shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Jenkins?

Jenkins – an open source automation server which enables developers around the world to reliably build, test, and deploy their software - jenkins.io

Depends. Choose Jenkins if you have dedicated DevOps staff and need a fully customizable, self-hosted build farm. Small teams or anyone wanting zero-maintenance CI should pick a hosted alternative instead.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 16 public sources; some review snippets truncated in the source data.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityCommunity support; no vendor SLA in evidence
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Open source (self-hosted)

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Hosted (Elest.io)From $18/mo

Best for

  • Enterprise build farms needing deep customization
  • Self-hosted or air-gapped environments
  • Groovy-fluent DevOps teams
  • Complex multi-tenant CI requirements

Not for

  • Small teams without a dedicated DevOps admin
  • Anyone wanting zero-maintenance hosted CI
  • Orgs unable to patch within days of advisories
  • Solo devs who just need build-on-push

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

'Free' can cost 10x hosted rivals once servers, plugins, and admin time are counted

high

Critical CVEs recur; exposed instances have enabled full-scale breaches

medium

No vendor SLA; you own upgrades, backups, and security patching

medium

Guess: Groovy Jenkinsfiles create lock-in; migrating pipelines out is slow

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free and open source with no license fees
  • Users call it more flexible than most CI tools
  • Huge installed base: 124,348+ companies per TheirStack
  • Platform independent; runs on your own infrastructure
  • Described as the largest tool in the market

Cons

  • Plugins reported outdated and riddled with security issues
  • Users say instances always become unmaintainable over time
  • Free license hides heavy infra and maintenance costs
  • Groovy pipelines add a steep learning curve
  • Reviewers find it powerful but complex

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 16 sources - Active open-source security team publishes advisories, but critical CVEs recur and exposed instances have been breached.

official x1review x7security x4news x4
  • CVE-2024-23897, Critical file-read flaw; CISA KEV listed; ~45,000 instances exposed online.
  • CVE-2026-33002, Authentication bypass vulnerability disclosed March 2026.
  • CVE-2026-53435, High-severity deserialization flaw enabling arbitrary code execution.
  • Security Advisory 2026-09-02, Attackers with certain Item/Configure permissions can exploit affected instances.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 16

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Free license; running costs can exceed hosted rivals
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Users cite complexity and Groovy learning curve
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Most flexible CI tool per user reviews
  • Support quality. Community support; no vendor SLA in evidence
  • Security posture: 2/5. Active advisories, but frequent critical CVEs
  • Free Starting price Open source, self-hosted
  • From $18/mo Hosted plans Elest.io managed, 2 CPU / 4GB
  • 124,348 Companies using TheirStack estimate
  • 1 Exploited CVEs CVE-2024-23897, CISA KEV listed

Pricing

Open source (self-hosted)

Free

  • All core features included
  • You supply servers, plugins, maintenance

Hosted (Elest.io)

From $18/mo

  • Managed instance
  • 2 CPUs, 4GB RAM

Security

Active open-source security team publishes advisories, but critical CVEs recur and exposed instances have been breached.

  • CVE-2024-23897Critical file-read flaw; CISA KEV listed; ~45,000 instances exposed online.12
  • CVE-2026-33002Authentication bypass vulnerability disclosed March 2026.13
  • CVE-2026-53435High-severity deserialization flaw enabling arbitrary code execution.14
  • Security Advisory 2026-09-02Attackers with certain Item/Configure permissions can exploit affected instances.16

What users say

Users praise unmatched flexibility and power but consistently flag complexity, maintenance burden, and plugin security debt.

“Jenkins is significantly more flexible than most C…”
Reddit, r/devops
“The plugins are out of date and riddled with secu…”
Reddit, r/devops
“Jenkins is very powerful, but I dislike the complexity”
G2 review

Companies that use it

  • Avoris Travel⁷
Full analysis

Based on 16 public sources; some review snippets truncated in the source data.

Free, flexible CI server — but plugin upkeep, hidden infra costs, and recurring critical CVEs demand dedicated admins.

Methodology

Based on 16 public sources; some review snippets truncated in the source data.

Sources

  1. Jenkins Reviews — G2g2.com
    review
  2. Jenkins Reviews — Capterracapterra.com
    review
  3. What are the real cons of using Jenkins? — Redditreddit.com
    review
  4. Anyone still using Jenkins? — Redditreddit.com
    review
  5. Why do people hate Jenkins? — Redditreddit.com
    review
  6. Jenkins Review 2025 — Kobee.iokobee.io
    review
  7. Jenkins Review: Pros, Cons, Pricing & Verdict — Siit.iosiit.io
    review
  8. Jenkins is free, but costs more than you think — Buildkitebuildkite.com
    news
  9. Why Jenkins might cost you 10x more — Atlassianatlassian.com
    news
  10. Jenkins — Plans and pricing — Elest.ioelest.io
    news
  11. Companies that use Jenkins — TheirStacktheirstack.com
    news
  12. NVD-CVE-2024-23897 — NISTnvd.nist.gov
    security
  13. CVE-2026-33002: Jenkins Auth Bypass — SentinelOnesentinelone.com
    security
  14. High Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability — CCB Belgiumccb.belgium.be
    security
  15. How an Exposed Jenkins Instance Led to a Breach — CloudSEKcloudsek.com
    security
  16. Jenkins Security — jenkins.iojenkins.io
    official

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