Buildkite vs CircleCI:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Buildkite had more branded searches than CircleCI among CI/CD tools in New Zealand. Buildkite had about 120 branded searches, while CircleCI had 70. Buildkite made up 20.3% of all CI/CD tool searches we track, and CircleCI accounted for 11.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about CI/CD tools, CircleCI appeared in two of the five answers and Buildkite in one. CircleCI was mentioned before Buildkite in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Buildkite, about 71% more searches than CircleCI
Who does AI mention more?
CircleCI, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Buildkite in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
CircleCI, named ahead of Buildkite in 2 of 3 answers
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Top CI/CD tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, CircleCI was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. 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 two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
GitHub Actions1st
GitLab CI2nd
Jenkins3rd
Azure Pipelines4th
Bitbucket Pipelines5th- CircleCI6th
- Buildkite7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- GitHub Actions5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Jenkins5 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
- Bitbucket Pipelines4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Azure Pipelines3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- CircleCI2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Buildkite1 of 5Named in 1 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 in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best CI/CD tools in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best CI/CD tool in New Zealand for a software team?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ci cd tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ci cd software”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand 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 seven CI/CD tools we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Buildkite, CircleCI. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | GitHub Actions | Buildkite | CircleCI | Azure Pipelines | Jenkins | GitLab CI | Bitbucket Pipelines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 53.2% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 8.1% | 4.8% | 6.5% | 4.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 51.6% | 12.5% | 14.1% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 4.7% | 4.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 55.9% | 15.3% | 8.5% | 6.8% | 5.1% | 6.8% | 1.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 50.9% | 9.4% | 11.3% | 7.5% | 11.3% | 7.5% | 1.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 47.6% | 16.7% | 8.3% | 4.8% | 14.3% | 6% | 2.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.6% | 12.8% | 9.6% | 5.3% | 20.2% | 7.4% | 2.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 44.6% | 14.9% | 8.1% | 4.1% | 18.9% | 5.4% | 4.1% |
| May 2026 | 42.1% | 18.4% | 9.2% | 5.3% | 15.8% | 6.6% | 2.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 50% | 13.6% | 10.6% | 6.1% | 10.6% | 6.1% | 3% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.5% | 15.5% | 9.9% | 4.2% | 14.1% | 7% | 2.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 46% | 19.5% | 12.6% | 5.7% | 10.3% | 3.4% | 2.3% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.8% | 20.3% | 11.9% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 5.1% | 3.4% |
How has the Buildkite and CircleCI comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 3 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Buildkite took it in December 2025, CircleCI took it in January 2026, Buildkite took it in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Buildkite’s share of searches among CI/CD tools in New Zealand moved from 11.3% to 20.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 70 to 120.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CircleCI’s share of searches among CI/CD tools in New Zealand moved from 11.3% to 11.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 70.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand CI/CD tools in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Buildkite gained share of searches among CI/CD tools in New Zealand, from 19.5% to 20.3%.
In September 2026, CircleCI lost share of searches among CI/CD tools in New Zealand, from 12.6% to 11.9%.
How are branded searches counted?
5 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
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