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CircleCI vs Temporal: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of CircleCI and Temporal. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: CircleCI starts at $15/mo, making it $85/mo cheaper than Temporal ($100/mo). CircleCI offers a free plan.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026
Try CircleCI freeTry Temporal free

CircleCI vs Temporal: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureCircleCITemporal
Starting Price$15/mo$100/mo
Number of Plans33
Free TierYesNo
Pricing Modelusage-basedusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

CircleCI is the more affordable option, starting at $15/mo compared to Temporal's $100/mo. Both are Dev Tools with 6 combined pricing plans and 40 features compared.

CircleCI stands out with a free plan for getting started.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Dev Tools needs.

Pricing Plans
CircleCI
CircleCI
Try it free
Temporal
Temporal
Try it free
Tier 1
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Start with Free
Essentials
$100/month
Includes
  • 1 M Actions
  • 1 GB Active Storage
  • 40 GB Retained Storage
  • 99.9% SLA, 99.99% HA Options
  • Multi-Cloud & Multi-Region
  • User Roles
  • Service Accounts & API Keys
  • Audit Logging
  • Workflow Management
  • Workflow Availability
  • 1 Business Day P0 Response Time
  • Core Platform Configuration
Start with Essentials
Tier 2
Performance
$15/monthCheapest
Start with Performance
BusinessPopular
$500/month
Includes
  • 2.5 M Actions
  • 2.5 GB Active Storage
  • 100 GB Retained Storage
  • Commitments
  • Everything in Essentials
  • SAML SSO Included
  • SCIM Add-on
  • 2 Business Hours P0 Response Times
  • Workflow Troubleshooting
  • Worker Configuration
  • SDK Implementation
Start with Business
Tier 3
Scale
Custom pricing
Start with Scale
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • 10 M Actions
  • 10 GB Active Storage
  • 400 GB Retained Storage
  • Commitments
  • Everything in Business
  • SAML SSO Included
  • SCIM Included
  • 24/7, 30 Minute P0
  • Usage Optimization
  • Technical Onboarding
  • Design Review
  • Worker Tuning
  • Senior Support Staff
  • Cost Reviews
  • Security and Contract Reviews
  • Mission Critical Add-on
  • Designated Support Engineer Add-on
Start with Enterprise

Swipe to compare plans →

CircleCI

Continuous integration and delivery platform

View all CircleCI plans

Temporal

Durable execution platform for reliable distributed workflows

View all Temporal plans
Our Pick

CircleCI

CircleCI offers a free plan, starts at $85/mo lower ($15/mo vs $100/mo).

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: CircleCI

Try CircleCI free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose CircleCI if:

  • •You want lower per-user costs—CircleCI starts at $15/mo, saving $85/mo compared to Temporal at $100/mo
  • •You need a free plan with core features—CircleCI offers no-cost access with no credit card required
  • •You want CircleCI's approach to incremental feature unlocking across its 3 pricing tiers

Choose Temporal if:

  • •You want more features built-in—Temporal offers 40 additional features across its plans
  • •You want Temporal's approach to incremental feature unlocking across its 3 pricing tiers
  • •You value Temporal's specific feature progression from free to advanced tier levels

CircleCI is the more affordable choice [1], starting at $15/mo compared to Temporal's $100/mo. For a 50-person team on paid plans, this translates to CircleCI saving approximately $4250/month. CircleCI offers 3 pricing tiers compared to Temporal's 3, giving you more granular control over scaling costs as your team grows. Across all tiers, CircleCI provides 0 total features versus 40 for Temporal, offering a more focused toolset depending on your specific needs. The pricing math favors CircleCI for most team sizes. Temporal becomes worth the premium only when its differentiating features are central to your workflow.

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Frequently Asked Questions: CircleCI vs Temporal

Which is cheaper, CircleCI or Temporal?
As of March 2026, CircleCI starts at a lower price point. CircleCI starts at $15/mo while Temporal starts at $100/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does CircleCI have vs Temporal?
CircleCI offers 3 pricing plans, while Temporal offers 3 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does CircleCI or Temporal offer a free plan?
CircleCI offers a free plan, while Temporal does not. If budget is a concern, CircleCI lets you get started at no cost.
What is the most popular Temporal plan?
The Business plan is Temporal's most popular tier, priced at $500/mo. Key features include 2.5 M Actions, 2.5 GB Active Storage, 100 GB Retained Storage.
Does CircleCI or Temporal offer custom enterprise pricing?
Yes, both CircleCI and Temporal offer custom enterprise pricing tiers with quote-based pricing. Contact each vendor for a tailored quote.
How do CircleCI and Temporal compare for Dev Tools?
Both CircleCI and Temporal are Dev Tools. CircleCI offers 3 plans starting at $15/mo, while Temporal offers 3 plans starting at $100/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Dev Tools needs.

Sources

  1. CircleCI Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
  2. Temporal Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page

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