Jenkins

What Jenkins does

Jenkins is the leading open-source automation server for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), founded in 2004 and released as an open-source project in 2011 by Kohsuke Kawaguchi. Its core product, Jenkins Core, is a self-contained Java-based application providing extensible build, test, and deployment automation that runs out-of-the-box on Windows, Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like operating systems. The platform's defining feature is its plugin architecture: the Update Center hosts 1,500-2,000+ plugins integrating with Git, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, Slack, Jira, SonarQube, JFrog, HashiCorp Vault, and Elasticsearch, enabling nearly infinite extensibility for the CI/CD toolchain. Pipeline as Code (via Jenkinsfile) and distributed build capabilities across multiple machines support complex, version-controlled deployment workflows.

Jenkins is governed as a community-driven project under the Continuous Delivery Foundation (CDF), with a Jenkins Governance Board, specialized interest groups (Platform, Advocacy, GSoC), and a release officer. It is supported by corporate sponsors including CloudBees (the primary commercial distributor via CloudBees CI), AWS, GitHub, JFrog, Red Hat, Atlassian, Datadog, and DigitalOcean, plus infrastructure support from the Oregon State University Open Source Lab. Distribution is fully free under MIT License through direct downloads, package managers (apt, yum, dnf, Chocolatey), Docker Hub, and official installers; Jenkins itself does not generate product revenue, and commercial support, training, and enterprise features are monetized by ecosystem partners rather than the Jenkins Project. FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography support extends addressability into US federal and regulated enterprise segments. Recent product development includes a 2025 UI redesign, a 2026 nested pipeline graph view, and an in-development AI chatbot plugin via GSoC 2026.

Name

Jenkins

Legal name

Jenkins Project

Website

https://jenkins.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Jenkins is the leading open-source automation server for CI/CD, offering a Java-based core with 1,500-2,000+ plugins for building, testing, and deploying software across Windows, Linux, and macOS. It serves software development teams globally under MIT License, with commercial support provided by ecosystem partner CloudBees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) Automation

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

CI/CD Pipeline Engineering & Automation (BPAEAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Developer Tools & DevOps Platform Services (CI/CD, Artifacts, IaC) (HDABAAAI)

Keywords

• Continuous integration automation
• Continuous delivery platform
• Open source CI/CD
• Pipeline as code
• Build automation server

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Open Source Distribution: Jenkins is free and open-source software distributed under MIT License. Revenue is not generated directly from the open-source project; commercial support and services are provided by ecosystem partners like CloudBees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Jenkins is a free, open-source Java-based automation server that provides continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) capabilities for software development teams. It enables users to automate building, testing, and deploying software projects across platforms through a self-hosted server extended by over 2,000 plugins and a Pipeline-as-Code (Jenkinsfile) workflow engine.

Product overview

Jenkins is an open-source automation server serving as the leading CI/CD platform, offering a modular architecture centered on Jenkins Core with over 2,000 plugins available through the Jenkins Update Center. The platform provides continuous integration and continuous delivery capabilities through its core engine, extended by the Pipeline (Pipeline as Code) module for defining build workflows as code. Jenkins is distributed as a self-contained Java application with official Docker images supporting multiple architectures (ARM, IBM s390x, ppc64le, RISC-V) and operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS). The commercial distribution is offered through CloudBees CI, providing enterprise-grade features on top of the open-source foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jenkins Automation Server Self-contained Java-based open-source automation server providing continuous integration and continuous delivery capabilities for software development teams; ready to run out-of-the-box on Windows, Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like systems with hundreds of plugins to support building, deploying, and automating any project.
• Jenkins Pipeline (Pipeline as Code) Feature suite that lets users define CI/CD pipelines as code via Jenkinsfiles using declarative or scripted syntax, enabling version-controlled, repeatable build, test, and deployment workflows.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18% of cloud-native CI/CD market share (2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CloudBees, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCloudBees is a major supporter of the Jenkins project, providing significant development contributions and offering commercial Jenkins products and support services. They are listed as a key sponsor with major commitments to the project.
• Continuous Delivery Foundation (CDF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJenkins is a graduated project under the CDF, which provides governance, infrastructure support, and organizes events like cdCon where Jenkins community awards are presented.
• AWSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmazon Web Services is listed as a major supporter of the Jenkins project through their open source support programs and infrastructure contributions.
• GitHub, Inc.majorTechnology or IntegrationGitHub provides support to the Jenkins project and hosts many Jenkins plugins and integrations on the GitHub platform.
• Oregon State University Open Source LabmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides hosting and infrastructure support for the Jenkins project as a major supporter.
• Red HatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Hat provides internship opportunities (GSoc mentors) and support for Jenkins development, including contributors from Red Hat working on Jenkins projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GitHub Actions: GitHub's integrated CI/CD platform, currently the dominant cloud-native competitor with 85%+ market share. Directly comparable in core CI/CD functionality (build, test, deploy pipelines) but delivered as a SaaS tightly integrated with the world's largest code-hosting platform.
• GitLab CI: GitLab's built-in CI/CD engine competes with Jenkins on pipeline-as-code, self-hosted vs. SaaS flexibility, and DevOps platform breadth. Often considered Jenkins's closest functional alternative for enterprises wanting integrated SCM + CI + CD.
• CircleCI: A cloud-native CI/CD platform offering hosted and self-hosted runners. Competes directly with Jenkins on build automation and pipeline-as-code, with a focus on performance and developer experience that highlights Jenkins's slower build times.
• CloudBees: The primary commercial sponsor of Jenkins and provider of CloudBees CI, the enterprise distribution. It is the closest commercial analogue to Jenkins and the main vehicle through which enterprises pay for Jenkins-based capabilities.
• JetBrains TeamCity: A commercial CI/CD server with on-premise and cloud offerings, often used by enterprises and Kotlin/Java-heavy teams. Competes with Jenkins on pipeline configuration, extensibility, and integration with major IDEs.
• Buildkite: A hybrid CI/CD platform that combines a SaaS control plane with self-hosted agents, directly addressing the same regulated/air-gapped use case Jenkins serves, but with a more modern UX.

Broad incumbents

• Azure DevOps Pipelines: Microsoft's integrated CI/CD service within the Azure DevOps suite. Competes with Jenkins as part of a broader enterprise DevOps platform, particularly attractive to Azure-centric enterprises.

Emerging players

• Drone.io: A container-native CI/CD platform built on Docker, offering pipeline-as-code via YAML. Targets the same DevOps audience as Jenkins but with a lighter, cloud-native architecture.
• Harness CI: A newer CI/CD module within the Harness DevOps platform, emphasizing AI-assisted pipelines and cloud-native execution. Competes for the same enterprise CI/CD workloads that Jenkins historically dominated.
• Tekton: A Kubernetes-native CI/CD framework incubated under the CDF (alongside Jenkins). Competes in the cloud-native pipeline space and benefits from the same continuous-delivery governance umbrella.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jenkinsci
• GitHubgithub.com/jenkinsci
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/jenkinscicd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jenkins-project
• Facebookfacebook.com/312954275925

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jenkins