Bitrise

Key Features of Bitrise

Bitrise has grown from a single CI service into a set of connected products. The ones below matter most for a mobile team deciding whether to switch.

1. Mobile-ready CI/CD (4.6/5.0)

The core product runs builds, tests, and deployment on managed infrastructure. It offers 400+ pre-built steps, managed code signing, and real-device test sharding in one pipeline. For most teams, that replaces a pile of custom scripts.

2. Apple silicon build machines (4.5/5.0)

Builds run on M-series Macs, with the top tier listed at M4 Pro and 54GB of RAM. For Bitrise iOS projects, this is the main draw, since you avoid buying and maintaining Mac hardware. A one-click remote session also lets you debug on the exact machine that ran a failed build.

3. Build Cache (4.3/5.0)

This is a remote cache for Gradle, Bazel, and Xcode that works with other CI systems too, so you don’t have to move your pipeline to use it. It targets the repeated compilation that slows large projects.

4. Release Management (4.2/5.0)

It handles beta distribution and store releases, with staged rollouts, approval gates, and test distribution. It is free on the Basic plan. Teams leaving App Center will find it a natural landing spot.

5. CodePush (4.4/5.0)

React Native and Expo teams can push JavaScript and asset updates without waiting for store review. The free tier covers up to 100,000 monthly active users, and every feature is included on it.

6. Build Hub (4.1/5.0)

It runs your existing GitHub Actions workflows on Bitrise’s macOS and Linux runners, so you keep your current setup and swap the infrastructure underneath.

7. Insights and test management (4.2/5.0)

Dashboards show which workflows are slowing down, and flaky tests can be quarantined automatically so they stop blocking the pipeline. Only the failed tests get re-run, not the whole suite.

8. Bitrise API and MCP (4.3/5.0)

The Bitrise API supports automation, and the Bitrise MCP server lets you query builds and troubleshoot failures from an AI client. The MCP server exposes 63 tools for managing apps and builds. Setting it up takes a Bitrise token, covered in the setup section below.

How Does Bitrise Work?

Getting a first build running is straightforward, even if tuning a pipeline later takes more thought.

1. Sign up and log in

Create an account and use the Bitrise login page at app.bitrise.io. You can sign up with GitHub, Google, Bitbucket, GitLab, or SSO.

2. Add your project

Connect your repository and let Bitrise detect the project type, whether that’s native iOS, Android, React Native, or Flutter. It sets up a starting workflow for you.

3. Configure your workflow

Workflows are built from steps, which you can arrange in the visual editor or edit as YAML. Steps cover tasks like installing CocoaPods, running Gradle, running tests, and code signing.

4. Set up code signing

Upload your certificates, provisioning profiles, or keystores so Bitrise can sign builds without them living in your repo.

5. Trigger builds and ship

Builds can start on every push or pull request. From there, you can distribute test builds, submit to TestFlight or Google Play, or hand off to Release Management.

6. Automate with a token

To use the API or the MCP server, create a Bitrise token from your account’s security settings. Bitrise supports personal access tokens and workspace API tokens, passed in an Authorization header. Once connected, you can query apps, start builds, and troubleshoot failures without opening the dashboard.

Bitrise Pricing

Pricing is where Bitrise takes the most explaining. The core CI plans scale by builds per month and machine type, and the other products are priced separately. Starter plans start at $89 per month when billed annually (or $99 billed monthly), and Pro starts at $200 per month annually (or $218 monthly). Here is how the main Bitrise pricing tiers compare: