GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, GitHub Actions had more branded searches than GitLab CI among CI/CD tools worldwide. GitHub Actions had about 90,500 branded searches, while GitLab CI had 8,100. GitHub Actions made up 22.9% of all CI/CD tool searches we track, and GitLab CI accounted for 2%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is GitHub Actions 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 GitHub Actions, GitLab CI. 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 GitHub Actions and GitLab CI comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- GitHub Actions was ahead of GitLab CI in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, GitHub Actions’ share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide moved from 19.7% to 22.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 90.5K.
- 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
In September 2026, GitHub Actions lost share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide, from 26.2% to 22.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for GitLab CI worldwide fell 45.3% over 12 measured months, from 14.8K to 8.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using GitHub Actions’ 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.
GitHub Actions
1 branded search term
- github actions
GitLab CI
1 branded search term
- gitlab ci
Other head-to-heads among CI/CD tools
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