Comparison

release-drafter vs semantic-release

On the evidence we track, semantic-release leads this comparison with a composite score of 55/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
release-drafter50
semantic-release55
Score
Vioscale score
release-drafter50 / 100medium · 65%
semantic-release55 / 100medium · 56%
Pricing
Free tier
release-drafter
semantic-release
Model
release-draftercommercial
semantic-releaseopen_source
Price level
release-drafterfree
semantic-releasefree
Integrations
Count
release-drafter1
semantic-release4
Adoption
Dependent repos
release-drafter15,868
semantic-release
Github stars
release-drafter3,929
semantic-release24,007
Activity
Commits last 30d
release-drafter22
semantic-release19
Release
Cadence days
release-drafter17
semantic-release4
History
release-drafter20 items
semantic-release20 items
License
Spdx
release-drafterISC
semantic-releaseMIT
Language
Primary
release-drafterTypeScript
semantic-releaseJavaScript

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for changelog tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Capabilities
Conventional commits support
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
Semver automation
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
Public hosted page
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
Embeddable widget
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
Custom domain whitelabel
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
Audience segmentation
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
Monorepo support
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
Ci cd integration
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
AI assisted drafting
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
View analytics
release-drafter-
semantic-release-
Open source self host
release-drafter-
semantic-release-

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

release-drafter

A GitHub Action that maintains an up-to-date draft release by categorizing merged pull requests. Supports custom templates, semantic versioning, contributor tracking, and automated version resolution.

Independently observed

semantic-release

Leader

An open-source tool that automatically determines version numbers, generates release notes, and publishes packages by analyzing commit messages according to semantic versioning. It integrates with CI/CD systems to eliminate manual release processes.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

release-drafter

Open sourceFree tier
as of verify ↗

semantic-release

Leader
Open sourceFree tier

Free and open source

as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
release-drafter
semantic-release
CLI
release-drafter
semantic-release
Deployment
Cloud / SaaS
release-drafter
semantic-release
Self-hosted
release-drafter
semantic-release

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

release-drafter

1 total
  • GitHub
Independently observed

semantic-release

Leader
4 total
  • npm
  • GitHub Actions
  • commitizen
  • commitlint
Independently observed

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.