CircleCI vs glab: Which Should You Choose in 2026?
Choosing between CircleCI and glab comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.
By Toolradar Team · Last updated February 28, 2026 · Methodology
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:
CircleCI
Continuous integration and delivery
Best for you if:
- • You want the higher-rated option (8.4/10 vs 8.0/10)
- • You need testing & qa features specifically
- • CircleCI is a continuous integration platform that automates building, testing, and deploying code
- • It runs pipelines on every commit with parallelism, caching, and Docker support
glab
A GitLab CLI tool bringing GitLab to your terminal.
Best for you if:
- • You need something completely free
- • You need api tools features specifically
- • Command-line interface for GitLab.
- • Manages issues, merge requests, pipelines, and more from the terminal.
| At a Glance |  CircleCI |  glab |
|---|---|---|
Price | Free + Paid | Free |
Best For | Testing & QA | API Tools |
Rating | 84/100 | 80/100 |
| Feature | CircleCI | glab |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Free |
| Editorial Score | 84 | 80 |
| Community Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Total Reviews | 0 | 0 |
| Community Upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Categories | Testing & QACI/CD | API ToolsTerminal Tools |
How CircleCI and glab Compare
CircleCI
Continuous integration and delivery
Free tier available · 84/100 score
glab
A GitLab CLI tool bringing GitLab to your terminal.
Free · 80/100 score
CircleCI is a testing & qa tool. glab is in api tools.
Who Should Use What?
On a budget?
glab is free. CircleCI is freemium.
Go with: glab
Want the highest-rated option?
CircleCI: 84/100. glab: 80/100.
Go with: CircleCI
Value user reviews?
Neither has user reviews yet.
Go with: CircleCI
3 Questions to Help You Decide
What's your budget?
CircleCI is freemium. glab is free. Go with glab if free matters most.
What's your use case?
CircleCI is a testing & qa tool. glab is in api tools. Pick the category that matches your needs.
How important are ratings?
CircleCI scores higher: 84/100 vs 80/100.
Key Takeaways
CircleCI
- Higher score: 84/100 vs 80
- Free tier available
- Our pick for this comparison
glab
- Completely free
- Better fit for api tools
The Bottom Line
CircleCI (84/100) is our pick. That said, glab is free — hard to beat on price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CircleCI or glab better?
CircleCI scores 84/100 in our evaluation. CircleCI is freemium and glab is free.
What are CircleCI and glab used for?
CircleCI: Continuous integration and delivery. glab: A GitLab CLI tool bringing GitLab to your terminal..
What does CircleCI cost vs glab?
CircleCI is freemium (free tier + paid plans). glab is completely free. Visit their websites for detailed pricing.