# Bazel vs Dagger

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Bazel

| Attribute | Bazel | Dagger |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 61.6 (42% (low)) | 53.8 (67% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 3 | 17 |
| adoption.github_stars | 25,942 | 16,339 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"An open-source build and test system designed to efficiently compile and test projects written in multiple programming languages while supporting builds for different target platforms. It uses intelligent caching and parallel execution to speed up builds and scales to handle large codebases across multiple repositories. It is indexed under CI/CD Tools.","source":"https://bazel.build/","question":"What is Bazel?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Bazel is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://bazel.build/","question":"Is Bazel free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Bazel supports Windows, macOS, Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://bazel.build/","question":"What platforms does Bazel support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Bazel can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://bazel.build/","question":"Can Bazel be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Bazel is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel","question":"Is Bazel open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"A platform that replaces shell scripts and YAML configurations with code-based pipelines. Runs identically on local machines and in CI/cloud environments, with built-in observability through OpenTelemetry traces and automatic content-addressed caching. It is indexed under CI/CD Tools.","source":"https://dagger.io/blog/new-dagger-cloud-pricing","question":"What is Dagger?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Dagger is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. A commercial or hosted edition starts at $50 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://dagger.io/blog/new-dagger-cloud-pricing","question":"Is Dagger free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Dagger supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://dagger.io/blog/new-dagger-cloud-pricing","question":"What platforms does Dagger support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Dagger can be deployed cloud / SaaS, on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://dagger.io/blog/new-dagger-cloud-pricing","question":"Can Dagger be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 9 integrations for Dagger, including Docker, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub, Kubernetes, Terragrunt, Istio, Jaeger and Honeycomb, plus 1 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://dagger.io/blog/new-dagger-cloud-pricing","question":"What does Dagger integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and GDPR for Dagger. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Dagger not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://trust.dagger.io","question":"What security certifications does Dagger have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Yes. Dagger is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger","question":"Is Dagger open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"hybrid":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | An open-source build and test system designed to efficiently compile and test projects written in multiple programming languages while supporting builds for different target platforms. It uses intelligent caching and parallel execution to speed up builds and scales to handle large codebases across multiple repositories. | A platform for automating software delivery that enables teams to define build, test, and deployment workflows as code in multiple programming languages. Pipelines execute consistently across local machines, CI systems, and cloud infrastructure with built-in caching, tracing, and container orchestration. |
| features.capabilities | `{"caching":true,"hosting":"self","marketplace":true,"open_source":true,"matrix_builds":true,"remote_caching":true,"monorepo_native":true,"polyglot_support":true,"incremental_builds":true,"self_hosted_runners":true,"distributed_remote_execution":true,"hermetic_reproducible_builds":true}` | `{"caching":true,"hosting":"both","marketplace":true,"yaml_pipelines":false,"container_native":true,"secrets_management":true,"deploy_environments":true,"self_hosted_runners":true}` |
| integrations.count | - | 6 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"Docker"},{"name":"GitLab CI/CD"},{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"Kubernetes"},{"name":"Terragrunt"},{"name":"Istio"},{"name":"Jaeger"},{"name":"Honeycomb"},{"name":"OpenTelemetry"},{"name":"GitLab","native":false,"category":"ci","direction":"bidirectional"}]` |
| language.primary | Java | Go |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://bazel.build/","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T13:55:36.070Z"}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Individual","summary":"Free","features":["Pipeline visualization","Local and cloud execution"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Free pipeline visualization and execution for personal projects and hobbyists","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Team","summary":"$50/month for up to 10 users, 2-week free trial","features":["Centralized control plane","Pipeline telemetry and visualization","Distributed cache orchestration"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":50,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Centralized control plane for team collaboration with pipeline telemetry and cache orchestration","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"up to 10"}}],"summary":"Free for individuals. $50/month for teams (up to 10 users, 2-week free trial).","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://dagger.io/blog/new-dagger-cloud-pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-09-14T13:19:19.689Z","freeTrialDays":14,"startingPrice":{"amount":50,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | mid |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":50,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 4 | - |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/10.0.0rc1","date":"2026-10-07T19:23:46Z","type":"prerelease","version":"10.0.0rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.3.0","date":"2026-10-07T16:47:33Z","type":"stable","version":"9.