Jenkins
Jenkins is an open-source automation server used in software development for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). It provides basic automation capabilities for building, testing, and deploying code.
What is Jenkins?
Jenkins is an open-source automation server that facilitates continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) in software development. It automates tasks such as building, testing, and deploying code, helping to streamline the development process. Jenkins supports a wide range of plugins, enabling customization to fit various tools, workflows, and platforms.
Top Alternatives to Jenkins
Appcircle
- All-in-one mobile CI/CD platform
- 100+ mobile specific integrations
- Continuous testing integration
- Centralized Signing Identity management
- Supports easy distribution to testers
- Supports in-house distribution
- Automated, customizable, and secure app release process
- Latest build stacks available within 24 hours
Others
Azure DevOps
Azure DevOps offers limited mobile-specific capabilities compared to specialized mobile platforms, lacks built-in app distribution features for testers, and provides no fully customizable automation for publishing to app stores.
GitHub Actions
GitHub Actions offers limited mobile-specific capabilities, lacks centralized signing identities management, and requires macOS maintenance overhead that increases operational complexity.
FAQs
Appcircle vs. Jenkins
Compare Appcircle with Jenkins as CI/CD and DevOps tools and discover how Appcircle stands out.
Build
Appcircle’s robust infrastructure and clean build architecture deliver consistently fast, reliable builds. Advanced caching and up-to-date stack management significantly reduce build times and save developer hours. With customizable workflows, 100+ ready integrations and seamless Git connections, teams accelerate mobile app delivery with no YAML complexity.
Learn more about Build
Signing Identities
Centralize all app signing identity management in one secure dashboard with no need to switch to the Apple Developer Portal. Easily generate, renew, and track Certificates, Identifiers, Profiles, Keystores, and Apple device registrations automatically. Proactive expiration alerts, auto renewal, and detailed activity logs keep your mobile CI/CD workflows secure and uninterrupted.
Learn more about Signing Identities
Testing Distribution
Effortlessly distribute iOS and Android binaries, manage testers, and automate your entire app test distribution process. It offers native plugins for CI/CD tools like Fastlane, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and Visual Studio, along with CLI and API support. An intuitive tester portal, multi-channel delivery, SSO/LDAP authentication, and detailed reporting ensure a smooth testing experience.
Learn more about Testing Distribution
Re-sign Binary
Appcircle lets you re-sign iOS and Android binaries manually or automatically. You can update your app’s certificate or keystore, change the app name, icon, version info, entitlements, provisioning profiles, and embedded certificates. This keeps your apps secure and up-to-date without a full rebuild, even when transferring app ownership to a new developer account or updating an existing application, while maintaining full traceability and compliance.
Learn more about Re-sign Binary
Publish to Stores
Automate app store releases and manage submissions to App Store, Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, Microsoft Intune, and TestFlight from a single dashboard—no need to switch between different store platforms like App Store Connect or Google Play Console. Customize publish flows with drag-and-drop design and custom script support. Automate metadata updates and re-signing, keeping everything transparent with detailed activity logs and access controls.
Learn more about Publish to Stores
CodePush
Deliver secure, seamless OTA updates for your React Native apps with Appcircle CodePush. Integrate with your CI/CD pipeline, push real-time changes to users without requiring app store resubmission, manage controlled rollouts, instantly roll back updates, and enhance security with code signing, package diff, code obfuscation, self-hosted options, and enterprise-grade reporting.
Learn more about CodePush
Enterprise App Store
Distribute internal iOS and Android apps securely through your own branded store, without MDM. Support in-app (over-the-air) updates for seamless user experiences. Integrate natively with CI/CD tools like Fastlane, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and Visual Studio. Manage access with SSO/LDAP, use custom domains, and track installs with detailed reports for a secure app delivery experience.
Learn more about Enterprise App Store
Publish to Microsoft Intune
Easily publish your mobile applications directly to Microsoft Intune within your automated release workflow. Register your app with the Microsoft Identity Platform and provide your credentials for secure publishing. Keep your business apps up-to-date by submitting new builds and updating app metadata on Intune, all managed seamlessly through Appcircle’s Publish module.
Learn more about Intune integration
Multi-tenancy
Segment teams into independent sub-organizations to improve security and operational efficiency. Advanced role management lets you assign module-specific permissions to every user, making it easy to control access, manage responsibilities, and maintain security across multiple teams and projects, even as your organization scales.
Learn more about Multi-tenancy
SSO/LDAP Support
Appcircle offers enterprise-grade security with seamless integration to identity providers like Okta, Azure AD, and OneLogin using standard protocols such as OpenID Connect, SAML, and LDAP. The platform enables dynamic role and permission assignments based on identity provider groups, supporting fine-grained access control through role mapping via SSO and LDAP.
