026 | 53.3% | 19.6% | 17.9% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 0.78% | 0.02% |
| Mar 2026 | 48.7% | 26.7% | 16.4% | 2.9% | 2% | 2.4% | 0.87% | 0.02% |
| Apr 2026 | 51.9% | 23.2% | 17.4% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.76% | 0.02% |
| May 2026 | 51.7% | 23.1% | 17.4% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 0.61% | 0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 49.4% | 22.2% | 20.3% | 3% | 2% | 2.4% | 0.71% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 50.8% | 22.9% | 18.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2% | 0.61% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 47.8% | 26.2% | 17.1% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.57% | 0.02% |
| Sep 2026 | 50.8% | 22.9% | 18.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2% | 0.61% | 0.01% |
How has the CircleCI and GitLab CI comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- GitLab CI was ahead of CircleCI in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CircleCI’s share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide moved from 0.03% to 0.01%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 140 to 50.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, GitLab CI’s share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide moved from 3.2% to 2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 8.1K.
How did search popularity change for CI/CD tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CircleCI’s and GitLab CI’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
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