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AppVeyor

appveyor.com

From $29/mo Free plan WebWindowsmacOSLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Spec score 9.5 #1 of 58 in Continuous Integration Software

What it is

AppVeyor provides continuous integration tools for Windows developers, with hosted service, self-hosted jobs and an Enterprise installation option for customer premises. A build pipeline can retrieve code, restore caches, install dependencies, build and test software, package artifacts, deploy, then run finalizer scripts. Projects can be configured through an appveyor.yml file or the user interface. Build matrices can create jobs across operating systems, variables, platforms, configurations, test categories and build clouds. Listed source control providers include GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, Azure DevOps, Kiln and Gitea. Deployment options include inline providers and environments triggered manually or through the API. The REST API covers teams, projects, builds, environments and deployments, with bearer-token authentication. Secure variables can be encrypted with account-specific keys and are not decoded during pull-request builds by default. Hosted builds use pristine virtual machines not shared with other builds, and VM state is not preserved. Every plan has a 60-minute maximum build-job execution time. Paid plans start at $29 a month.

Spec sheet

What it does
AppVeyor provides hosted continuous integration and deployment for building, testing and deploying software.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Product
AppVeyor provides continuous integration tools for Windows developers, with free service for open-source projects, subscriptions for private projects, and Enterprise installations on customer premises.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Support
Support channels include system status, email, technical updates, GitHub issues, Twitter, Stack Overflow and community forums.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Headquarters
Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaRead 28 Sep 2026 · appveyor.com
Founded
2011Read 28 Sep 2026 · appveyor.com
Company
AppVeyor says it is a privately held Canadian corporation founded in 2011 and lists its address in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
API formats
The REST API returns JSON by default and can return XML when an Accept header requests it.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Build clouds
Hosted builds run on Hyper-V and Google Compute Engine, with private clouds available on Hyper-V, Docker, Azure, AWS and GCE.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Build isolation
Each build runs on a fresh virtual machine that is not shared with other builds and is decommissioned afterward.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Build limits
Every hosted plan limits a build job to 60 minutes unless a longer duration is arranged with AppVeyor.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Build matrix
Build matrices can combine operating system, environment variables, platform, configuration, test categories, and build cloud into multiple jobs.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Build pipeline
Its build pipeline can clone a repository, restore cache, install dependencies, build, test, package artifacts, deploy, and run finalizer scripts.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Build Worker API
The Build Worker API exposes REST endpoints for messages, compilation messages, tests, variables, artifacts and build details.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Build workflow
Branch and pull-request builds are supported for development workflows.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
CLI and PowerShell
AppVeyor supplies an appveyor.exe command-line utility and PowerShell module for Build Worker API access.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Company facts
AppVeyor Systems Inc. is described by the company as a privately held Canadian corporation founded in 2011.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Company ownership
AppVeyor states that it is profitable and self-funded.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Company scale
AppVeyor says its service has been used by more than 50,000 developers and has run over 10 million builds.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Concurrent jobs
Additional concurrent jobs cost $50 per month and additional self-hosted jobs cost $10 per month, with lower FOSS rates listed.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Configuration
Builds can be configured in a web interface or in version-controlled appveyor.yml YAML files.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Data retention
The policy lists six-month build retention for free accounts and 18 months for paid accounts, while artifacts are retained one month free and three months paid.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Deployment and packages
AppVeyor includes deployment functions and a built-in NuGet server.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Deployments
Deployment options include inline deployment providers and environment deployments that can be triggered manually or through the API.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Execution limit
All plans have a maximum build-job execution time of 60 minutes.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Image updates
AppVeyor updates worker images about every two to three weeks and keeps previous images available for rollback.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Independent company data
GetLatka lists Vancouver headquarters, an estimated two-person team, zero reported funding and estimated 2025 revenue of $220,000; it labels the figures estimates.Read 14 Oct 2026 · getlatka.com
Independent product description
Wikipedia describes AppVeyor as a hosted distributed CI service configured through a web UI or appveyor.yml and supporting GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Windows and Ubuntu.Read 14 Oct 2026 · en.wikipedia.org
Isolated builds
The hosted build documentation says each build runs on a pristine virtual machine not shared with other builds, and VM state is not preserved between builds.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Licence
The EULA grants a non-exclusive license to object code, excludes source code and assigns intellectual-property ownership to AppVeyor or its suppliers.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Limit: configuration complexity
G2 reviewers say appveyor.yml can require more commands than comparable CI configuration files.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: environment-variable exposure
A G2 reviewer reports that failed commands sometimes exposed environment variables, including passwords, in publicly accessible logs.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: image changes
A G2 reviewer reports that worker-image updates have occasionally broken builds, although previous images allowed rollback.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: pricing for concurrency
G2 reviewers describe paid concurrency as expensive for projects needing faster matrix builds.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: slow free builds
G2 reviewers report slow free-tier builds because concurrent jobs are restricted.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Notable update
AppVeyor announced generally available Visual Studio 2026 worker images in an update page entry.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Operating systems
Hosted worker images include Windows, Linux and macOS environments.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Praise: artifacts and integrations
G2 reviewers praise accessible build artifacts, NuGet feeds, Bitbucket or GitHub integration and useful build logs.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: setup and documentation
G2 reviewers repeatedly praise straightforward configuration, hosted infrastructure and clear appveyor.yml documentation.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: Windows support
G2 reviewers value Windows-based workers for testing Windows software alongside Linux and macOS development environments.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on G2
4.4 out of 5 from 23 reviews.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
REST API
The public REST API covers teams, projects, builds, environments and deployments and uses bearer-token authentication.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Retention limitation
Expired data is permanently removed, and AppVeyor advises exporting artifacts, logs, tests and packages to external storage.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
SDKs and tools
AppVeyor documents PowerShell, C# HttpClient and curl examples for its REST API.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Secret handling
Account-specific encryption keys can encrypt secure variables, which are not decoded during pull-request builds by default.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Self-hosted option
AppVeyor Server can be installed on a customer server and is described as supporting Windows, Linux, and macOS.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Self-hosted release
The self-hosted page lists AppVeyor Server 7.0.3212, published April 4, 2022.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Self-hosting
AppVeyor Server can be installed locally or in Docker and cloud environments on Windows, Linux or macOS.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Source control
The documentation lists GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, Azure DevOps, Kiln, and Gitea as providers supported for retrieving build configuration YAML.Read 2 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Source control integrations
The service supports GitHub, GitHub Enterprise, Bitbucket, GitLab, Azure Repos, Kiln, Gitea and custom repositories.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Standard images
Documented worker images include Visual Studio 2013 through 2022, Ubuntu variants and macOS Catalina or Mojave images.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
System requirements
The download page lists Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016/2019, Debian and Ubuntu 16.04/18.04/20.04, and macOS 10.13 or later.Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com