Learn more about SSO/LDAP Support
Deployment Options
Every enterprise has unique needs. Appcircle supports Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrid, and on-premise deployments. Its portable, container-based architecture lets you deploy on GCP, AWS, Azure, or within your own Kubernetes, OpenShift, Podman, or Docker environment. Choose the deployment setup that best fits your business requirements.
Learn more about Self-Hosted Appcircle
Ready to use CI Plugins
Seamless integration with your existing DevOps tools is easy with Appcircle. Take advantage of ready-to-use plugins for Azure DevOps, GitHub, Fastlane, Jenkins, and more. With full API and CLI support, you can easily connect Appcircle’s distribution modules to your workflows, automate the entire process, and ensure reliable, scalable app delivery.
Learn more about CI Plugins
Activity Log & Reports
Track every action across all modules with detailed activity logs and enterprise-grade reporting. Appcircle provides full visibility into build, signing, testing, enterprise distribution, and publishing operations, helping you meet security and compliance requirements. Keep your workflows secure, auditable, and fully transparent at every stage.
Appcircle
Jenkins
Ready-to-use pipelines for iOS (Obj-C / Swift), Android (Java / Kotlin), React Native, Flutter, .Net MAUI, Ionic
No out-of-the-box support; everything must be manually set up using plugins
New Xcode versions available within 24h, selectable from a dropdown
Must be handled manually
Product designed to use clean build architecture for every build, every time
Must be set up manually
Yes
Must be handled manually
GitHub, Github Enterprise, Bitbucket, Bitbucket (Self-Hosted), GitLab, GitLab (Self-Managed), Azure Cloud, Azure Self-hosted, SSH, URL
GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, Gitea, Tuleap via plugins, SSH
Webhooks can be set for events such as code pushes, pull requests, and tag creations. In addition, webhook connections are handled automatically for certain Git providers
All webhooks must be set up manually
Automatic triggers on commits, PRs, and tags, plus scheduled triggers via plugins
Must be set up manually
Can create different workflows and configurations for each environment
Via environment dashboard plugin or directly in Jenkinsfile, hard to distinguish between environment configurations and manage them effectively
Supports both YAML and no-YAML with drag-and-drop pipeline configuration
Supports pipeline-as-code only; requires a Jenkinsfile
Manage builds using GUI drag-and-drop interface
Defined via Jenkinsfile
100+ workflow steps tailored for mobile app build, distribution, and publishing, including code signing and versioning
40+ plugins for mobile development
Ruby and Bash support
Write scripts and include them in Jenkinsfile
Yes, via ready-to-use workflow steps or custom scripts
Via plugins
Yes, via unit and UI test workflow steps
Via plugins
Ready-to-use plugins for mobile development tests; any test framework via custom scripts
Yes, via plugins
Via integrations; can send to TestFlight via Publish module, etc.
Yes, via plugins
Centralized management for Apple certificates, Apple profiles, and keystores
No centralized management; code signing only available using plugins
Versioning handled automatically via workflow steps and customizable based on strategy
No out-of-the-box support; versioning automation must be handled by developers, which can be a tedious process
Appcircle has its own testing distribution module; can also connect to external third-party delivery systems like Firebase App Distribution, etc.
Can connect to external third-party delivery systems like Firebase App Distribution, etc.
Yes; offers a module covering all needs for distributing apps to testers, including a UI-friendly portal, SSO/LDAP integration, re-signing, versioning, etc.
No
Yes, offers a branded app store for in-house app distribution
No
Yes; can create pipelines with both YAML and UI
Yes, but must be manually set up in Jenkinsfile
Yes; fully customizable publish-to-store pipeline
Yes; pipeline must be set up accordingly
Offers various login options, including SAML and OpenID SSO; Two-Factor Authentication also available for increased security
Yes, via plugins
Supports LDAP group/role mapping for seamless integration with your organization's directory services, enabling effective and automated tester group management
Yes, via plugins
OpenID & SAML
OpenID & SAML
Public Cloud, Private Cloud (AWS, Azure), Hybrid, On-premise (Openshift, Kubernetes, Podman, Docker)
Self-hosted
SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Not applicable; open-source downloadable software
Free tier or tailored pricing
Free
Closed Source License; Open-Source Workflow Steps
Open source
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the authors. Any content provided by our bloggers or authors is of their opinion and are not intended to malign any organization, company, individual or anyone or anything. This comparison is based on their review of the product for market research purposes
Switching to another CI/CD Platform can be a complex decision. Switching to Appcircle is easy,however we've prepared this comparison to help you decide easier.
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