Semaphore vs Spacelift: CI / CD Comparison (2026)

Semaphore offers a pay-as-you-go CI/CD platform focused on build times and concurrency, while Spacelift provides an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) platform with a comprehensive feature set including policy as code, drift detection, and cloud cost estimation.

AI Citation Scorecard

How often each is cited by major AI engines when buyers ask ci / cd questions. Last 90 days across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot.

Too early to call — probes still building data.
ChatGPT
Semaphore
Tracking…
No data yet
Spacelift
Tracking…
No data yet
Perplexity
Semaphore
Tracking…
No data yet
Spacelift
Tracking…
No data yet
Gemini
Semaphore
Tracking…
No data yet
Spacelift
Tracking…
No data yet
Claude
Semaphore
Tracking…
No data yet
Spacelift
Tracking…
No data yet
Copilot
Semaphore
Tracking…
No data yet
Spacelift
Tracking…
No data yet
Scale:NoneLowFairStrongExcellent

Probes run hourly; each (engine × query) combo retests every ~3 days.

Pricing

Semaphore
Starting price
$0.0025/min
Free tier
Yes
semaphoreci.com ↗
Spacelift
Starting price
$20,000
Free tier
Yes
spacelift.io ↗

Key Features

Semaphore
  • ✓Pay only for what you use
  • ✓20 concurrent jobs by default
  • ✓$15 free credits/month
  • ✓20 GB/month egress/storage
  • ✓9.6 GB cache storage
Spacelift
  • ✓1 private worker
  • ✓VCS integration
  • ✓Policy as Code engine
  • ✓Drift detection
  • ✓Cloud cost estimation
  • ✓Resource visualization
  • ✓Workflow customization
  • ✓IaC support

When to choose Semaphore

Choose Semaphore when your primary need is for CI/CD with a pay-as-you-go pricing model, requiring flexible concurrency and fast build times. It offers 20 concurrent jobs by default and $15 in free credits monthly.

When to choose Spacelift

Choose Spacelift when your focus is on Infrastructure as Code (IaC) management, requiring features like policy as code, drift detection, cloud cost estimation, resource visualization, and workflow customization. It includes a free tier with 1 private worker and VCS integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key pricing and free tier differences?
Semaphore offers a starting price of $0.0025/min with a free tier that includes $15 free credits per month. Spacelift has a starting price of $20,000 and a free tier that includes 1 private worker and VCS integration.
What are the primary differences in features?
Semaphore's key features include paying only for usage, 20 concurrent jobs by default, $15 free credits/month, 20 GB/month egress/storage, and 9.6 GB cache storage. Spacelift's key features include 1 private worker, VCS integration, Policy as Code engine, drift detection, cloud cost estimation, resource visualization, workflow customization, and IaC support.
What integrations are supported by each platform?
Semaphore does not list specific integrations. Spacelift integrates with Slack, AWS Marketplace, and Azure Marketplace.
What are the advantages of each platform?
Semaphore's advantages include a cost-effective pricing model, fast average build times, flexible concurrency options, and comprehensive add-on services. Spacelift's advantages include a comprehensive free tier, robust feature set, flexible pricing options, and support for enterprise needs.
What are the disadvantages of each platform?
Semaphore's disadvantages include a complex pricing structure, additional costs for add-ons, potentially costly optional services, and no clear baseline pricing for all services. Spacelift's disadvantages include a high starting price, no detailed pricing for lower tiers, complexity for new users, and limited information on additional pricing.

AI visibility profiles

Is one of these your brand?

Get the full report by email: every ci / cd buyer question we ask, which engines name you, and who gets named instead.

Semaphore

semaphoreci.com

Spacelift

spacelift.io

Free check

Check any brand's AI visibility — free

We ask the buyer questions in this market across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot, and show you who gets named.

More CI / CD Comparisons