Dagger

Overview

Dagger is a code-first continuous integration stack for developers who want pipeline logic to travel between a local environment and cloud execution. Its strongest case is portability paired with reusable checks; the Individual tier is free, while teams needing longer run history and more event capacity pay $50 per month.

Key features

Dagger builds CI around a portable DAG execution engine and a clean API. Because the same pipeline logic can run locally or in Dagger Cloud, it suits teams that want to develop and execute workflows in more than one setting. Automatic caching and end-to-end tracing support repeatability and make runs easier to follow. Local build-cache support and multi-architecture builds broaden its usefulness for container build workflows, and it handles build secrets.

Cloud Checks offer a way to run project checks after Git events such as pushes and pull requests without requiring a CI workflow file. For GitHub projects, Dagger connects the repository to Dagger Cloud and runs checks on Cloud Engines. That is a meaningful option for teams that want GitHub-triggered checks without maintaining a workflow file, though the documented connection is specifically for GitHub.

Official modules cover testing, linting, formatting, type checking, browser tests, and Helm chart validation. They can be extended in a preferred language, giving teams a starting point for common tasks without constraining them to one development language. Team adds module insights and a module catalog; Individual instead provides workflow and function logs, function call traces, workflow cache visibility, and pre-push visibility.

Pricing

Individual costs nothing and is billed Free. It allows 1 user, 1,000,000 monthly events, 1 month of run history, and community support. For an individual developer or a small evaluation, it offers a no-cost route to Dagger's workflow visibility and GitHub Checks integration. The trade-off is a one-user ceiling, a shorter history window, and less event capacity than Team.

Team costs $50 a month, billed at $50 per month after a 2 week trial. It supports up to 10 users, 10,000,000 monthly events, 1 year of run history, and email support. That makes it the clearer fit for a team that needs shared access, higher event volume, longer retention, and module insights. The 10-user limit and event quota still matter when sizing a larger or busier deployment.

Enterprise has custom pricing, with user and monthly-event terms handled by contact. It includes 24/7 premium support; SSO and managed single-tenant deployment are Enterprise contact items. Choose it when those options or support terms are central, rather than assuming the Team plan covers them. Dagger offers a 14-day trial for the paid plan.

Platforms

Dagger supports Linux, macOS, Windows, web, and self-hosted environments. CLI installation instructions cover macOS, Linux, and Windows, and Dagger provides a self-hosting guide. This combination gives teams a choice between the CLI on major desktop operating systems and self-managed deployment, alongside its cloud workflow. The local build-cache backend is another fit for workflows where local caching matters.

Who it's for

Dagger is best suited to developers and teams that want code-defined CI, reusable task modules, and the option to run pipeline logic locally as well as in the cloud. Individual is a practical starting point for one user with moderate event needs; Team is better for groups that need up to 10 seats, substantially more monthly events, and a year of run history. Teams that need more users, custom event terms, SSO, or managed single-tenant deployment should discuss Enterprise. Dagger is a weaker fit for buyers who need a plan beyond 10 users at a published price or whose work does not benefit from portable, code-based pipelines.

Pros and cons

Pro: Local and cloud execution share pipeline logic. That portability is useful for teams developing workflows locally and running them in Dagger Cloud.

Pro: Broad official module coverage. Modules address tasks from testing and linting to browser tests and Helm validation, and can be extended in a preferred language.

Pro: Clear growth in Team allowances. Team raises the monthly event allowance from 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 and run history from 1 month to 1 year.

Con: Individual is limited to one user. It works as a personal tier, not a shared team plan.

Con: Team has a 10-user ceiling and costs $50 per month after trial. Larger groups need Enterprise custom pricing.

Con: Individual retains run history for only 1 month. Teams that need longer-term run records must move to Team's 1-year history.

Alternatives

For a directly comparable CI choice, see Continuous Integration Software. Readers focused on container workflows can also browse Container Build Tools, while game-focused build automation has its own Game Build Automation Software category.

BuildKit is a free, Apache License 2.0 option for readers who want an open-source build toolkit rather than Dagger's freemium CI plans.

Garden is worth considering when its free tier's limited build minutes, cache hits, and cache retention fit the workload.

Depot suits buyers willing to pay for a paid service with a Developer plan at $20 a month; it has no free plan.

ko is a free, open-source Go container image builder for readers whose need is specifically Go image building.

Tilt is a free, open-source Apache-2.0 option for readers seeking that alternative.

Jib is a free option focused on open-source container building tools for Java.

Amazon EC2 is a paid option with a free plan and trial for readers comparing cloud compute rather than a Dagger-style CI stack.

Earthly is another free-plan option to consider.

Verdict

Choose Dagger if you want code-first CI whose pipeline logic can run locally or in the cloud, and your team values reusable modules and inspectable runs. The free Individual tier is a solid entry point for one user; Team's higher event quota and year of history justify considering its $50 monthly price for a group of up to 10. Look elsewhere if you need a larger team at a published price or prefer a narrower build tool over a full CI stack.