Dagger is a programmable CI/CD engine that enables developers to define, build, and run their continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines as code, all within containers. Dagger allows teams to develop pipelines in the same programming language as their application, leveraging SDKs to make the process seamless for developers.
Dagger executes pipelines entirely as standard OCI containers, providing several advantages:
- Instant local testing – Developers can test pipelines on their local machines before deploying them elsewhere.
- Portability – The same pipeline can run locally, on CI runners, dedicated servers, or any container hosting service.
- Superior caching – Every operation is cached by default, ensuring consistency and faster builds across environments.
- Compatibility with the Docker ecosystem – Any tool or service that runs in a container can be integrated into the pipeline.
- Cross-language instrumentation – Teams can use each other's tools and pipelines without having to learn new programming languages.
By treating pipelines as code, Dagger aims to improve collaboration, reproducibility, and maintainability in the software development lifecycle. The platform is particularly suited for engineering teams looking to modernize their DevOps workflows and adopt a code-first approach to CI/CD.
What technology enables Dagger's approach to CI/CD?
Dagger's core innovation centers around running CI/CD pipelines as OCI (Open Container Initiative) containers. This approach allows for:
- Consistent environments across local development and production.
- Easy integration with existing container-based workflows and the broader Docker ecosystem.
- Enhanced caching capabilities, reducing redundant processing and improving speed.
By providing SDKs for different programming languages, Dagger enables developers to express pipeline logic natively, leading to more maintainable and testable automation scripts.
Who uses Dagger?
Dagger primarily serves engineering and DevOps teams at B2B technology companies, especially those adopting modern cloud-native and containerized development practices. Its flexibility and language-agnostic design make it appealing to distributed teams, remote organizations, and companies seeking to standardize software delivery processes across multiple regions or platforms. While specific customer names are not listed, Dagger's features are aimed at teams who require advanced CI/CD customization and portability.
Who are Dagger's competitors?
Dagger operates in the CI/CD and DevOps automation space, with several notable competitors and related platforms:
- GitLab CI/CD: Offers pipeline-as-code features tightly integrated with GitLab's version control and DevOps platform.
- Red Hat OpenShift Pipelines: Focuses on Kubernetes-native CI/CD workflows.
- Harness: Provides CI/CD pipelines as code using YAML, emphasizing collaboration and control.
- Spacelift: Delivers infrastructure automation and pipeline-as-code for DevOps teams.
- AWS CodePipeline: Fully managed CI/CD service integrated with the AWS ecosystem.
- IBM DevOps: Offers pipeline solutions and automation for enterprise DevOps teams.
- Zeet.co and Cloudomation: Provide additional perspectives and tooling around pipeline-as-code.
Dagger distinguishes itself by focusing on programmable pipelines in the same language as the application and container-native execution, which may offer more flexibility and portability than some traditional YAML- or GUI-based solutions.
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