# Semaphore Engineering The best CI/CD tool for high-performance engineering teams. This is one page of public article previews, not the complete archive. Follow Next page to continue. Summaries are not the original full articles. ## sem-ai 0.4.0: smaller responses, safer access, and pre-flight checks DevFeed: [sem-ai 0.4.0: smaller responses, safer access, and pre-flight checks]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-09-16T12:01:04Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [AI-assisted coding](), [Claude Code](), [Command-line interface](), [Authorization](), [API](), [configuration]() Tags: [ai-coding-agents](), [api](), [audio](), [claude-code](), [command-line](), [configuration](), [permissions](), [pipelines](), [product-news](), [release](), [video]() ### AI overview Semaphore's sem-ai 0.4.0 release adds more compact workflow and pipeline responses, context switching across organizations and credentials, and support for managing pre-flight checks. The update is aimed at reducing context usage and enabling more targeted permissions for AI coding agents. ### Source excerpt AI coding agents work best when they receive the right information without unnecessary noise. They also need clearly defined permissions and reliable safeguards for the changes they make. sem-ai 0.4.0 improves all three areas. The release introduces more compact pipeline responses, flexible context switching, and support for Semaphore pre-flight checks. Watch Nick demonstrate the new [...] The post sem-ai 0.4.0: smaller responses, safer access, and pre-flight checks appeared first on Semaphore. ## Making testing work better for AI driven development DevFeed: [Making testing work better for AI driven development]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-09-10T09:28:14Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [Testing](), [Development](), [Artificial Intelligence](), [Test coverage](), [RSpec]() Tags: [ai](), [flaky](), [framework](), [product-news](), [test-coverage](), [testing](), [xunit]() ### AI overview Semaphore describes product work to make testing more useful for developers and AI agents. The update covers richer test reports from testing frameworks, signal-based flaky-test detection, and code-graph-based selection of tests affected by code changes. ### Source excerpt AI agents can generate and modify code quickly. But when a test fails, speed is no longer enough. The agent needs enough context to understand what happened, why it happened, and whether the code or the test itself needs to change. In our latest product update, Marko Gaćeša is joined by Semaphore engineers Nick and [...] The post Making testing work better for AI driven development appeared first on Semaphore. ## Rerun Only the Jobs That Failed DevFeed: [Rerun Only the Jobs That Failed]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-08-12T10:31:39Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [ci](), [jobs](), [Development]() Tags: [2026](), [ci](), [cost](), [flag](), [jobs](), [pipeline](), [product-news](), [rebuilds](), [run](), [workflow]() ### AI overview Semaphore now reruns only failed jobs in a pipeline, carrying over successful jobs and preserving the workflow topology. This reduces rerun time and billable usage, while a YAML flag preserves the previous full-block rebuild behavior. ### Source excerpt Your pipeline fails on one job, and until now you had to rebuild the entire block to recover. Not anymore. Semaphore now reruns only the jobs that actually failed, so you get feedback faster and pay less to get it. What Shipped: Job Rerun When a pipeline failed, the old behavior rebuilt every job inside [...] The post Rerun Only the Jobs That Failed appeared first on Semaphore. ## Announcement: Xcode16 Deprecation in Semaphore DevFeed: [Announcement: Xcode16 Deprecation in Semaphore]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-08-04T13:47:48Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [Xcode](), [macOS](), [ci]() Tags: [announcement](), [ci](), [deprecated](), [end-of-life](), [lifecycle](), [macos](), [operating-systems](), [product-news](), [yaml]() ### AI overview Semaphore is deprecating and retiring its macOS Xcode16 build environments. Brownout periods will run from September 7 through October 4, 2026, before the environments are removed on October 5, 2026. Users are instructed to migrate pipelines to macos-xcode26 and validate them. ### Source excerpt MacOS Xcode16 reached the end of its supported lifecycle on Semaphore. To ensure the security, reliability, and maintainability of our platform, we are announcing the deprecation and end of life of MacOS Xcode16 build environments. Semaphore users should switch to Xcode26. Why We're Deprecating Xcode16 As operating systems age, they cease to receive timely security [...] The post Announcement: Xcode16 Deprecation in Semaphore appeared first on Semaphore. ## Best CircleCI alternatives in 2026 DevFeed: [Best CircleCI alternatives in 2026]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-07-31T12:11:33Z