CircleCI vs New Relic
Compare CircleCI and New Relic on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
CircleCI
CI/CD platform — not a git host. Free (6k build minutes / 30k credits framing); Performance from $15/mo; Scale contact. Peer of GitHub Actions / GitLab CI.
Best for
- • Teams that want specialist CI/CD against an existing GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket remote
- • Buyers comparing CircleCI Performance $15 to GitHub Actions minutes
- • Orgs that do not want to move source control in order to buy CI
Starting from $15.00/user/mo
Free plan available
VS
Our verdict
No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
New Relic is better for
- ✓ Starting pricing
- ✓ Security & admin
Tie
- • Free plan
- • Integrations
Choose CircleCI if: Teams that want specialist CI/CD against an existing GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket remote
Choose New Relic if: Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill
New Relic
Observability — Free 100 GB ingest + 1 full user; Standard from $10 first full user then $99; data $0.40/GB after 100 GB; Pro $349/full user annual.
Best for
- • Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill
- • Orgs that can live with 1–5 Standard full users
- • Buyers comparing usage-based observability to Datadog hosts
Starting from $10.00/user/mo
Free plan available
CircleCI vs New Relic at a glance
Criterion-level leaders from verified research.
Scorecard preview
Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.
- Starting pricingNew Relic
CircleCI
New Relic
- Free planTie
CircleCI
New Relic
- User / licence minimumDepends
CircleCI
New Relic
- IntegrationsTie
CircleCI
New Relic
- Security & adminNew Relic
CircleCI
New Relic
Which It Development is better for you?
Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.
- → New Relic
Best for starting pricing
New Relic publishes a lower researched starting floor ($10/mo vs $15/mo for CircleCI). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
- → New Relic
Best for security & admin
New Relic leads on security admin (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The biggest differences
Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.
Starting pricing
New Relic winsCircleCI
Trails New Relic on this criterion
New Relic
New Relic publishes a lower researched starting floor ($10/mo vs $15/mo for CircleCI). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.
Security & admin
New Relic winsCircleCI
Trails New Relic on this criterion
New Relic
New Relic leads on security admin (7/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Which should you choose?
Choose CircleCI if
- Teams that want specialist CI/CD against an existing GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket remote
- Buyers comparing CircleCI Performance $15 to GitHub Actions minutes
- Orgs that do not want to move source control in order to buy CI
Choose New Relic if
- Teams that want APM + logs + infra in one ingest bill
- Orgs that can live with 1–5 Standard full users
- Buyers comparing usage-based observability to Datadog hosts
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
GitHub
Source control and DevOps platform — free tier for public/seats; Team $4/user/mo; Enterprise $21/user/mo on annual billing.
GitLab
DevSecOps platform — Free; Premium $29/user/mo billed annually; Ultimate custom on current GitLab pricing page.
Datadog
Observability suite — infrastructure, APM, logs, and security signals with consumption/host pricing; Infrastructure Pro from $15/host/mo annual.
Dynatrace
Enterprise observability — Dynatrace Platform Subscription (DPS) annual commit + rate card. Full-Stack list unit ~$58/mo per 8 GiB host; 15-day trial. No per-seat SKU.
How we compare
A short look at the comparison process. Full methodology
1
Collect
Collect official product information, pricing, and product evidence.
2
Normalize
Map evidence to the same category evaluation criteria for both products.
3
Compare
Evaluate both products against identical criteria — ties and depends are allowed.
4
Explain
Show why each product wins, loses, or ties, with evidence behind the outcome.
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- No invented scores or prices
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