Plans and prices

AppVeyor Server Free Unlimited users · projects · jobs · clouds · agents · Runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker or cloud Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Open-source Free Unlimited public projects · 1 concurrent job · 5 self-hosted jobs · Community support Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Basic $29 a month monthly 1 private project · 1 concurrent job · 5 self-hosted jobs · Priority technical support Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Pro $59 a month monthly Unlimited private projects · 1 concurrent job · 5 self-hosted jobs · Priority technical support Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Premium $99 a month monthly Unlimited private projects · 2 concurrent jobs · 5 self-hosted jobs · Priority technical support Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Pro $590 a year annual; 2 months free Unlimited private projects · 1 concurrent job · 5 self-hosted jobs · Priority technical support Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com
Premium $990 a year annual; 2 months free Unlimited private projects · 2 concurrent jobs · 5 self-hosted jobs · Priority technical support Read 14 Oct 2026 · appveyor.com

Every AppVeyor plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Projects configure through YAML or the user interface.
  • Build matrices combine multiple job dimensions.
  • Deployment environments can be triggered manually or by API.
  • Secure variables are not decoded during pull-request builds by default.
  • Free open-source plan includes unlimited public projects.

Limits

  • Build jobs have a 60-minute maximum execution time.
  • Basic allows one private project and one concurrent job.
  • Paid plans start at $29 a month.

Who it suits

It suits Windows development teams that need configurable builds, deployment options and hosted or self-hosted execution. Open-source projects can use the free plan; private projects can select paid plans.

AppVeyor in depth

Read the full write-up

AppVeyor is a continuous integration service with hosted builds and a customer-installed server option, particularly suited to teams building and testing Windows software. Its broad pipeline and matrix controls are useful, but the 60-minute job ceiling and limited concurrency make plan choice consequential.

Overview

AppVeyor can carry a change from repository checkout and dependency setup through building, testing and artifact packaging to deployment, with finalizer scripts at the end. Teams can configure projects in appveyor.yml or through the web interface, making it workable for both repository-managed configuration and UI-led setup.

Hosted builds run on pristine virtual machines that are not shared with other builds, and machine state does not persist between jobs. This gives each run an isolated starting point, but teams need to restore required state on every build; artifact and dependency caching is supported. Pull-request checks are also available.