Content type: comparison Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [CI/CD](), [GitHub Actions](), [GitLab](), [Development]() Tags: [alternatives](), [ci-cd](), [compare](), [comparison](), [economics](), [platform](), [pricing](), [support]() ### AI overview This guide compares Semaphore, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, and Buildkite as alternatives to CircleCI in 2026. It evaluates build speed, cost predictability, support, deployment control, source-control integration, and hosting options. ### Source excerpt Teams looking for CircleCI alternatives are rarely replacing a single feature. They are reassessing build speed, unit economics, support coverage, deployment control, and how easily their CI/CD system fits the source-control platform they already use. CircleCI remains a capable hosted CI/CD product, but its credit-based model meters active users, compute by resource class and minute, [...] The post Best CircleCI alternatives in 2026 appeared first on Semaphore. ## Best GitLab Alternatives in 2026 DevFeed: [Best GitLab Alternatives in 2026]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-07-30T12:04:04Z Content type: comparison Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [GitLab](), [CI/CD](), [DevSecOps](), [GitHub Actions]() Tags: [2026](), [alternatives](), [ci-cd](), [circleci](), [compare](), [cost](), [devsecops](), [enterprise-deployment](), [evaluation](), [github](), [github-actions](), [gitlab](), [gitlab-ci](), [self-hosted]() ### AI overview A comparison of Semaphore, GitHub Actions, CircleCI, and Buildkite as alternatives to GitLab for CI/CD-focused decisions. It examines execution, deployment, pricing, support, and operating models while explaining when retaining GitLab repositories may be more practical than replacing GitLab entirely. ### Source excerpt GitLab is a capable, integrated DevSecOps platform--but it is not the only sensible way to run CI/CD. Teams comparing GitLab alternatives are often trying to improve pipeline execution, simplify operations, get clearer support and cost options, or adopt a CI/CD tool that fits their existing source-control strategy. That does not automatically mean moving repositories out [...] The post Best GitLab Alternatives in 2026 appeared first on Semaphore. ## Best Bitbucket Alternatives in 2026 DevFeed: [Best Bitbucket Alternatives in 2026]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-07-29T11:54:28Z Content type: comparison Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [bitbucket](), [CI/CD](), [GitHub Actions](), [GitLab](), [Self-hosted](), [Cloud](), [Deployment](), [DevSecOps]() Tags: [2026](), [alternatives](), [bitbucket](), [ci-cd](), [circleci](), [cloud](), [compare](), [github](), [github-actions](), [gitlab](), [gitlab-ci](), [linux](), [macos](), [pipelines](), [self-hosted]() ### AI overview This comparison guide examines Bitbucket Pipelines and four alternatives--Semaphore, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, and CircleCI--to help teams choose a CI/CD platform based on source-control ecosystem, visibility, deployment control, hosting model, and operational requirements. ### Source excerpt Bitbucket Pipelines is a logical starting point for teams already using Bitbucket Cloud. It is built into the source-control experience, configured in a bitbucket-pipelines.yml file, and offers both Atlassian-hosted execution and self-hosted runners. But convenience at the repository level is not always the same thing as the best long-term CI/CD operating model. Teams evaluating Bitbucket [...] The post Best Bitbucket Alternatives in 2026 appeared first on Semaphore. ## How Lawmatics Cut CI Compute Cost by 39.3% and Shortened Pipeline Time by 15.8% DevFeed: [How Lawmatics Cut CI Compute Cost by 39.3% and Shortened Pipeline Time by 15.8%]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Christian Gómez Alonso Published: 2026-07-27T15:23:37Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [ci](), [Optimization](), [cpu](), [browser]() Tags: [browser](), [ci](), [ci-cd](), [compute](), [cost](), [cpu](), [optimization](), [parallel](), [parallelism](), [pipeline](), [time]() ### AI overview This case study describes how Lawmatics optimized its CI pipeline by changing the machine class used for parallel browser end-to-end tests while initially preserving parallelism. The reported result was a 39.3% reduction in average application compute cost per pipeline and a 15.8% reduction in active pipeline duration. ### Source excerpt CI optimization is easiest to reason about when the problem is concrete: one pipeline, one critical path, and one cost model. Lawmatics reached out to us with that kind of problem. Their application pipeline was already parallelized and already using a sensible CI structure. The remaining question was whether the most expensive part of the [...] The post How Lawmatics Cut CI Compute Cost by 39.3% and Shortened Pipeline Time by 15.8% appeared first on Semaphore. ## Best Jenkins Alternatives in 