GitLab CI vs Jenkins:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Jenkins had more branded searches than GitLab CI among CI/CD tools worldwide. Jenkins had about 201,000 branded searches, while GitLab CI had 8,100. Jenkins made up 50.8% of all CI/CD tool searches we track, and GitLab CI accounted for 2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about CI/CD tools, both GitLab CI and Jenkins appeared in all five answers. GitLab CI was mentioned before Jenkins in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Jenkins, about 25 searches for every 1 for GitLab CI
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
GitLab CI, named ahead of Jenkins in 3 of 5 answers
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Top CI/CD tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both GitLab CI and Jenkins showed up in all five answers. GitLab CI was listed before Jenkins in three of them.
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- GitLab CI5 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
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
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”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is GitLab CI or Jenkins more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for GitLab CI and Jenkins by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight CI/CD tools we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Jenkins, 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 GitLab CI and Jenkins comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Jenkins was ahead of GitLab CI in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Jenkins’ share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide moved from 53.5% to 50.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 246K to 201K.
How did search popularity change for CI/CD tools worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Jenkins gained share of searches among CI/CD tools worldwide, from 47.8% to 50.8%.
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 GitLab CI’s and Jenkins’ 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.
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