Tekton Pipelines
Tekton Pipelines is a free, open-source framework for building cloud-native CI/CD pipelines on Kubernetes.
What Tekton Pipelines is
Tekton Pipelines is a free, open-source framework for building cloud-native CI/CD pipelines on Kubernetes. It installs as a Kubernetes extension and exposes resources through kubectl and API calls. Reusable Kubernetes custom resources form the pipeline model: Tasks contain ordered Steps, while Pipelines arrange ordered Tasks that can pass outputs forward. Tekton Triggers can start pipelines when events occur, such as a merged pull request. Pipelines-as-Code integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Forgejo. Capacity can be expanded by adding cluster nodes without redefining pipeline resource allocations. Tekton Dashboard provides a web interface for viewing execution information, although the project describes it as a work in progress. Tekton Chains generates, stores, and signs artifact provenance, with documentation stating support toward SLSA level 2. Signing keys can use Kubernetes secrets or GCP, AWS, Azure, and Vault systems. A Kubernetes cluster is required.
Good
- Free open-source framework
- Reusable Tasks and Pipelines
- Event-triggered pipeline starts
- GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket integrations
- Artifact provenance with Tekton Chains
Watch out
- Requires a Kubernetes cluster
- Dashboard is described as work in progress
- No hosted option
- Project is still incubating
Who it suits
Tekton suits platform engineers building organizational CI/CD systems and developers using those systems. It is appropriate for teams already operating Kubernetes and needing configurable, self-hosted pipelines.
Verdict
Tekton Pipelines provides Kubernetes-native building blocks for self-hosted CI/CD, with event triggers, Git integrations, and provenance tooling. Its cluster requirement and work-in-progress dashboard matter when evaluating operational readiness.
Plans and prices
From Tekton Pipelines's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Tekton Pipelines | Free | Open-source framework; requires a Kubernetes cluster |
The facts
Each one read from Tekton Pipelines's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Cluster requirements
- Tekton installation requires a Kubernetes cluster running a version specified for the current Tekton release.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Core building blocks
- Tekton Pipelines defines Kubernetes custom resources that serve as reusable building blocks for CI/CD pipelines.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Deployment model
- Tekton installs and runs as an extension on a Kubernetes cluster and exposes resources through kubectl and API calls.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Event triggers
- Tekton Triggers can instantiate pipelines in response to events such as a pull request being merged.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Git integrations
- Pipelines-as-Code integrates with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Forgejo.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Tekton identifies platform engineers building organizational CI/CD systems and developers using those systems as its typical user groups.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Key management
- Tekton Chains supports storing signing keys in Kubernetes secrets or using GCP, AWS, Azure, or Vault key management systems.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Project status
- Tekton is an incubating project at the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Scalability
- Tekton says capacity can be increased by adding nodes to the Kubernetes cluster, without redefining pipeline resource allocations.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Supply chain security
- Tekton Chains generates, stores, and signs provenance for artifacts built with Tekton Pipelines, and its documentation says it helps achieve SLSA level 2.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Support and community
- The Tekton project lists Slack, a mailing list, and working group meetings as community channels.checked 11 Oct 2026
- User interfaces
- Tekton Dashboard is a web-based graphical interface for viewing pipeline execution information, and the overview describes it as a work in progress.checked 11 Oct 2026
- What it does
- Tekton is a cloud-native solution for building CI/CD pipelines.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Workflow composition
- A Task defines ordered Steps, while a Pipeline defines ordered Tasks that can pass outputs to later Tasks.checked 11 Oct 2026
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