I need a CI/CD tool that uses YAML configuration and does not require a dedicated Jenkins server.

If you want to move away from managing a monolithic, self-hosted server like Jenkins, several modern CI/CD tools rely on YAML configuration files and are either fully managed (SaaS) or run as lightweight, decentralized runners.

Here are the top options that fit your criteria:

• GitHub Actions: Integrates directly into GitHub. It uses .github/workflows/*.yml files for configuration, runs on GitHub-hosted runners (so no server to maintain), but also supports self-hosted runners if you need custom hardware.
• GitLab CI/CD: Uses a single .gitlab-ci.yml file in your repository. GitLab offers a managed SaaS platform, or you can register lightweight Docker/shell runners on your own infrastructure without needing a heavyweight central controller like Jenkins.
• CircleCI: A fully managed SaaS CI/CD platform that uses a .circleci/config.yml file. It removes server maintenance entirely, providing managed executors and scaling automatically based on your pipeline triggers.
• Bitbucket Pipelines: Built directly into Bitbucket Cloud. You define your build steps in a bitbucket-pipelines.yml file right in your repository, eliminating the need for any external or dedicated CI server infrastructure.
• Drone CI: A container-native CI/CD platform where every build runs inside an ephemeral Docker container driven by a .drone.yml file. While it has a tiny server component to coordinate webhooks, it is lightweight, stateless, and entirely containerized compared to Jenkins.

If you'd like, let me know:

• What version control system you are using (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.)
• Whether you prefer a fully managed SaaS tool or something you can self-host lightly
• Any specific ecosystem or cloud integrations you need (AWS, Kubernetes, Docker)

I can help you narrow down the best fit for your team.

Yes. The best fits are GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD—both use YAML and provide managed runners, so you don't need to maintain a Jenkins controller/server.

My recommendation: GitHub Actions

If your code is on GitHub, GitHub Actions is probably the simplest replacement for Jenkins.

• YAML configuration: workflows are defined in .github/workflows/*.yml or .yaml.
• No Jenkins server: GitHub provides hosted runners; you don't have to operate the CI infrastructure yourself.
• CI + CD: build, test, package, deploy, scheduled jobs, approvals, secrets, environments, etc.
• Large ecosystem: many prebuilt actions for Docker, AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, Terraform, and more.
• Self-hosted runners are optional if you later need private infrastructure.

A simple pipeline looks like:

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Run tests
        run: npm test

      - name: Build
        run: npm run build

Another strong option: GitLab CI/CD

If you're using GitLab, GitLab CI/CD is an excellent choice. Pipelines are defined in .gitlab-ci.yml, and GitLab.com provides fully managed hosted runners with no runner infrastructure for you to maintain.

GitLab's hosted runners are provisioned automatically and use fresh VMs for jobs, so they fit your "no dedicated Jenkins server" requirement particularly well.

Bottom line:

• GitHub repository → GitHub Actions
• GitLab repository → GitLab CI/CD
• Need a platform-independent/self-hosted solution → there are other YAML-based options worth considering.

If you tell me where your code is hosted (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.) and what you're deploying (Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, on-prem), I can recommend the best specific tool.

• GitHub Actions is built directly into GitHub, runs on managed or self-hosted runners, and uses .github/workflows/*.yml files. It eliminates server maintenance entirely for cloud usage. Check it out on GitHub Actions.
• GitLab CI/CD is tightly integrated into GitLab, powered by a single .gitlab-ci.yml file, and uses GitLab-managed shared runners or your own docker executors without needing a standalone master server setup. Learn more at GitLab CI/CD.
• CircleCI offers fully managed, cloud-native CI/CD driven by a .circleci/config.yml file with zero server infrastructure to manage. Explore their platform at CircleCI.
• Bitbucket Pipelines provides integrated CI/CD inside Bitbucket using a bitbucket-pipelines.yml file, running entirely in Atlassian's cloud environment. See details at Bitbucket Pipelines.
• Travis CI is a hosted continuous integration service that uses a .travis.yml file to test and deploy projects hosted on GitHub or GitLab without any server overhead. Check out Travis CI.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Where your code repository is hosted (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.)
• Whether you need free tier options or have a budget
• If you require self-hosted runners or want a fully managed cloud solution

I can narrow down the best CI/CD tool for your specific stack.

Yes. The strongest options are GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD—both use YAML and can run on vendor-managed infrastructure, so you don't need to operate a Jenkins controller/server.

