# github-act-runner vs jenkins

> Two self-hosted [CI/CD projects](https://selfhost.directory/cicd), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | github-act-runner | jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 48/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #23 of 28 in CI/CD | #1 of 28 in CI/CD |
| GitHub stars | 397 | 26 704 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +123 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 4 | 32 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.13.0 · 23 Jan 2026 | jenkins-2.580.2 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

jenkins scores 82/100 against 48/100 for github-act-runner, so it is the safer default.

jenkins ships more often: 32 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for github-act-runner.

jenkins is growing faster right now (+123 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [github-act-runner](https://selfhost.directory/project/github-act-runner) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/github-act-runner.md)
- [jenkins](https://selfhost.directory/project/jenkins) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/jenkins.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/github-act-runner-vs-jenkins