Brandwave

GitHub Actions vs Jenkins:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, GitHub Actions had more branded searches than Jenkins among CI/CD tools in New Zealand. GitHub Actions had about 270 branded searches, while Jenkins had 40. GitHub Actions made up 45.8% of all CI/CD tool searches we track, and Jenkins accounted for 6.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about CI/CD tools, both GitHub Actions and Jenkins appeared in all five answers. GitHub Actions was mentioned before Jenkins in four out of five answers.

Among CI/CD tools in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

GitHub Actions, about 7 searches for every 1 for Jenkins

GitHub Actions 270 searchesJenkins 40 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.

GitHub Actions in 5 of 5Jenkins in 5 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

GitHub Actions, named ahead of Jenkins in 4 of 5 answers

GitHub Actions first in 4Jenkins first in 1

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Top CI/CD tools in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both GitHub Actions and Jenkins showed up in all five answers. GitHub Actions was listed before Jenkins in four of them.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. GitHub Actions1st
  2. GitLab CI2nd
  3. Jenkins3rd
  4. Azure Pipelines4th
  5. Bitbucket Pipelines5th
  6. CircleCI6th
  7. 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

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.

Is GitHub Actions or Jenkins more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for GitHub Actions and Jenkins 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.

GitHub Actions and Jenkins among CI/CD tools in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for GitHub Actions, Jenkins. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGitHub ActionsBuildkiteCircleCIAzure PipelinesJenkinsGitLab CIBitbucket Pipelines
Oct 202553.2%11.3%11.3%8.1%4.8%6.5%4.8%
Nov 202551.6%12.5%14.1%6.3%6.3%4.7%4.7%
Dec 202555.9%15.3%8.5%6.8%5.1%6.8%1.7%
Jan 202650.9%9.4%11.3%7.5%11.3%7.5%1.9%
Feb 202647.6%16.7%8.3%4.8%14.3%6%2.4%
Mar 202642.6%12.8%9.6%5.3%20.2%7.4%2.1%
Apr 202644.6%14.9%8.1%4.1%18.9%5.4%4.1%
May 202642.1%18.4%9.2%5.3%15.8%6.6%2.6%
Jun 202650%13.6%10.6%6.1%10.6%6.1%3%
Jul 202646.5%15.5%9.9%4.2%14.1%7%2.8%
Aug 202646%19.5%12.6%5.7%10.3%3.4%2.3%
Sep 202645.8%20.3%11.9%6.8%6.8%5.1%3.4%

How has the GitHub Actions and Jenkins comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • GitHub Actions was ahead of Jenkins 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 in New Zealand moved from 53.2% to 45.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 330 to 270.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Jenkins’ share of searches among CI/CD tools in New Zealand moved from 4.8% to 6.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 30 to 40.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand CI/CD tools in September 2026?

3 changes

  1. In September 2026, Azure Pipelines overtook Jenkins to rank 4th among CI/CD tools in New Zealand, with 6.8% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Jenkins lost share of searches among CI/CD tools in New Zealand, from 10.3% to 6.8%.

  3. GitHub Actions’ share of searches among CI/CD tools in New Zealand has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 50% to 45.8% in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

6 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using GitHub Actions’ 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.

GitHub Actions

2 branded search terms

  • github actions
  • githubactions

Jenkins

4 branded search terms

  • jenkins build pipeline
  • jenkins ci
  • jenkins ci cd
  • jenkins pipeline

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among CI/CD tools

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