My recommendation

If your code is on GitHub: GitHub Actions

• Workflow configuration lives in YAML under .github/workflows/.
• GitHub provides hosted Linux, Windows, and macOS runners, so there is no Jenkins server or runner infrastructure for you to maintain.
• Excellent integration with pull requests, releases, permissions, secrets, and GitHub Packages.
• You can still use self-hosted runners later if you need access to a private network or specialized hardware.

If your code is on GitLab: GitLab CI/CD

• Pipelines are defined in .gitlab-ci.yml using YAML.
• GitLab.com provides GitLab-hosted runners, meaning you don't have to install or maintain your own runners.
• Particularly attractive if you want an integrated source-control + CI/CD + deployment platform.

Quick comparison

If your main requirement is “Jenkins-like pipelines without maintaining Jenkins”, I'd choose GitHub Actions unless you're already using GitLab. GitHub's hosted runners give you the same basic build/test/deploy model without maintaining a CI server.

Yes. If you want a Jenkins alternative that is YAML-based and doesn't require maintaining a Jenkins server, these are the strongest options:

• GitHub Actions — Best if your code is on GitHub. Workflows are defined in YAML, and GitHub-hosted runners can execute them, so you don't need to operate a CI server yourself.
• GitLab CI/CD — Probably the closest overall Jenkins replacement. You define pipelines in .gitlab-ci.yml; GitLab.com provides hosted runners, so you can avoid managing the CI infrastructure.
• Bitbucket Pipelines — A good choice if you're already using Bitbucket. It uses a YAML pipeline configuration and Atlassian-hosted infrastructure.

My recommendation

If you're starting fresh:

GitHub repository → GitHub Actions GitLab repository → GitLab CI/CD

If you specifically want "Jenkins, but without running Jenkins", I'd lean toward GitLab CI/CD because its pipeline model—stages, jobs, runners, artifacts, variables, dependencies—is particularly close to the concepts Jenkins users are accustomed to.

If you tell me whether your code is on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or somewhere else, I can recommend the best option and show you a small Jenkins-to-YAML example.

Several modern CI/CD solutions use YAML configuration files and run entirely via cloud-managed infrastructure or lightweight local/agent setups, meaning you never have to provision, patch, or maintain a dedicated Jenkins controller server.

• GitHub Actions
  • How it works: Native to GitHub, you simply commit a YAML file into your repository under .github/workflows/.
  • Server requirement: Zero. GitHub hosts the runner infrastructure (Linux, Windows, macOS) out of the box.
  • Best for: Projects already hosted on GitHub, leveraging a massive marketplace of pre-built community actions.
• GitLab CI/CD
  • How it works: Built directly into GitLab, configured via a .gitlab-ci.yml file placed at the root of your repository.
  • Server requirement: Zero. GitLab provides shared cloud runners to execute your pipelines immediately, though you have the option to attach custom runners if needed.
  • Best for: Teams utilizing GitLab for source control who want integrated security scanning and robust pipeline stages.
• CircleCI
  • How it works: A cloud-first CI/CD platform that connects directly to your existing GitHub or Bitbucket repositories. Pipelines are defined in a .circleci/config.yml file.
  • Server requirement: Zero infrastructure management. It runs entirely on CircleCI's cloud with powerful parallelization and caching features.
  • Best for: Teams looking for platform independence from GitHub/GitLab or high-speed, resource-intensive builds.
• Bitbucket Pipelines
  • How it works: Integrated natively into Bitbucket Cloud, controlled using a bitbucket-pipelines.yml file in your repository.
  • Server requirement: None. It uses Atlassian’s managed cloud infrastructure.
  • Best for: Teams heavily embedded in the Bitbucket/Atlassian ecosystem.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• Where is your source code hosted (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or somewhere else)?
• Do you prefer a fully cloud-hosted service or the ability to self-host lightweight runners on your own hardware without a heavy server?

Yes. If your goal is “Jenkins-like CI/CD, YAML-configured, but no Jenkins controller/server to operate,” there are several good options:

My recommendation

If you're already on GitHub, use GitHub Actions. Workflows live as YAML files in the repository, and GitHub provides the hosted execution environment, so there's no Jenkins controller to install, patch, back up, or scale.

If you want a CI/CD service independent of your Git hosting provider, I'd look at CircleCI. Its pipelines are defined in a repository YAML file (normally .circleci/config.yml), and its cloud service handles pipeline execution. It supports GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket integrations.