Key features

Build matrices can combine operating systems, environment variables, platforms, configurations, test categories and build clouds into multiple jobs. That helps teams test several configurations through one pipeline, though the number of concurrent jobs determines how quickly a large matrix can finish.

AppVeyor can retrieve build configuration YAML from GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, Azure DevOps, Kiln and Gitea. Deployment options include inline providers and environment deployments that can be triggered manually or through the API. The REST API covers teams, projects, builds, environments and deployments, using bearer-token authentication.

Secure variables can be encrypted with account-specific keys. They are not decoded during pull-request builds by default, a useful safeguard when external contributions are part of the workflow.

Pricing

The Open-source plan costs free and allows unlimited public projects, one concurrent job, five self-hosted jobs and community support. It suits public repositories, but does not provide the priority technical support included with paid subscriptions.

Basic costs $29 a month, billed $29/month, for one private project, one concurrent job, five self-hosted jobs and priority technical support. It is the entry point for a small private project; the single-project cap makes it a poor fit for teams managing several private repositories.

Pro costs $59 a month, billed $59/month, or $590/year - 2 months free. It includes unlimited private projects, one concurrent job, five self-hosted jobs and priority technical support. This removes Basic's project cap without increasing hosted concurrency.

Premium costs $99 a month, billed $99/month, or $990/year - 2 months free. It keeps unlimited private projects and five self-hosted jobs while raising concurrency to two jobs. That is the better fit for teams whose matrices or project queues need more parallel capacity, though it remains a modest allowance.

All plans cap each build job at 60 minutes. Priority support aims to respond to email inquiries or forum posts within 24 hours, usually within 12, and includes project setup help. AppVeyor offers a 14-day trial; the plans above state their billing terms, but no trial renewal terms are given.

Platforms

AppVeyor supports API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web and Windows platforms. AppVeyor Server can be installed on a customer's server and is described as supporting Windows, Linux and macOS. That gives teams an on-premises route alongside hosted builds, but no separate Server price is provided; expect custom pricing.

Who it's for

AppVeyor is a strong fit for Windows-focused development teams that want a configurable CI pipeline, pull-request checks, deployment controls and the option to run builds on customer infrastructure. It is less suitable for workloads that routinely exceed an hour per job or teams that need substantial parallel capacity without moving to Premium.

Pros and cons

Pros: A pipeline covers build through deployment, while matrices and multiple YAML providers support varied project setups.

Pros: Isolated hosted virtual machines, caching and protected secure variables address repeatability and credential handling.

Pros: Hosted and self-hosted options let teams choose between managed builds and customer-installed infrastructure.

Cons: The universal 60-minute job limit excludes long-running build or test jobs.

Cons: Basic allows only one private project, and Pro still has one concurrent job; Premium costs more to reach two.

Alternatives

Bitrise is another freemium option, with a free Hobby plan aimed at a one-person team building a small project a few times per month; consider it for that lighter mobile-oriented workload.

GitHub Codespaces offers freemium access and usage-billed compute plans, so consider it when cloud development environments are the priority rather than AppVeyor's specified build-and-deploy pipeline.

Bitbucket Pipelines has a free plan for up to five users with unlimited public and private repositories and 50 build minutes per month; it may suit teams whose needs fit within that monthly allowance.

Codemagic provides a free plan with 500 build minutes refilled monthly and one parallel build, making it worth considering for teams that can work within a monthly minute quota.

TeamCity offers a free on-premises Professional plan with unlimited users and three build agents; consider it when that on-premises agent model is a better fit.

Azure Test Plans starts with a $52 a month Basic + Test Plans offering, billed per user per month, for teams seeking its test-planning features.

Buddy has a free plan with one seat, one concurrent job and 300 pipeline GB-minutes, an alternative for teams whose workload fits those limits.

Buildkite offers a free plan for up to five users and ten concurrent jobs, with monthly Linux vCPU-minute and test-volume allowances; consider it when higher concurrency matters and those quotas fit.

Browse Continuous Integration Software for more CI options, or Game Build Automation Software for tools focused on game builds.

Verdict

Choose AppVeyor if you need Windows-centered CI with configurable build matrices, deployment workflows and a choice of hosted or customer-installed infrastructure. Its pipeline breadth is the main reason to pick it; look elsewhere if jobs can run longer than 60 minutes or your team needs more concurrency than the plan allows.

Verdict

AppVeyor covers build, test, artifact packaging and deployment workflows, with both hosted and self-hosted options. Account for the job time limit and plan-specific project and concurrency allowances.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to AppVeyorAll alternatives →