2026 DevFeed: [Best Jenkins Alternatives in 2026]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-07-24T09:56:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [CI/CD](), [Jenkins](), [Groovy](), [GitHub Actions](), [GitLab](), [Vulnerabilities](), [DevOps](), [Open Source]() Tags: [ci-cd](), [circleci](), [compare](), [devsecops](), [github-actions](), [gitlab](), [groovy](), [jenkins](), [open-source](), [security](), [security-vulnerabilities](), [self-hosted]() ### AI overview A 2026 guide compares Jenkins alternatives and explains why teams migrate away from Jenkins, citing maintenance overhead, plugin conflicts, Groovy pipeline complexity, and security-patch concerns. It highlights Semaphore, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, and CircleCI for different use cases. ### Source excerpt Jenkins earned its place as the default CI server of the 2010s: it was free, endlessly extensible, and available before any serious managed CI/CD competitor existed. More than a decade later, that same flexibility has become the thing teams complain about most -- plugin sprawl, Groovy pipeline scripts nobody wants to maintain, and infrastructure that [...] The post Best Jenkins Alternatives in 2026 appeared first on Semaphore. ## Best GitHub Actions Alternatives in 2026 DevFeed: [Best GitHub Actions Alternatives in 2026]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-07-23T12:51:23Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [GitHub Actions](), [CI/CD](), [supply-chain-security](), [Vulnerabilities](), [Security]() Tags: [2026](), [alternatives](), [ci-cd](), [compare](), [github](), [github-actions](), [guide](), [outage](), [security](), [supply-chain-security](), [vulnerabilities]() ### AI overview A 2026 guide compares alternatives to GitHub Actions and discusses why some teams are reconsidering it, citing a major outage, a supply-chain attack affecting thousands of repositories, pricing and runner-management concerns, and log usability issues. ### Source excerpt GitHub Actions became the default CI/CD choice for millions of repositories simply because it's built into GitHub. But "default" and "best" are not the same thing -- and in 2026, the gap between the two has gotten harder to ignore. A ten-hour outage in July, a supply-chain attack that backdoored over 5,500 repositories in May, [...] The post Best GitHub Actions Alternatives in 2026 appeared first on Semaphore. ## Best CI/CD Tools in 2026: Performance and Cost Compared DevFeed: [Best CI/CD Tools in 2026: Performance and Cost Compared]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-07-02T14:00:53Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [CI/CD](), [benchmarking](), [Ruby on Rails](), [PostgreSQL](), [Linux](), [GitHub Actions]() Tags: [2026](), [benchmark](), [ci-cd](), [cost](), [linux](), [performance](), [pipelines](), [postgresql](), [ruby-on-rails]() ### AI overview The article benchmarks five CI/CD platforms using the Redmine Ruby on Rails application, standardized 2 vCPU environments, and ten post-cache-warm-up runs per provider. It reports that Semaphore ranked first for both speed and cost, with an average build time of 5m 01s and a cost of $0.04 per run. ### Source excerpt Choosing a CI/CD tool in 2026 isn't just a technical decision -- it's a cost and productivity decision. Slow pipelines mean slower shipping, and opaque pricing means budget surprises at the end of the month. We benchmarked five of the most widely used CI/CD platforms against the same workload: a real Ruby on Rails application [...] The post Best CI/CD Tools in 2026: Performance and Cost Compared appeared first on Semaphore. ## Flaky Test API Now GA, New Auto-Fix Skill, Skill Quality Improvements DevFeed: [Flaky Test API Now GA, New Auto-Fix Skill, Skill Quality Improvements]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-06-19T11:00:00Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [API](), [AI Agent](), [LLM evaluation / benchmarking](), [Claude](), [data]() Tags: [agent](), [ai](), [api](), [audio](), [cost](), [data](), [flaky](), [improvements](), [product-news](), [quality](), [release](), [validation](), [verify](), [video]() ### AI overview Semaphore announces generally available flaky-test data through its sem-ai API, a skill that lets an AI agent investigate and fix flaky tests, and improvements to existing skills through added examples. The article also reports typical fix costs of $1 to $1.50 when benchmarking with Claude Opus 4.8 on high effort. ### Source excerpt You can now identify your flakiest tests through the API and have an AI agent fix them, at a cost of around $1 to $1.50 per fix. What Shipped Flaky Test Data in the API (Generally Available) Flaky test data is now accessible programmatically through the sem-ai API. The API surfaces tests ranked by disruption [...] The post Flaky Test API Now GA, New Auto-Fix Skill, Skill Quality Improvements appeared first on Semaphore. ## Codex Support, Faster Task Creation, and Flaky Test Visibility DevFeed: [Codex