Luca BertonThe Enterprise CI/CD Decision
CI/CD is the backbone of software delivery. For regulated enterprises, the choice affects security posture, audit compliance, build reproducibility, and operational control. Jenkins has been the default for 15+ years, but GitHub Actions and GitLab CI offer compelling alternatives — with different trade-offs around control, convenience, and cost.
Architecture Comparison
Jenkins
- Model: Self-hosted, open-source. Controller + agent architecture.
- Pipeline: Jenkinsfile (Groovy-based declarative or scripted). Extremely flexible, sometimes too flexible.
- Plugins: 1,800+ plugins. Strength and weakness — plugin quality varies, dependency management is painful.
- Data sovereignty: Complete. Everything runs on your infrastructure.
- Kubernetes: Jenkins Kubernetes plugin for dynamic agents. Works but requires tuning.
- Compliance: Full audit trail control. RBAC via Role Strategy plugin. Credential management via Vault integration.
GitHub Actions
- Model: SaaS (GitHub-hosted runners) or self-hosted runners. Tightly integrated with GitHub.
- Pipeline: YAML workflows in .github/workflows/. Clean syntax, reusable workflows.
- Marketplace: 20,000+ actions. Security concern — supply chain attacks via third-party actions.
- Data sovereignty: SaaS runners: builds run on GitHub/Azure infrastructure. Self-hosted: you control the runner, but orchestration metadata stays in GitHub.
- Kubernetes: Actions Runner Controller (ARC) for K8s-native self-hosted runners.
- Compliance: Audit log API, branch protection rules, environment protection rules, OIDC for cloud deployments.
GitLab CI
- Model: SaaS (gitlab.com) or self-managed. CI is built into the platform — no separate tool.
- Pipeline: .gitlab-ci.yml. DAG-based pipeline with stages. Includes security scanning, container registry, package registry, and more.
- Built-in DevSecOps: SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, container scanning, secret detection — all included (Ultimate tier).
- Data sovereignty: Self-managed: complete control. SaaS: EU data residency available.
- Kubernetes: GitLab Agent for Kubernetes. Native K8s deployments.
- Compliance: Compliance frameworks, merge request approval rules, audit events, compliance pipelines (force security scans).
Decision Matrix
| Factor | Jenkins | GitHub Actions | GitLab CI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted option | Only option | GHES ($21/user/mo) | Self-managed (free CE) |
| Ops burden | High (plugins, upgrades) | Low (SaaS) | Medium (self-managed) |
| Security scanning | Via plugins | Via actions/GHAS | Built-in (Ultimate) |
| Cost (100 devs) | ~$2-5K/mo infra | ~$2-4K/mo (Team) | ~$3-10K/mo (Premium) |
| Compliance features | Basic (plugin-dependent) | Good (GHES/GHAS) | Strong (compliance pipelines) |
| Vendor lock-in | None (open source) | Medium (GitHub ecosystem) | Low-Medium (CE is open) |
📘 Book
Kubernetes Recipes
A practical guide for container orchestration and deployment by Grzegorz Stencel & Luca Berton (Apress).
Watch on Skillshare →Recommendation
- Keep Jenkins if: You have a mature Jenkins setup with experienced administrators, your pipelines are complex and deeply customised, and migration cost outweighs the benefit.
- Choose GitHub Actions if: Your source code is already on GitHub, you want the fastest path to CI/CD, and you're comfortable with SaaS (or can deploy GHES).
- Choose GitLab CI if: You want an all-in-one platform (source + CI + security + registry), you need strong compliance features, or you want full self-hosting with an open-source core.
- Migration note: Jenkins → GitHub Actions or GitLab CI migration is significant (Groovy → YAML, different plugin ecosystems). Plan 3-6 months for a 100-pipeline migration.
Jenkins
GitHub Actions
GitLab CI
CI/CD
comparison
DevOps
regulated enterprises