# Source: https://circleci.com/compare/github-actions-vs-circleci.md

# GitHub Actions vs CircleCI

Make an informed choice for your continuous integration and delivery needs with this detailed comparison of GitHub Actions and CircleCI.

## Why choose CircleCI?

CircleCI is a dedicated CI/CD platform built for teams who need advanced pipeline orchestration, superior performance, and enterprise-grade support. Our platform delivers industry-leading build times, advanced security features, and the scalability to handle any workload.

### Feature comparison

| Pipeline configuration and management | CircleCI | GitHub Actions |
| :-- | --- | --- |
| YAML-based configuration | Yes | Yes |
| Centralized configuration management | Yes | No |
| Pipeline parameters | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional workflows | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic pipelines | Yes | No |
| Reusable components | Yes (Orbs) | Yes (Actions) |
| Matrix builds | Yes | Yes |

| Performance and optimization | CircleCI | GitHub Actions |
| :-- | --- | --- |
| Docker layer caching | Yes | No |
| Parallel execution | Yes | Yes |
| Flexible resource allocation | Yes | No |
| Automatic retry of failed jobs | Yes | No |
| Flaky test detection | Yes | No |
| Test splitting & parallelization | Yes | No |
| Custom resource classes | Yes | No |
| Usage API | Yes | No |

| Environment support | CircleCI | GitHub Actions |
| :-- | --- | --- |
| Cloud-hosted runners | Yes | Yes |
| On-premises installation | Yes (Server) | No |
| Linux environment | Yes | Yes |
| Windows environment | Yes | Yes |
| macOS environment | Yes | Yes |
| Docker environment | Yes | No |
| Arm support | Yes | Yes |
| GPU support | Yes | Yes |

| Enterprise features | CircleCI | GitHub Actions |
| :-- | --- | --- |
| Multi-VCS support | Yes | No |
| SOC 2 Type II certification | Yes | Yes |
| Detailed audit logs | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise SSO | Yes | Yes |
| OIDC support | Yes | Yes |
| Org-wide policy enforcement | Yes | No |
| Priority support | Yes | No |
| Technical account managers | Yes | No |

| Developer tools | CircleCI | GitHub Actions |
| :-- | --- | --- |
| CLI tool | Yes | Yes |
| VS Code extension | Yes | Yes |
| REST API | Yes | Yes |
| Webhooks | Yes | Yes |
| SSH debugging | Yes | No |
| Advanced analytics | Yes | No |
| Secrets management | Yes | Yes |

Last updated: April 15, 2025.  Because companies update their features and pricing regularly, some details might have changed since we last checked. We do our best to keep things accurate, but encourage you to do your own research.

## Why teams choose CircleCI

### Superior performance

Teams consistently report faster build times with CircleCI’s advanced caching and optimized infrastructure.

### Enterprise-grade support

Our dedicated support team and technical account managers ensure your success with 24/7 availability.

### Advanced features

From sophisticated caching to custom resource classes, CircleCI provides the tools needed for complex CI/CD pipelines.

### Platform independence

Unlike GitHub Actions, CircleCI works seamlessly with any Git provider, offering greater flexibility and avoiding vendor lock-in.

Voiceflow

     

> “CircleCI was super-easy to set up; the maturity and the robustness of the tool was perfect and fits well with our needs.”
> 
>   Xavier Portilla Edo | Infrastructure Team Lead at Voiceflow
> 
> [Read more](/case-studies/voiceflow/)