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Depot alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Depot: no free plan beyond a trial, and another vendor alongside your CI. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Depot, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Blacksmith currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Dagger logoDaggerOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS +13 of 355.3
  1. Dagger logo

    1. DaggerTop pick

    Best for: Developers tired of YAML who want portable, testable pipelines in code

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Linux, macOS, Windows

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Depot

    Cached, containerised pipelines that run anywhere.

    Pros

    • Same pipeline runs locally and in any CI
    • Real programming languages instead of YAML
    • Aggressive caching speeds up runs

    Cons

    • Another abstraction layer to learn
    • Still needs a CI service or Dagger Cloud to trigger runs
    • Requires a container runtime
    Visit Dagger Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Dagger a good Depot alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Engine cost
    Free, open source
    Checked Oct 25, 2026dagger.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Dagger Cloud minimum
    $20/month individuals, $200 teams
    Checked Oct 25, 2026dagger.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best Depot alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Blacksmith logo

Best Depot alternative for most people

Blacksmith

Faster, cheaper GitHub Actions runners with a free monthly allowance.

Dagger logo

Best Depot alternative for a free option

Dagger

Cached, containerised pipelines that run anywhere.

GitHub Actions logo

Best Depot alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

GitHub Actions

Stick with standard runners if speed isn't the bottleneck.

Dagger logo

Best Depot alternative for open source

Dagger

Cached, containerised pipelines that run anywhere.

CircleCI logo

Best Depot alternative for self-hosting

CircleCI

Fast hosted CI with Docker layer caching built in.

Dagger logo

Best Depot alternative for Mac

Dagger

Cached, containerised pipelines that run anywhere.

Dagger logo

Best Depot alternative for Windows

Dagger

Cached, containerised pipelines that run anywhere.

Dagger logo

Best Depot alternative for Linux

Dagger

Cached, containerised pipelines that run anywhere.

Buildkite logo

Best Depot alternative for working in the browser

Buildkite

Run builds on your own beefy hardware.

Depot alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Depot?

Blacksmith ranks first right now. Faster, cheaper GitHub Actions runners with a free monthly allowance. GitHub Actions and CircleCI follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Depot?

Yes. Blacksmith (free plan + paid), GitHub Actions (free plan + paid), CircleCI (free plan + paid) and Buildkite (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Depot?

Yes: Dagger. Dagger can also be self-hosted.

Which Depot alternatives work on Linux?

Dagger runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Depot?

The complaints we hear most: no free plan beyond a trial; another vendor alongside your CI; mostly helps container-heavy workflows.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Depot, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.