Support, Faster Task Creation, and Flaky Test Visibility]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-06-04T14:43:11Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [codex](), [ai-coding](), [Command-line interface](), [ci](), [Claude Code]() Tags: [ai-agents](), [ai-coding](), [audio](), [ci](), [cli](), [codex](), [flaky](), [product-news](), [video](), [visibility]() ### AI overview Semaphore's update covers fixes to sem-ai, faster and more reliable task creation, CLI-based task management, and a Semaphore Cloud workflow-editor option for showing skipped blocks. Planned work includes broader platform management through the CLI, flaky-test data through the API, and AI-assisted onboarding for tools including Claude Code and Codex. ### Source excerpt sem-ai keeps moving. Here's a quick rundown of what shipped last week and what's coming next. What Shipped on Sem-AI Glitches have been fixed.A few issues were blocking some users to get started with sem-ai. Those are resolved. If you tried it before and ran into friction, now's a good time to try again. See [...] The post Codex Support, Faster Task Creation, and Flaky Test Visibility appeared first on Semaphore. ## Building an AI-Native CI/CD Experience with sem-ai DevFeed: [Building an AI-Native CI/CD Experience with sem-ai]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-05-27T09:35:38Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [CI/CD](), [Artificial Intelligence](), [GitHub Actions](), [Go Language]() Tags: [ai](), [ai-coding-agents](), [audio](), [ci-cd](), [claude-code](), [github-actions](), [go](), [product-news](), [review](), [video]() ### AI overview Semaphore presents sem-ai, an AI-native CI experience that lets developers interact with CI/CD using natural language through tools such as Claude Code. A demonstrated workflow initializes a Semaphore project and proposes CI configuration based on the repository's technology stack. ### Source excerpt Developers don't want to spend their time writing CI configuration, debugging flaky pipelines, or digging through logs to understand why a build failed. They want to ship software. That's the idea behind sem-ai - Semaphore's approach to building an AI-native CI experience where developers interact with CI/CD using natural language, directly from the tools they [...] The post Building an AI-Native CI/CD Experience with sem-ai appeared first on Semaphore. ## Introducing Semaphore for AI Agents: An AI-Native Developer Experience for CI/CD DevFeed: [Introducing Semaphore for AI Agents: An AI-Native Developer Experience for CI/CD]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-05-14T08:28:46Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [CI/CD](), [AI Development](), [AI-assisted coding](), [workflow automation]() Tags: [ai-agents](), [ai-coding-agents](), [audio](), [ci-cd](), [cli](), [debugging](), [product-news](), [video]() ### AI overview Semaphore introduces an open-source CLI and agentic interface that makes its CI/CD platform accessible from AI coding agents. The initial release focuses on structured access to pipeline visibility, debugging, and workflow automation, including failing-test information, pipeline summaries, diagnostics, commit metadata, and flaky-test information. ### Source excerpt Developers are no longer spending most of their time inside traditional IDEs. Today, workflows increasingly happen inside AI-powered coding environments like Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex. Developers are collaborating with agents, asking questions in natural language, debugging through conversations, and automating repetitive work directly from their coding environment. At Semaphore, we believe CI/CD needs to [...] The post Introducing Semaphore for AI Agents: An AI-Native Developer Experience for CI/CD appeared first on Semaphore. ## Announcement: Xcode15 Deprecation in Semaphore DevFeed: [Announcement: Xcode15 Deprecation in Semaphore]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Pete Miloravac Published: 2026-05-12T10:56:42Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Semaphore Engineering]() Topics: [Xcode](), [ci](), [macOS]() Tags: [announcement](), [ci](), [deprecated](), [lifecycle](), [product-news](), [scheduled](), [september-2026](), [switching](), [xcode]() ### AI overview Semaphore announces the deprecation and end of life of its macOS Xcode15 build environments. Brownout periods will precede removal on July 6, 2026, and users are advised to migrate their pipelines to a supported Xcode version, preferably Xcode26. ### Source excerpt MacOS Xcode15 reached the end of its supported lifecycle on Semaphore. To ensure the security, reliability, and maintainability of our platform, we are announcing the deprecation and end of life of MacOS Xcode15 build environments. Semaphore users should consider switching to Xcode26 as Xcode16 is scheduled for deprecation in September 2026. Why We're Deprecating Xcode15 [...] The post Announcement: Xcode15 Deprecation in Semaphore appeared first on Semaphore.