Semaphore
Automation testing tools
Continuous delivery tools
Continuous integration tools
DevOps platforms
DevOps software
CI/CD tools
Programming software
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What is Semaphore
Semaphore is a hosted CI/CD platform that automates build, test, and deployment workflows for software teams. It targets engineering teams that need to run pipelines on Linux-based build agents, integrate with Git repositories, and manage delivery across environments. The product emphasizes pipeline configuration as code, parallel job execution, and integrations with common developer tools and cloud/container workflows.
CI/CD focused workflow automation
Semaphore provides core CI and CD capabilities such as pipeline definitions, job orchestration, and environment configuration to automate builds, tests, and deployments. It supports common patterns like multi-stage pipelines and gated promotions between stages. This makes it suitable for teams standardizing repeatable delivery processes across multiple repositories.
Parallelism and pipeline controls
The platform supports running jobs in parallel to reduce end-to-end pipeline time for test suites and build matrices. It also includes controls for sequencing, dependencies, and conditional execution to model real delivery workflows. These capabilities help teams manage larger pipelines without relying on ad hoc scripting alone.
Integrations for developer toolchains
Semaphore integrates with typical CI/CD ecosystems such as Git-based source control and common build/test tooling. It supports container-oriented workflows and can be used alongside infrastructure automation and deployment tooling. This integration approach helps teams connect CI/CD runs to existing engineering systems rather than replacing them.
Not a full DevOps suite
Semaphore primarily addresses CI/CD execution and pipeline orchestration rather than end-to-end DevOps platform needs. Capabilities such as comprehensive release governance, feature flagging, artifact lifecycle management, or advanced environment management may require additional tools. Organizations seeking a single consolidated platform may need to assemble a broader toolchain around it.
Testing depth depends on tooling
Semaphore runs automated tests but does not replace specialized test management, cross-browser/device testing, or AI-driven test generation tools. Teams typically need to bring their own frameworks and services for areas like UI/device coverage, test case management, and test data/email validation. This can increase integration effort for QA-heavy programs.
Potential learning curve for pipelines
Teams may need time to design and maintain robust pipelines, especially when modeling complex deployment flows and secrets management. As with many CI/CD systems, troubleshooting failures can require familiarity with build environments, caching, and dependency management. Larger organizations may also need to establish conventions and templates to keep pipelines consistent across teams.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Community Edition | Free | Self-hosted (you host runners), no SaaS dependencies, community support, unlimited self-hosted minutes; installable on your infrastructure. |
| Cloud | Starts at $0.0075 per minute (machine time) | Fully managed Semaphore-hosted CI/CD; unlimited users & concurrency on cloud machines; billed by machine type per running minute; "Start free trial" offered. |
| Hybrid | $9 per user/month + usage (machine minutes start at $0.0075/min) | Semaphore app hosted by Semaphore, runners hosted by you; includes unlimited self-hosted runners; SaaS UI + billing; compliance-friendly; "Start free trial" offered. |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Fully customizable hosting (cloud or on-prem), advanced roles & audit logs, premium onboarding & support; contact sales for quote. |
Additional usage-based details (official machine time rates from Semaphore docs):
- E1 (Linux): 2 vCPU = $0.0075/min, 4 vCPU = $0.015/min, 8 vCPU = $0.03/min.
- E2 (Linux): 2 vCPU = $0.01/min, 4 vCPU = $0.02/min.
- F1 (Linux): 2 vCPU = $0.015/min, 4 vCPU = $0.03/min.
- A1 (macOS ARM64): 4 vCPU = $0.03/min.
- A2 (macOS Silicon): 4 vCPU = $0.09/min.
Notes:
- Cloud billing is per-second/prorated to the second but documented rates are shown per-minute (jobs <1 minute rounded up to 1 minute).
- Additional usage charges for network and storage may apply (e.g., $0.35/GB network, $0.07/GB storage for some plans).
Seller details
Semaphore CI, Inc.
Private
https://semaphoreci.com/
https://x.com/semaphoreci
https://www.linkedin.com/company/semaphoreci/
