Frequently Asked Questions

BuildNinja is a comprehensive CI/CD tool designed for engineering teams who want to deploy without debugging complex toolchains. It offers automated builds, version control integration, containerized deployment support, and real-time monitoring across multiple environments.

BuildNinja is designed for engineering teams of all sizes – from solo developers to large enterprises. Whether you're a startup looking for simple CI/CD or an enterprise needing advanced features like SSO, multi-environment support, and dedicated agents, BuildNinja scales with your needs.

BuildNinja offers on-premise deployment, giving you full control over your infrastructure. You can install it on Windows servers, deploy via Docker containers, or set up on Kubernetes for scalable operations. Your code, data, and builds stay on your infrastructure.

BuildNinja eliminates the complexity of traditional CI/CD tools. Instead of spending days debugging configurations, you get a pre-configured solution that works out of the box. With built-in agent management, real-time dashboards, and comprehensive email notifications, everything you need is included – no plugins hunting required.

Native Git support allows BuildNinja to handle Git operations directly on the server instead of relying only on external SSH or HTTPS workflows. This improves reliability, enables caching, and enhances overall Git performance.

Build Parameters are reusable variables that control how a build executes. They eliminate hardcoded values, improve security, and allow flexible configuration across projects and build configurations with support for inheritance and runtime input.

BuildNinja provides predefined roles such as Viewer, Executor, Editor, and Manager to control user access at the project and build configuration level. These roles define the actions users can perform, including viewing configurations, running builds, modifying settings, and managing members.

Installation typically takes 10-15 minutes. For Windows, download the executable and run the installer wizard. For Docker deployments, pull the official image and configure environment variables. Our installation guide provides step-by-step instructions for all platforms.

Server Requirements: - Minimum: 2-core CPU (x64/AMD64), 4GB RAM, 20GB storage - Recommended: 4+ cores, 8-16GB RAM, 100GB+ SSD - Requires MongoDB and Docker Build Agents: - Minimum: 2-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 10GB storage - Recommended: 4+ cores, 4-8GB RAM, 50GB+ storage - Supports Windows 10/11, Linux, & MacOS See complete system requirements for network, browser compatibility, and additional tools.

BuildNinja Growth Edition: Designed for engineering teams of all sizes. Register and generate your free license key to get unlimited access to all core features, including unlimited users, projects, and concurrent builds.

Activate your license through Settings > Manage License (online or offline activation available).

BuildNinja runs on your infrastructure - whether that's existing on-premise servers, AWS, Azure, GCP, or any Docker-compatible environment. Minimum requirements: 2-core CPU, 4GB RAM for the server, and 2GB RAM per build agent.

The key advantage: you control your infrastructure costs with no per-minute build charges, no data egress fees, and no surprise cloud bills. Use existing servers at zero additional cost, or deploy on cloud infrastructure you already manage.

See complete system requirements in our documentation.

Yes! BuildNinja offers official Docker images. Deploy via Docker Compose or Kubernetes with environment-based configuration

Yes. BuildNinja supports running both Server and Agents on macOS, with full support on Apple Silicon (M-series) systems. Older macOS versions may work on Apple Silicon, but Intel-based Macs are not fully supported.

The BuildNinja installer is a unified installer that supports installing:

• The Server only
• The Agent only
• Both the Server and the Agent on the same system

When installing the Server, the installer can automatically install MongoDB locally if it is not already present. If a remote MongoDB URL is provided, MongoDB is not installed by the installer. The installer also allows you to choose a custom installation directory.

Yes. The unified installer supports installing and running both the Server and the Agent on the same machine. This setup is commonly used for evaluation, development, or small-scale deployments.

Not always. When installing the Server using the unified installer, MongoDB is installed automatically if a local MongoDB instance is not detected. If you choose to connect to a remote MongoDB instance, you must ensure that MongoDB is already installed and accessible at the provided URL.

Yes. BuildNinja provides standalone binary files for both the Server and the Agent on Windows. This method requires manual configuration using environment variables and is recommended for advanced, customized, or automated deployments.

Growth Edition - provides unlimited access to the core platform, including unlimited users, projects, configurations, and concurrent builds. It's designed to be the only CI/CD tool you'll ever need.

BuildNinja is designed to scale with you at zero cost. We do not charge per seat or per build. You can add unlimited developers and run as many concurrent builds as your hardware can handle without ever paying for a license.

Growth Edition supports unlimited users and unlimited concurrent builds. There are no artificial caps on your growth.

Yes! The Free plan is completely free with no time limits or hidden costs. It includes everything a growing team needs: automated builds, version control integration, artifact management, real-time logs, and email notifications.

BuildNinja Growth Edition includes unlimited concurrent builds. Your scale is only limited by your own infrastructure (CPU/RAM). We don't place any software-level restrictions on how many builds you can run at once.

We accept major credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers for Enterprise customers. All payments are processed securely, and invoices are generated automatically for each billing cycle.

