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Learn what is TeamCity and how it simplifies CI/CD pipelines with key features, easy setup, seamless integrations, and benefits for DevOps and dev teams.
Published on: August 6, 2025
TeamCity is a Java-based CI/CD platform by JetBrains, designed to help teams automate their build, test, and deployment processes with speed and confidence.
Development teams today need to ship software faster while maintaining high quality and stability. CI/CD tools like TeamCity are critical in achieving this balance. TeamCity has deep IDE integration and support for both simple and complex workflows.
TeamCity, initially released in 2006, is a CI/CD platform that helps teams automate their build, test, and deployment processes. TeamCity is recognized for its strong out-of-the-box functionality helps development teams strive to ship software faster.
Key Features:
How to download and set up:
TeamCity is a CI/CD and build management system developed by JetBrains, the company behind popular tools like IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and WebStorm.
TeamCity helps automate the process of building, testing, and deploying code, making it easier for development teams to deliver high-quality software at speed.
Key Highlights:
Here are some of the most notable features that make TeamCity stand out:
Step 1: Download the Server
Start by visiting the TeamCity Download Page. Choose the appropriate version for your system:
Step 2: Install and Launch
Unpack the archive or run the installer. Once complete, launch the TeamCity server. By default, it runs on http://localhost:8111.
The first time you launch the server, TeamCity will walk you through a simple setup wizard where you’ll:
Step 3: Set Up the Build Agent
Build agents run the actual jobs defined in your pipelines. You can install them on the same machine or across different environments. The agent installer is available from the TeamCity web UI, under Agents > Install Build Agent.
Each agent can be configured with its own capabilities, such as installed SDKs, operating system details, or Docker support.
Step 4: Create Your First Project
Once your server and at least one agent are online:
1. Connect your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository.
2. TeamCity will automatically detect build steps (e.g., Maven, Gradle, npm).
3. You can customize the steps or use the suggested configuration.
Step 5: Deployment Options
You can run TeamCity in whatever environment fits your team:
(Optional) Step 6: Connect to LambdaTest
Add LambdaTest commands in your build steps to bring speed, scalability, and AI-native intelligence to your testing process.
Integrating TeamCity with LambdaTest ensures higher test coverage, faster feedback cycles, and more reliable releases, directly from your TeamCity environment.
Step 7: Explore TeamCity Plugins and Extensions
TeamCity delivers the flexibility of both self-hosted and fully managed cloud options, allowing teams to choose the plan that suits their needs.
Self-Hosted (On-Premise):
Plan | What's Included | Best For |
---|---|---|
Free Tier | 3 build agents, 100 build configurations | Startups, small projects |
Professional | Purchase additional build agents and configs | Mid-size teams scaling builds |
Enterprise | High-performance CI with advanced user controls | Large orgs with custom infra |
Saas (TeamCity Cloud):
Plan | Highlights | Best For |
---|---|---|
Pay-as-you-go | Managed hosting, automatic scaling, usage-based pricing | Teams preferring zero setup |
TeamCity receives consistently high ratings across software review platforms, with users praising its reliability, flexibility, and developer-centric features.
Gartner: 4.5/5 (15+ reviews)
G2: 4.3/5 (85+ reviews)
Capterra: 4.5/5 (49+ reviews)
SoftwareWorld: TeamCity is listed in SoftwareWorld’s Top CI/CD Tools list for:
What Users Appreciate:
“TeamCity Helps Optimize CI/CD processes with powerful capabilities and features.” — Sr. DevOps Engineer, SaaS Platform |
Areas for Improvement:
“Bad documentation, difficult to find help Googling problems, cumbersome setup. I wanted my Jenkins back as soon as possible.” – Owner and BI/Data Architect |
Let’s compare TeamCity with a few popular CI/CD alternatives:
Feature | TeamCity | Jenkins | GitLab CI | CircleCI |
---|---|---|---|---|
Setup | Easy out-of-the-box | Requires manual configuration | Git-native, simple setup | Cloud-first setup |
UI | Modern and intuitive | Dated interface | Clean GitLab UI | Clean and simple |
Config as Code | Kotlin DSL | Jenkinsfile (Groovy) | YAML | YAML |
Plugins | 400+ official plugins | 1800+ community plugins | GitLab native features | Third-party orbs |
IDE Integration | Tight integration (IntelliJ, VS, Eclipse) | Limited | Limited | Limited |
Hosting | On-prem and cloud | On-prem and cloud | SaaS and self-hosted | SaaS |
Cost | Free (up to 3 agents) +paid plans | Free, open-source + paid plans | Free for public repos + paid plans | Free with 1,000 build minutes + paid plans |
Verdict: Choose TeamCity for developer-focused CI/CD with powerful defaults, strong IDE support, and minimal plugin maintenance. Jenkins may suit open-source enthusiasts, while GitLab CI and CircleCI offer good cloud-native options for Git-centric teams.
Top engineering teams use TeamCity to scale CI/CD, speed up builds, and bring stability to complex pipelines across gaming, developer tools, and enterprise systems:
These examples highlight how teams across industries use TeamCity to scale and stabilize their CI/CD workflows. Read detailed TeamCity case studies.
TeamCity is a mature, developer-first CI/CD platform that strikes a great balance between usability and power. For teams that prioritize stability, intelligent test feedback, cloud flexibility, and seamless IDE integration, it’s one of the strongest contenders in the CI/CD space.
If you're a solo developer, a growing startup, or an enterprise DevOps team, TeamCity has the scalability, support, and ecosystem to build reliable pipelines fast.
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