# Dagger vs GitLab CI/CD

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** GitLab CI/CD

| Attribute | Dagger | GitLab CI/CD |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 53.8 (67% (medium)) | 59.8 (66% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 17 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 16,339 | 24,549 |
| content.faq | `[{"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}]` | `[{"answer":"GitLab's CI/CD system is a core component of its broader DevSecOps platform. It automates the entire pipeline from code commit to production deployment, with integrated security testing (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning) and compliance controls built directly into each build. It is indexed under CI/CD Tools.","source":"https://about.gitlab.com/es/pricing/","question":"What is GitLab CI/CD?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"GitLab CI/CD offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $29 per user 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://about.gitlab.com/es/pricing/","question":"Is GitLab CI/CD free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"GitLab CI/CD supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://about.gitlab.com/es/pricing/","question":"What platforms does GitLab CI/CD support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. GitLab CI/CD can be deployed cloud / SaaS, hybrid, on-premise and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://about.gitlab.com/es/pricing/","question":"Can GitLab CI/CD be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 3 integrations for GitLab CI/CD, including AWS Marketplace, Google Cloud Marketplace and Google Cloud Platform. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://about.gitlab.com/es/pricing/","question":"What does GitLab CI/CD integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR for GitLab CI/CD. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as GitLab CI/CD not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://about.gitlab.com/security/","question":"What security certifications does GitLab CI/CD have?","confidence":0.7}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"on_prem":true,"air_gapped":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | 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. | An integrated platform combining source control, continuous integration/deployment, and built-in security scanning to automate the entire software delivery lifecycle with support for both cloud and self-hosted deployments. |
| features.capabilities | `{"caching":true,"hosting":"both","marketplace":true,"yaml_pipelines":false,"container_native":true,"secrets_management":true,"deploy_environments":true,"self_hosted_runners":true}` | `{"hosting":"both","marketplace":true,"yaml_pipelines":true,"container_native":true,"secrets_management":true,"deploy_environments":true,"self_hosted_runners":true}` |
| integrations.count | 6 | 14 |
| 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"}]` | `[{"name":"AWS Marketplace"},{"name":"Google Cloud Marketplace"},{"name":"AWS"},{"name":"Google Cloud Platform"},{"name":"Kubernetes","native":true,"category":"deployment","direction":"outbound"},{"name":"Docker","native":true,"category":"containers"},{"name":"LDAP","native":true,"category":"identity","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"OAuth","native":true,"category":"identity","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Jenkins","native":true,"category":"ci_cd","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Jira","native":true,"category":"project_management","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Slack","native":true,"category":"chat","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"SAML","native":true,"category":"authentication","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"Anchore","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Prisma Cloud","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Checkmarx","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"CodeSecure","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Fortify","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Venafi","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Veracode","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"bidirectional"},{"name":"Akismet","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"inbound"},{"name":"reCAPTCHA","native":true,"category":"security","direction":"inbound"}]` |
| language.primary | Go | Ruby |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"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"]}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"Free","features":["Source Code Management","CI/CD"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false}],"addOns":[{"name":"GitLab Duo Agent Platform Credits","components":[{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"credit"},"kind":"metered","amount":1,"currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"Free tier available. Premium and Ultimate tiers available with expanded features.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/","retrievedAt":"2026-10-15T09:24:10.613Z","billingPeriods":["year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | mid | low |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":50,"currency":"USD"}` | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.history | `[{"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 | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"SOC 2 Type II","level":"Type II","status":"active"},{"name":"ISO/IEC 27001:2022","status":"active"},{"name":"ISO/IEC 27017:2015","status":"active"},{"name":"ISO/IEC 27018:2019","status":"active"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.fedramp | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.iso27001 | - | yes |
| security.pci | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 5.1 | 2.2 |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |
| security.trust_center | - | https://about.gitlab.com/security/ |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"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}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fgitlabhq%2Fgitlabhq&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (CI/CD Tools)

| Capability | Dagger | GitLab CI/CD |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Hosting | Cloud + self-hosted | 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 2026-10-16T17:44:41.338Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*