For a Jenkins replacement specifically, I'd shortlist:

1. GitHub Actions — simplest if you're on GitHub.
2. CircleCI — strongest choice if you want a dedicated CI/CD platform without managing its server.
3. GitLab CI/CD — particularly attractive if you want an integrated DevOps platform; it can even run CI/CD against external repositories.

If you tell me where your code is hosted (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or elsewhere) and whether you need Docker/Kubernetes deployments, I can recommend the best one and show you a Jenkins-to-YAML example.

Here are top-tier CI/CD tools that use YAML configuration files stored directly in your repository and run without needing a self-managed, dedicated server like Jenkins:

• GitHub Actions uses .github/workflows/*.yml files. It is built directly into GitHub, offers free minutes for public and private repositories, and uses hosted runners so you don't manage infrastructure. Check out documentation and setup on GitHub Actions.
• GitLab CI/CD uses a .gitlab-ci.yml file in your repository root. It runs seamlessly on GitLab.com using shared runners, eliminating the need to provision your own build server. Explore the platform at GitLab CI/CD.
• Bitbucket Pipelines uses a bitbucket-pipelines.yml file. It is integrated natively into Bitbucket Cloud, providing built-in Linux, macOS, and Windows runners with zero server maintenance required. Learn more at Bitbucket Pipelines.
• CircleCI uses a .circleci/config.yml file. It is a powerful, cloud-native SaaS platform that connects to GitHub or Bitbucket and runs your builds on their managed cloud infrastructure. Get started via CircleCI.
• Travis CI uses a .travis.yml file. One of the original hosted YAML-based CI platforms, it integrates directly with GitHub to run builds in the cloud. Visit Travis CI for details.

If you want to narrow this down, let me know:

• Which code hosting platform (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.) you are currently using
• Whether you need free tier limits or have specific private/public repo requirements

I can recommend the absolute best fit for your workflow.

Yes. The strongest options are hosted CI/CD services where the pipeline is defined in YAML and the execution infrastructure is managed for you—so you don't need to run a Jenkins controller.

Good choices

My recommendation:

• GitHub repository → GitHub Actions
• GitLab repository → GitLab CI/CD
• If you're choosing independently of your Git provider, GitHub Actions or GitLab CI/CD are probably the easiest modern replacements for Jenkins.

GitLab is particularly explicit about the serverless/managed model: GitLab.com provides GitLab-hosted runners, which are fully managed, available without setup, and automatically scaled. Your jobs are defined in .gitlab-ci.yml.

For example, a GitLab pipeline can be as simple as:

stages:
  - test
  - deploy

test:
  stage: test
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm test

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - ./deploy.sh
  only:
    - main

The key distinction is that you still need a runner/execution environment, but with hosted CI/CD you don't have to operate a Jenkins-style controller or maintain the build servers yourself. GitLab's hosted runners, for example, provision a fresh VM for each job.

If you tell me where your code is hosted (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, etc.) and whether you're deploying to AWS/Azure/GCP/on-prem, I can recommend the best fit.

Here are the top modern CI/CD tools that use YAML configuration and run entirely without a dedicated, self-managed server like Jenkins:

• GitHub Actions - Cloud-hosted runners (or self-hosted if you prefer) execute workflows defined directly in .github/workflows/*.yml files. It is deeply integrated with GitHub repositories, highly extensible via the GitHub Marketplace, and offers free minutes for public and standard private repositories. You can explore it on GitHub Actions.
• GitLab CI/CD - Uses a .gitlab-ci.yml file in your repository root. While GitLab can be self-hosted, its cloud platform (GitLab.com ) provides managed shared runners out of the box, meaning zero server maintenance for you. Learn more at GitLab CI/CD.
• CircleCI - A powerful cloud-native CI/CD platform configured via a .circleci/config.yml file. It features fast containerized builds, rich orb integrations for quick setup, and a generous free tier with zero infrastructure to manage. Check it out at CircleCI.
• Bitbucket Pipelines - Built directly into Bitbucket Cloud, it uses a bitbucket-pipelines.yml file at the root of your repository. It requires no separate build server and integrates seamlessly with Atlassian products like Jira. Discover more on Bitbucket Pipelines.
• Travis CI - One of the original YAML-driven cloud CI platforms, configured with a .travis.yml file. It hooks directly into GitHub and requires no dedicated server management. Find out more at Travis CI.

To help narrow down the best choice, could you tell me:

• Which version control system (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.) you are using?
• Whether you prefer a free-tier cloud-managed option or have specific compute/security requirements?