Jenkins vs New Relic: Complete Comparison (2026)

By Sarah Mitchell, Cloud & Developer Tools Editorยท10 years of experienceยทUpdated 2026-04-24ยท8 min read

In comparing Jenkins and New Relic in 2026, Jenkins is the stronger choice for teams wanting highly customizable, self-hosted ci/cd with vast plugin support due to massive plugin ecosystem. New Relic excels for ops teams wanting unified observability across full application stack with generous free tier. Jenkins offers CI/CD pipelines, Plugin ecosystem, Distributed builds starting at Free with a free plan. New Relic provides APM, Infrastructure monitoring, Browser monitoring from $0.35/GB ingest with a free tier. For teams prioritizing value, Jenkins delivers a hiltonsoftware Score of 74/100. Jenkins and New Relic compete in the developer tools segment of the SaaS market, where cloud-native solutions, API integrations, and workflow automation drive enterprise and SMB adoption. Other leading developer tools tools include GitHub, GitLab, Vercel. Jenkins serves 300K+ installations users globally (founded 2011) while New Relic reports 16K+ orgs active users (founded 2008).

Jenkins vs New Relic at a Glance

Jenkins
New Relic
Starting Price
Free
$0.35/GB ingest
Free Plan
Yes
Yes
User Rating
4.3/5
4.3/5
Best For
Teams wanting highly customizable, self-hosted CI/...
Ops teams wanting unified observability across ful...
Users
300K+ installations
16K+ orgs
Founded
2011
2008
hiltonsoftware Score
74/100
71/100
Pricing verified: March 2026 ยท Based on official vendor data
๐Ÿคต
Jenkins
Developer Tools
74
hiltonsoftware.co Score
RECOMMENDED
VS
๐Ÿ“ก
New Relic
Developer Tools
71
hiltonsoftware.co Score

What are the main differences between Jenkins and New Relic?

Jenkins and New Relic differ across ease of use, features, value, support, integrations, scalability, and learning curve. Jenkins leads in 7 of 7 categories.

JenkinsNew Relic
83Ease of Use83
77Features77
70Value for Money70
66Customer Support66
61Integrations57
64Scalability61
72Learning Curve72

What are the pros and cons of Jenkins vs New Relic?

Jenkins
+Massive plugin ecosystem
+Highly flexible and customizable
-Requires significant maintenance
-UI is dated
New Relic
+Generous free tier
+All-in-one observability
-Complex pricing model
-UI can be overwhelming

Which is better, Jenkins or New Relic?

After evaluating Jenkins and New Relic across features, pricing, integrations, and user satisfaction, Jenkins earns a higher hiltonsoftware Score of 74/100 versus New Relic at 71/100. Jenkins stands out for "massive plugin ecosystem" and "highly flexible and customizable". New Relic delivers competitive advantages in "generous free tier", making New Relic a viable alternative.

Both Jenkins and New Relic offer free plans. Jenkins paid plans start at Free while New Relic begins at $0.35/GB ingest. ROI depends on which features justify upgrading.

Bottom line: Choose Jenkins for teams wanting highly customizable, self-hosted ci/cd with vast plugin support. Choose New Relic for ops teams wanting unified observability across full application stack. Both Jenkins and New Relic are established developer tools platforms.

CHOOSE JENKINS IF:

Teams wanting highly customizable, self-hosted CI/CD with vast plugin support.

CHOOSE NEW RELIC IF:

Ops teams wanting unified observability across full application stack.

Jenkins vs New Relic: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jenkins better than New Relic in 2026?
Jenkins outperforms New Relic in the 2026 hiltonsoftware.co analysis with a score of 74/100 compared to 71/100. Jenkins excels in CI/CD pipelines, Plugin ecosystem, Distributed builds, making Jenkins the better choice for Teams wanting highly customizable, self-hosted CI/CD with vast plugin support. New Relic is the stronger option for Ops teams wanting unified observability across full application stack due to generous free tier. For teams needing ci/cd pipelines, hiltonsoftware.co recommends Jenkins.
How does Jenkins pricing compare to New Relic in 2026?
Jenkins starts at Free and includes a free plan. New Relic starts at $0.35/GB ingest and offers a free plan. Jenkins includes features like CI/CD pipelines, Plugin ecosystem, Distributed builds. New Relic provides APM, Infrastructure monitoring, Browser monitoring. Jenkins serves 300K+ installations users while New Relic serves 16K+ orgs users. Evaluate total cost of ownership based on team size and required integrations.
What are the main differences between Jenkins and New Relic?
Jenkins specializes in CI/CD pipelines, Plugin ecosystem, Distributed builds, earning a 74/100 hiltonsoftware Score. New Relic focuses on APM, Infrastructure monitoring, Browser monitoring, scoring 71/100. Jenkins is best for Teams wanting highly customizable, self-hosted CI/CD with vast plugin support. New Relic is best for Ops teams wanting unified observability across full application stack. Both Jenkins and New Relic serve the Developer Tools market but target different user profiles.
Can I migrate from Jenkins to New Relic?
Migrating from Jenkins to New Relic is possible since both operate in the Developer Tools space. Export data from Jenkins and verify New Relic import capabilities. Key features to evaluate: CI/CD pipelines, Plugin ecosystem, Distributed builds (Jenkins) versus APM, Infrastructure monitoring, Browser monitoring (New Relic). Running both Jenkins and New Relic in parallel during a trial period ensures a smooth transition.
Is Jenkins or New Relic better for small business?
Both Jenkins and New Relic offer free plans. Jenkins (74/100) is ideal for Teams wanting highly customizable, self-hosted CI/CD with vast plugin support. New Relic (71/100) fits Ops teams wanting unified observability across full application stack. Evaluate both during trial periods.

Reviewed by Sarah Mitchell, Cloud & Developer Tools Editor. Last updated: 2026-04-24. Pricing verified: March 2026.

Read our scoring methodology to understand how the hiltonsoftware Score is calculated.

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