Drone
Drone is a self-service continuous integration platform for automating software builds and testing.
What Drone is
Drone is a self-service continuous integration platform for automating software builds and testing. Pipelines are defined in files committed to Git repositories, and each step runs in an isolated Docker container. Documented source-control integrations include GitHub, GitHub Enterprise, Gitee, GitLab, Gogs, Gitea, Bitbucket Cloud, and Bitbucket Server. Community plugins add services such as AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, and Slack. A server coordinates one or more standalone runners that poll for pipelines; Drone says installation uses a single binary and scales automatically. YAML pipeline configuration, pull-request checks, artifact or dependency caching, an API, hosted use, and self-hosted runners are supported. Enterprise trial access is free for up to 5000 builds.
Good
- Free Open Source Edition
- Isolated Docker steps
- Many Git integrations
- Community plugin marketplace
- Enterprise trial up to 5000 builds
Watch out
- Open Source Edition runs on one machine
- Free edition lacks distributed and Kubernetes runners
- Secrets encryption must be enabled first
Who it suits
Drone suits individuals and small teams that need automated build and test pipelines, including complex workflows. It also fits organizations wanting hosted or self-hosted runners and broad Git integrations.
Verdict
Drone offers a configurable CI platform with containerized steps, extensible plugins, and multiple deployment choices. The free edition covers single-machine use, while larger capabilities are provided through the paid Enterprise plan.
Plans and prices
From Drone's own pricing page, checked 5 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source Edition | Free | Apache 2.0 · single machine · embedded SQLite · lacks distributed and Kubernetes runners, organization and Vault secrets, cron scheduling, autoscaling, and extensions · Free |
| Enterprise Edition | $299 a month | Priced per developer · unlimited repositories · unlimited builds · unlimited servers · free for individuals, students, and organizations with under $1 million US dollars in annual gross revenue · Starting at $299 per month |
The facts
Each one read from Drone's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- API
- Drone provides a remote API that uses access tokens for authorization and lists official Go, JavaScript, and Node libraries.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Architecture
- Drone uses a server and one or more standalone runners that poll the server for pipelines to execute.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Configuration integrity
- Drone can sign YAML configuration files and block a pipeline for manual approval if signature verification fails; Starlark and Jsonnet files cannot be signed and verified.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Drone’s website says it installs from a single binary and scales automatically.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Pipelines
- Pipelines are configured in a file committed to the Git repository, and each pipeline step runs inside an isolated Docker container.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Plugins
- The plugin marketplace describes community plugins for customizing continuous integration pipelines, including plugins for AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Slack, and other services.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Drone is a self-service continuous integration platform for automating software builds and testing.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Security
- Drone supports AES-GCM encryption for secrets stored in its database, but encryption must be enabled before secrets are stored.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Source control
- Drone documents integrations with GitHub, GitHub Enterprise, Gitee, GitLab, Gogs, Gitea, Bitbucket Cloud, and Bitbucket Server.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- Drone documentation directs users to its community forum and chatroom for questions and comments.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Use case
- The Open Source Edition is described as capable of complex pipelines and optimized for individuals and small teams.checked 5 Oct 2026
Money
- Trial
- The Enterprise Edition trial is free for up to 5000 builds.checked 5 Oct 2026
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