BuildNinja supports all Git-based version control systems including GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket

BuildNinja provides a centralized management interface for all your build agents. When a new agent registers with the server, it appears in an unauthorized state - you must explicitly authorize it before it can execute builds.

Once authorized, you can enable/disable agents, refresh configurations, reset status, delete agents, and filter by operating system or status. Agents support Windows, Linux, & MacOS, giving you flexibility to match build requirements with the right platform.

Yes! BuildNinja is fully compatible with Kubernetes deployments. Both the BuildNinja Server and Agents can be deployed as containerized workloads using Kubernetes manifests. This enables scalable, high-availability CI/CD infrastructure with automated orchestration across multiple environments. Our documentation includes complete Kubernetes deployment guides with sample manifests for server and agent configurations.

A concurrent agent/slot is a build executing at the same time. With BuildNinja, you can run as many simultaneous builds as your infrastructure supports.

Unlike other tools that charge for concurrency, BuildNinja Growth Edition is unlimited. Whether you need 3 or 300 concurrent builds, the software won't stop you.

BuildNinja sends email notifications for build events configured at the build configuration level. You can set up notifications for build success, failure, or completion with customizable recipients (To, CC, BCC), email templates, subject lines, and trigger conditions.

Multiple notifications can be configured for different events within the same build configuration. Administrators configure the system-wide SMTP notifier, while project users create notification rules using that configuration.

Yes! BuildNinja provides detailed execution logs with timestamped, step-by-step records of your build process. You can search logs using keywords, filter by category (VCS, Runner, or System), and export complete logs as CSV files for offline analysis.

Build results include an Overview tab showing trigger information and duration, an Execution Logs tab for detailed build steps, and an Artifacts tab for generated files.

Note: Logs are limited to 16 MiB per build.

Yes. Native Git support includes server-side caching, which improves clone performance and reduces redundant network operations.

Script Runner supports multiple script types, including Bash, Shell (sh), Zsh, Command Prompt, PowerShell, and PowerShell 7.

Yes. SSH Runner can be used for secure remote command execution, including deployment-related tasks, provided required keys and permissions are configured.

Build Parameters can be referenced inside build steps using placeholders or exposed as standard environment variables. This allows dynamic configuration of scripts and commands without hardcoding values, while keeping sensitive data protected when marked as secure.

RBAC controls who can view, edit, manage members, or execute build configurations by assigning roles through the Members tab at the project or configuration level.

Yes! Since BuildNinja is self-hosted, all your code, data, and builds remain on your infrastructure. You have complete control over security, access controls, and compliance requirements. We never access your data.

Yes! BuildNinja supports SSO integration with major identity providers: Microsoft (Azure AD), GitHub, GitLab, Google, and Bitbucket.

All 5 SSO providers are included in the Growth Edition. SSO streamlines user authentication, increases security, and improves user experience by eliminating the need for multiple passwords.

Administrators can configure SSO through the Settings panel with Client ID, Client Secret, Auth URL, and Token Endpoint configuration.

BuildNinja is a self-hosted platform deployed entirely on your infrastructure, giving you complete control over data sovereignty and compliance requirements. Since it runs in your environment, compliance with standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, or GDPR depends on your deployment infrastructure and organizational policies. BuildNinja provides SSO integration and user management controls to support your security framework.

Secrets are stored securely and are masked in logs. Access to secrets is controlled using RBAC and scoped permissions at the project or configuration level.

Yes, BuildNinja provides administrator-level user management capabilities. Administrators can approve or reject user registration requests, reset passwords, block or unblock users, and export audit logs for compliance. BuildNinja supports unlimited users in the Growth Edition, allowing your team to grow without any artificial limits. In addition, BuildNinja supports RBAC, allowing administrators to assign granular roles such as Viewer, Executor, Editor, and Manager to control user permissions at the project and build configuration level.

Permission changes take effect immediately for user actions in the UI, but they do not interrupt builds that are already running.

BuildNinja Growth Edition now includes priority business support with direct access to our engineering team. We are committed to ensuring our users have the best experience possible, regardless of their scale. Migration assistance is also available to help you get started quickly.

Comprehensive documentation is available on our website, including installation guides, configuration references and best practices. The docs cover all features and include practical examples.

You can report issues by submitting a support ticket through our portal or by emailing hello@grapehub.io. Growth Edition users receive community support, while Enterprise users receive dedicated priority support. We actively work on resolving reported issues and provide regular updates and patches.

Updates are regularly published to Docker Hub and announced on our blog. Since BuildNinja is self-hosted, you have full control over when to upgrade and can update on your own schedule.

Enterprise subscriptions include professional services covering setup consultation, custom workflow configuration, best practices review, and troubleshooting.

Migration assistance helps you move your existing projects from Jenkins, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, or other platforms - including pipeline conversion guidance and initial configuration.

Contact hello@grapehub.io to get started.