Woodpecker CI vs Drone CI
Woodpecker is the community fork of Drone, so the two share DNA, but their paths have split hard. Woodpecker stayed fully open source (Apache 2.0) and lightweight; Drone is now Harness-owned, split into an Apache 2.0 Community Edition you build yourself and a source-available Enterprise Edition, with new work going into Harness Open Source. Here's how they compare in 2026.
For a fresh self-hosted setup, Woodpecker is usually the safer pick: genuinely open, actively developed and lighter. In short:
- New self-hosted CI, want truly open → Woodpecker CI (Apache 2.0, active, Gitea/Forgejo-native).
- Already invested in Drone / want the Harness platform → Drone / Harness Open Source.
- Would rather not run a CI server at all → a managed service such as GitHub Actions or GitLab CI/CD (SaaS).
Side by side
Woodpecker CI vs Drone CI, compared
The dimensions that actually differ between two projects that started from the same code.
| Woodpecker CI | Drone / Harness OSS | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Apache 2.0 | CE Apache 2.0; EE source-available (free under waivers) |
| OSI open source | ✓ | Community Edition only |
| Actively developed | ✓ (v3.20.1, Oct 2026) | v2.28.2, Apr 2026; new work in Harness Open Source |
| Managed SaaS | ✗ | ✗ |
| Native deploy (CD) | partial | partial |
| Gitea / Forgejo native | ✓ | partial |
| Ops burden | You run it | You run it |
| Best for | Lean, open self-hosted CI | Existing Drone / Harness users |
Compiled November 2026 from each project's official pages, license files and GitHub releases. "Partial" deploy = via plugins or shell steps you assemble, not a native deploy/environments feature.
Official pages: Woodpecker CI · Drone · Harness Open Source
A fair call
Which one should you pick?
Both are solid. The deciding factor is licensing philosophy, how active the project is, and whether you want to keep running your own CI at all.
Pick Woodpecker if…
- You want a genuinely open (Apache 2.0), no-strings license.
- You value an actively developed, lightweight engine.
- You self-host Gitea or Forgejo and want first-class integration.
- You're starting fresh rather than migrating an old Drone install.
Pick Drone / Harness if…
- You already run Drone and don't want to migrate.
- You want the broader Harness developer platform (SCM, registry, gitspaces).
- You fit the Enterprise license waivers (under $5M revenue and funding, or under 5,000 pipelines a year), or you build the Community Edition yourself.
- …or, if you'd rather not run any CI server, look at a managed service like GitHub Actions or GitLab CI/CD.
Migration
Moving between Woodpecker and Drone
Because Woodpecker forked from Drone, migration in either direction is one of the easiest in the CI world. Both run every step in a container and use a close YAML dialect, so .drone.yml and .woodpecker.yml pipelines look very similar. The real work is re-creating secrets in the new server, updating a handful of plugin or step names, and re-pointing OAuth to your Git host. Most simple pipelines port in an afternoon; heavy custom shell plumbing takes longer.
Common questions
Woodpecker vs Drone: common questions
Is Woodpecker CI a fork of Drone CI?
Yes. Woodpecker CI was forked from Drone 0.8 by @laszlocph in April 2019, after Drone moved away from the Apache 2.0 license following the 0.8 release. Woodpecker kept the open-source lineage and has since developed well beyond that fork point.
Is Drone CI still open source in 2026?
Partly. Drone's Community Edition is Apache 2.0, but there is no official build of it; you compile it yourself. The prebuilt Enterprise Edition is source-available, not OSI open source: its license file allows free use for businesses under $5M in annual revenue and funding, or under 5,000 pipelines a year, while Drone's docs FAQ still cites older PolyForm Small Business terms. Harness acquired Drone in 2020 and calls Harness Open Source its next generation; Drone itself still gets releases (v2.28.2, April 2026) on a separate branch. Woodpecker, by contrast, is Apache 2.0 throughout.
Should I use Woodpecker or Drone in 2026?
For a fresh self-hosted setup, Woodpecker is usually the safer pick: it's genuinely open source (Apache 2.0), actively developed, lighter to run, and native to Gitea and Forgejo. Choose Drone or Harness Open Source if you're already invested in Drone or want the broader Harness developer platform.
How hard is it to migrate from Drone to Woodpecker?
Low effort. Both descend from the same codebase and use a similar container-per-step YAML, so most .drone.yml pipelines map closely to .woodpecker.yml. You mainly re-create secrets and adjust a few plugin or step names; the build logic ports almost directly.