CircleCI plans overview
CircleCI offers credit-based usage plans that let you pay only for what you use, with the flexibility to scale as your team and project needs grow. This page explains how the plan system works and what features are available at each tier.
How credits work
Credits are the unit of compute consumption in CircleCI. They are consumed by the second at varying rates per minute depending on the machine type and resource class used for a given job. Larger, more powerful machine types consume credits at a higher rate.
This model gives you precise control over your spending. For example, your team might:
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Use a
largeresource class (4 CPUs, 8 GB memory) for a high-priority service that needs fast builds. -
Use a
smallresource class (1 CPU, 2 GB memory) for a utility project that ships infrequently.
For a full breakdown of credit rates per resource class and execution environment, refer to the Resource Classes page.
Feature comparison
For a full comparison of features on each plan, refer to the pricing comparison chart on the Pricing page and the Comparison Table on the same page. You will also find a link to the price list.
The sections below provide some highlights of what is available on each plan.
Free plan
The Free plan includes a set number of credits per month and provides access to the core CircleCI feature set. It is designed to support individual developers and small teams getting started with CI/CD.
The Free plan includes:
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A selection of resource classes across Docker, Arm, Linux, Windows, and macOS execution environments.
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A set number of active users. Users beyond the included number are charged at an additional per-user credit rate. For more information on user types and registration, see User Types and Registration.
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Access to the features described in Features available on all plans.
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Flaky test detection: Automatic detection of flaky tests, limited to 5 tests. Refer to the Fix Flaky Tests page for details.
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Community support via the CircleCI community forums and the support portal.
For current network and storage allowances, refer to the Pricing page.
Performance plan
The Performance plan expands on the Free plan with additional compute options, higher concurrency, and improved support. It is suited to growing teams that need more throughput and control.
In addition to everything in the Free plan, the Performance plan includes:
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Additional resource classes: Access to larger machine sizes across Docker, Linux, Windows, and macOS execution environments, giving you higher CPU and memory limits where needed.
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IP ranges: Route job traffic through a defined set of IP addresses for access to restricted environments. Refer to the IP Ranges page for details.
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Higher concurrency: Run more jobs simultaneously within your workflows, reducing queue times.
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Scalable user seats: Start with a set number of active users and add more as your team grows. Additional users are charged at a per-user credit rate.
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Organization-level custom storage retention: Configure how long artifact, workspace, and cache objects are stored for your organization. Reducing retention periods can lower your monthly bill.
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Additional self-hosted runners: Expand the number of jobs running on your own infrastructure.
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Unlimited flaky test detection: No cap on the number of flaky tests detected. Refer to the Fix Flaky Tests page for details.
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Unregistered user spend prevention: Control credit spend from unregistered users. Refer to the Prevent Unregistered Users From Spending Credits page for details.
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Standard support: Support through SLAs with defined response times, plus access to the global ticket-based system.
For current network and storage allowances, refer to the Pricing page.
| For details on canceling a Performance plan, refer to the Cancel Performance Plan FAQ. |
Scale plan
The Scale plan is designed for large organizations with advanced compliance, customization, and infrastructure requirements. It provides the highest available limits and a dedicated account team.
In addition to everything in the Performance plan, the Scale plan includes:
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All resource classes: Access to every available machine size across all execution environments, including GPUs.
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No concurrency limits: Run an unlimited number of jobs concurrently across all build configurations and execution environments. macOS resource classes are the exception and retain a custom concurrency limit.
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Custom user seat count: Set user limits based on your organization’s needs.
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Unlimited self-hosted runners: No cap on the number of jobs running on your own infrastructure.
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Custom storage retention: Full customization of retention periods for artifacts, workspaces, and caches.
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Single sign-on (SSO): SAML-based SSO for your organization. Refer to the SSO Overview page for details.
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Config policies: Organization-level rules that govern which configuration elements are required, allowed, or disallowed in project configurations. Refer to the Config Policy Management Overview page for details.
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Audit log streaming: Stream audit log events to your own storage. Refer to the Audit Logs page for details.
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Budget controls: Set and monitor spending budgets for your organization. Refer to the Manage Budgets page for details.
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Site-to-site connectivity (preview): Connect CircleCI to your private network over a dedicated link. Refer to the Site-to-Site Connectivity page for details.
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Premium support: Expanded SLAs, an account team, training and onboarding options, and available support package add-ons.
For current network and storage allowances, refer to the Pricing page.
To set up a Scale plan, contact us.
Server plan
CircleCI Server is an on-premises CI/CD platform for enterprise customers who have compliance or security needs that require operation:
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Within a firewall.
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In a private cloud.
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In a data center.
See the Server Documentation for more information.
The Server plan adds the following options.
Custom storage retention
Administrators set retention periods for PostgreSQL, MongoDB and object storage in the Server installation. See the Data Retention in Server page.
Additional support options
The Server plan includes expanded SLAs, an account team, and training and onboarding options. You can add support packages. It also has access to the community forums, support portal, and our global ticket-based system.
Features available on all plans
The following features are available on every CircleCI plan.
Private orbs
CircleCI orbs are shareable configuration packages that enable developers to create private, standardized configurations for use across an organization by different teams. You have access to an unlimited number of private orbs that you can use to securely share across teams and groups.
For more information on private orbs, refer to the Orbs Introduction page.
Concurrency
Concurrency is the ability to run multiple jobs in your workflows at the same time. Concurrency allows you to decrease your build times and shorten feedback cycles.
Self-hosted runners
CircleCI runners allow you to use your own infrastructure for running jobs. CircleCI Runners provide granular control of your own environment and flexibility in building and testing on a wide variety of architectures.
For more information about using CircleCI runners, see the CircleCI Runner Overview page.
Flaky test detection
The average failed workflow wastes approximately 30 minutes. Detecting flaky tests can save you significant amounts of time in your builds and workflows. Advanced insights are available to help you troubleshoot failed and flaky tests.
For more detailed information about flaky tests, refer to the Test Insights page.
Docker layer caching
Reducing the time it takes to build a Docker image is an important consideration for developers who consistently use these images in their workflows. Consider using Docker Layer Caching (DLC) if building Docker images is a regular part of your CI/CD process. DLC saves image layers created within your jobs, rather than impact the actual container used to run your job. Efficiency features have been specifically designed to take advantage of Docker performance so you can build faster.
For more information about Docker Layer Caching, refer to the Enabling Docker Layer Caching page.
Deploys
Visualize and control your deployments with CircleCI deploys. Deployments to Kubernetes are supported.
Start with the Deploys Overview for more information.
Configuring your plan
To set up a Free or Performance plan, go to in the CircleCI web app and select the plan that fits your needs.
To set up a Scale or Server plan, contact us.
Managing credit usage
You can reduce credit consumption by optimizing how your pipelines use storage and network resources. For example, eliminating duplicate artifact uploads lowers your monthly network usage. Refer to the Persisting Data page for guidance on managing network and storage costs.
For cost tracking alongside other infrastructure spending, you can integrate CircleCI with Vantage or Finout. See the Integrate CircleCI With Vantage and Integrate CircleCI With Finout guides for more information.