Open-source alternative
Replace CircleCI with Woodpecker CI / Forgejo Actions
The best open-source alternative to CircleCI is Woodpecker CI or Forgejo, self-hosted on Railway. CI you host. Woodpecker is Apache-2.0 pipelines; Forgejo Actions runs the YAML you already know — CircleCI without the credit pack.
Estimated save $2,400 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How CircleCI compares
| CircleCI | Woodpecker CI / Forgejo Actions | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Credit-metered CI plus seats | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Performance: extra users $15/mo; 25,000 extra credits $15 source | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- Woodpecker CI
Apache-2.0 CI pipelines (Drone fork)
- Forgejo
Self-hosted git plus Actions
FAQ
- Is it free?
- The Woodpecker CI / Forgejo Actions licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no CircleCI seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from CircleCI?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The Woodpecker CI / Forgejo Actions stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old CircleCI links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the Woodpecker CI / Forgejo Actions stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: Woodpecker server + an agent that can run Docker. Forgejo Actions if the git host is already Forgejo. Runners want Docker socket — a VPS is often easier than a single Railway service.
- What does this replace?
- CircleCI. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $2,400 a year.
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