Drone CI vs Woodpecker CI
Self-host pick — both replace CircleCI (Hosted CI/CD).
Both Drone CI and Woodpecker CI self-host as a replacement for CircleCI (Hosted CI/CD). Pick Woodpecker CI if you want the lighter footprint — 20min docker-compose (server + runner), $10/mo vps for the server; runners on $5 boxes. Pick Drone CI if you need container-native pipelines where every step is a Docker image — Drone is the most natural fit for that mental model — 20min docker-compose (Drone server + at least one runner) and $10-20/mo vps for the server; runners are separate (one $5 vps per concurrent build).
| Drone CIopen-source | Woodpecker CIopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Setup time | 20min docker-compose (Drone server + at least one runner) | 20min docker-compose (server + runner) |
| Monthly cost | $10-20/mo VPS for the server; runners are separate (one $5 VPS per concurrent build). | $10/mo VPS for the server; runners on $5 boxes. |
| GitHub | harness/drone | woodpecker-ci/woodpecker |
| Replaces | CircleCI | CircleCI |
Good fit for
Drone CI
Container-native pipelines where every step is a Docker image — Drone is the most natural fit for that mental model.
Weak at:macOS / iOS builds need self-hosted runners with manual setup; GPU builds similarly bring-your-own.
Woodpecker CI
Teams that valued Drone but want a guaranteed-OSS path — Woodpecker has no commercial-tier overhang.
Weak at:Smaller community than Drone; documentation and integrations slightly thinner.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli circleci prints CircleCI's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Drone CI or Woodpecker CI?
Drone CI: 20min docker-compose (Drone server + at least one runner). Woodpecker CI: 20min docker-compose (server + runner).
What does each cost to run?
Drone CI: $10-20/mo VPS for the server; runners are separate (one $5 VPS per concurrent build).. Woodpecker CI: $10/mo VPS for the server; runners on $5 boxes.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Drone CI and Woodpecker CI replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to CircleCI.