Alternatives / GitHub Actions
Looking for an open source GitHub Actions alternative? We compared 4 open source CI/CD platforms by license, self-hosting, pipeline model, and open-core editions. They range from a lightweight container CI to full DevSecOps platforms, and three of them keep some features in commercial editions.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Harness | Open-source platform with source hosting and CI/CD | Apache-2.0 |
| GitLab | Full DevSecOps platform (Community Edition is open core) | Open-source Community Edition / commercial Enterprise |
| Woodpecker CI | Lightweight container-based CI | Apache-2.0 |
| Semaphore | CI/CD with a visual workflow builder (Enterprise edition is commercial) | Apache-2.0 (Community) + commercial Enterprise (ee) |
We looked for open-source tools that overlap with GitHub Actions' core: running pipelines on every push, with workflows defined as code, runners, and secrets. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. GitHub Actions is tied to GitHub, so we note which alternatives also host your code and which connect to external forges, and flag open-core editions. See our methodology for the full criteria.
None of these runs GitHub Actions workflow files unchanged, so moving means rewriting your pipelines in the format each tool uses. Woodpecker CI uses its own container-based workflow syntax, and GitLab uses its own CI/CD configuration. Plan time for migration and testing.
Harness and GitLab are the closest as full platforms that host your Git repositories and run CI/CD in the same product, which mirrors how GitHub combines repositories with Actions. Woodpecker CI is a standalone CI engine that connects to Gitea, Forgejo, GitHub, GitLab, and other forges, and Semaphore is a dedicated CI/CD platform with a visual workflow builder.
GitLab's Community Edition is open source, but many advanced features, such as parts of its security and compliance tooling, are in its commercial Enterprise edition. Semaphore's Community Edition is Apache-2.0, while its ee directory is commercial. Harness and Woodpecker CI are Apache-2.0 without a commercial split in their repositories, though Harness also sells commercial products.
Harness and Woodpecker CI are Apache-2.0. Semaphore's Community Edition is Apache-2.0, and GitLab's Community Edition is open source alongside commercial Enterprise functionality.
Harness, GitLab, Woodpecker CI, and Semaphore all had commits within days of this update. The older semaphoreci/semaphore repository is archived and replaced by semaphoreio/semaphore.
GitHub Actions is a proprietary service that runs on GitHub's infrastructure, billed by minutes beyond a free quota, and it only works with GitHub repositories. Open-source CI/CD lets you run pipelines on your own servers, avoid per-minute pricing, work with other Git forges, and keep build data and secrets in your environment, at the cost of running and securing the CI infrastructure yourself.
Apache-2.0 developer platform evolved from Gitness, combining source-code management, pull requests, code review, CI/CD pipelines, artifact registries, APIs, webhooks, and hosted development environments called Gitspaces.
Pricing: Open-source self-hostable platform; commercial Harness products are also available.
DevSecOps platform with Git repositories, merge requests, issues, epics, planning, CI/CD, container and package registries, security scanning, releases, Kubernetes integration, and deployment workflows. Community Edition is open source alongside commercial Enterprise functionality.
Pricing: Self-managed Community Edition and paid commercial tiers.
Woodpecker CI is an Apache-2.0 CI/CD engine that runs pipelines in containers, with multi-workflow support, a plugin ecosystem, and integrations with Gitea, Forgejo, GitHub, GitLab, and other forges. It is community-driven, forked from Drone, and entirely free to self-host.
Pricing: Free and open source.
Semaphore is a CI/CD and delivery platform whose Community Edition is open source under Apache-2.0 and can be run on your own infrastructure, with features such as test reports, monorepo support, and a visual workflow builder. An Enterprise Edition in the ee directory is under a commercial license, and a hosted version is available at semaphoreci.com. The older semaphoreci/semaphore repository is archived in favor of semaphoreio/semaphore.
Pricing: Community Edition is free to self-host; the hosted service and Enterprise Edition are paid.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harness | Developer platform with CI/CD | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Source and pipelines together |
| GitLab | DevSecOps platform | Open core (CE + commercial EE) | Yes | Full DevOps lifecycle |
| Woodpecker CI | CI/CD engine | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Lightweight container CI |
| Semaphore | CI/CD platform | Apache-2.0 + commercial ee | Yes | Visual workflows |
Want source hosting and CI/CD in one open platform
Harness combines source control, pipelines, an artifact registry, and hosted dev environments under Apache-2.0.
Want a full DevSecOps platform
GitLab combines repositories, CI/CD, registries, and security scanning, but many advanced features are in its commercial editions.
Want a simple CI that works with your existing Git forge
Woodpecker CI runs container pipelines and integrates with Gitea, Forgejo, GitHub, and GitLab under Apache-2.0.
Want a dedicated CI/CD platform with a visual builder
Semaphore offers an Apache-2.0 Community Edition with a visual workflow builder, and a commercial Enterprise edition.