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.3.0rc5","date":"2026-10-06T06:33:14Z","type":"prerelease","version":"9.3.0rc5"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.3.0rc4","date":"2026-10-01T00:02:59Z","type":"prerelease","version":"9.3.0rc4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/8.8.1","date":"2026-09-24T21:21:45Z","type":"stable","version":"8.8.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.3.0rc3","date":"2026-09-23T18:02:07Z","type":"prerelease","version":"9.3.0rc3"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/8.8.1rc2","date":"2026-09-22T23:33:48Z","type":"prerelease","version":"8.8.1rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/8.8.1rc1","date":"2026-09-22T20:14:08Z","type":"prerelease","version":"8.8.1rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.3.0rc2","date":"2026-09-17T23:53:24Z","type":"prerelease","version":"9.3.0rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.3.0rc1","date":"2026-09-15T22:14:23Z","type":"prerelease","version":"9.3.0rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/8.8.0","date":"2026-08-31T22:34:10Z","type":"stable","version":"8.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/8.8.0rc4","date":"2026-08-27T22:41:09Z","type":"prerelease","version":"8.8.0rc4"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/8.8.0rc3","date":"2026-08-25T22:48:54Z","type":"prerelease","version":"8.8.0rc3"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/8.8.0rc2","date":"2026-08-18T21:22:09Z","type":"prerelease","version":"8.8.0rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/8.8.0rc1","date":"2026-08-06T23:58:18Z","type":"prerelease","version":"8.8.0rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.2.0","date":"2026-07-13T20:39:01Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.2.0rc2","date":"2026-07-09T20:29:30Z","type":"prerelease","version":"9.2.0rc2"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.2.0rc1","date":"2026-06-25T23:01:04Z","type":"prerelease","version":"9.2.0rc1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.1.1","date":"2026-06-03T21:14:12Z","type":"stable","version":"9.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases/tag/9.1.1rc1","date":"2026-05-29T20:29:47Z","type":"prerelease","version":"9.1.1rc1"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/v0.21.10","date":"2026-09-30T16:26:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.21.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/typescript/v0.21.10","date":"2026-09-30T16:27:35Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/typescript/v0.21.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/rust/v0.21.10","date":"2026-09-30T16:29:07Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/rust/v0.21.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/python/v0.21.10","date":"2026-09-30T16:28:17Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/python/v0.21.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/php/v0.21.10","date":"2026-09-30T16:27:52Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/php/v0.21.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/go/v0.21.10","date":"2026-09-30T16:27:53Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/go/v0.21.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/elixir/v0.21.10","date":"2026-09-30T16:29:03Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/elixir/v0.21.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/helm/chart/v0.21.10","date":"2026-09-30T16:27:35Z","type":"stable","version":"helm/chart/v0.21.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/v0.21.9","date":"2026-08-26T13:45:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.21.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/typescript/v0.21.9","date":"2026-08-26T13:46:59Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/typescript/v0.21.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/rust/v0.21.9","date":"2026-08-26T13:48:10Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/rust/v0.21.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/python/v0.21.9","date":"2026-08-26T13:47:30Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/python/v0.21.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/php/v0.21.9","date":"2026-08-26T13:47:11Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/php/v0.21.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/go/v0.21.9","date":"2026-08-26T13:47:12Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/go/v0.21.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/elixir/v0.21.9","date":"2026-08-26T13:48:05Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/elixir/v0.21.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/helm/chart/v0.21.9","date":"2026-08-26T13:46:56Z","type":"stable","version":"helm/chart/v0.21.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/v0.21.8","date":"2026-07-29T17:07:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.21.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/typescript/v0.21.8","date":"2026-07-29T17:08:26Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/typescript/v0.21.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/rust/v0.21.8","date":"2026-07-29T17:09:29Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/rust/v0.21.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/dagger/dagger/releases/tag/sdk/python/v0.21.8","date":"2026-07-29T17:08:52Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/python/v0.21.8"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 5.7 | 5.1 |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=conda&package_name=bazel&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fdagger%2Fdagger&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (CI/CD Tools)

| Capability | Bazel | Dagger |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Self-hosted only | Cloud + self-hosted |
| Self-hosted runners | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Core** |  |  |
| Config-as-code pipelines | - | ✗ |
| Matrix / parallel builds | ✓ | - |
| **Build** |  |  |
| Container-native builds | - | ✓ |
| **Performance** |  |  |
| Build caching | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Security** |  |  |
| Secrets management | - | ✓ |
| **Delivery** |  |  |
| Deployment environments & approvals | - | ✓ |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| Reusable actions / marketplace | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T20:12:37.888Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*