Developer Tools
Travis CI
Hosted CI/CD with usage-credit and fixed-concurrency plan models.
What it is
Travis CI runs repository-defined build, test and deployment jobs from a .travis.yml configuration. Current purchasing options include usage-based credits, fixed-concurrency subscriptions and Travis CI Enterprise Server; job cost, available virtual machines and queue behavior depend on the selected plan and execution environment.
Travis CI pricing
Travis CI does not publish a plan ladder we could verify. Usage-based pricing.
Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-08-24. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Price verification log.
Key features
.travis.yml pipelines
Stores primary build configuration with the repository in YAML.
Hosted build jobs
Runs selected jobs in temporary environments under plan and virtual-machine rules.
Usage or concurrency billing
Supports credit consumption or fixed concurrency with excess jobs queued.
Pull-request security settings
Controls whether selected encrypted variables or SSH keys reach fork-originated builds.
Strengths and trade-offs
What works well
- Repository-owned configuration: Uses .travis.yml as the primary build configuration language.
- Plan choice: Offers usage-credit and fixed-concurrency approaches for different workload shapes.
- Ephemeral jobs: Hosted build environments are removed after a job completes.
- Pull-request controls: Documents how encrypted variables and SSH keys behave for fork-originated builds.
Where it falls short
- Cost forecasting: Usage plans consume credits according to job duration and virtual-machine type.
- Queueing: Jobs wait when the account reaches its selected concurrency limit.
- Secret-dependent fork tests: External pull requests may not receive encrypted variables, depending on repository security settings.
- Configuration ownership: Teams must maintain YAML, conditions, credentials and deployment behavior as the project changes.
Who it is for
Repository-based software teams willing to manage YAML pipelines and choose between variable usage cost and fixed concurrent capacity.
Pick it or skip it
Pick Travis CI if
- Projects that want build configuration versioned in .travis.yml
- Teams able to forecast credit consumption or required concurrent jobs
- Maintainers prepared to separate trusted deployment jobs from untrusted pull-request checks
Skip it if
- Neither current credit pricing nor fixed-concurrency pricing fits the workload
- Forked pull requests require secrets that security policy should not expose
- The required operating system, architecture or virtual-machine capacity is unavailable on the selected plan
Our verdict
Choose Travis CI only after replaying representative jobs against its credit or concurrency model; verify queueing, virtual-machine availability and fork-secret policy before relying on it for releases.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Travis CI have a free plan?
- No free plan is listed on the vendor's pricing page. Travis CI is sold on usage-based pricing.
- Who is Travis CI best for?
- Repository-based software teams willing to manage YAML pipelines and choose between variable usage cost and fixed concurrent capacity.
- What are the main drawbacks of Travis CI?
- The trade-offs we noted: Cost forecasting: Usage plans consume credits according to job duration and virtual-machine type.; Queueing: Jobs wait when the account reaches its selected concurrency limit.; Secret-dependent fork tests: External pull requests may not receive encrypted variables, depending on repository security settings..
- When should you not use Travis CI?
- Skip Travis CI if: Neither current credit pricing nor fixed-concurrency pricing fits the workload; Forked pull requests require secrets that security policy should not expose; The required operating system, architecture or virtual-machine capacity is unavailable on the selected plan.
What we checked
- Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
- Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.No
- Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
- SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No
“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.
Evidence and freshness
Status: Official sources reviewedReviewed: 2026-08-24
- Travis CI — Pricing ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: usage-based plan, fixed-concurrency plan, starting prices, included credits, concurrent jobs, Enterprise Server offering
- Travis CI Docs — Billing overview ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: usage and concurrency plan types, credit calculation, virtual-machine multipliers, queueing, ephemeral job environments
- Travis CI Docs — Build configuration YAML ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: .travis.yml primary configuration, YAML configuration, configuration imports
- Travis CI Docs — Pull requests ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: pull-request builds, merge-result testing, encrypted-variable restrictions, fork security settings, SSH-key handling
- Travis CI Docs — Security practices ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: secret masking limits, token revocation, log exposure response, credential handling recommendations
- Travis CI Developer — API v3 ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: API v3, build and organization information, build triggers, job controls, environment-variable editing, YAML validation
Limit: Vendor pages and documentation were reviewed; ToolCompare did not purchase a plan, run builds, measure credit use or queue time, test operating-system coverage, inspect Enterprise Server, validate repository-provider behavior or audit worker isolation.
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