Blacksmith

Drop-in replacement runners for GitHub Actions that run faster and cost less per minute.

Free plan + paidCI/CD and code hosting platforms

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Blacksmith

Blacksmith provides managed runners for GitHub Actions. You install its GitHub app and change the runs-on label in your workflow, and jobs then run on Blacksmith's bare-metal machines with high single-core performance instead of GitHub-hosted runners. It adds faster cache downloads co-located with the runners, Docker layer caching, sticky disks for persisting data between runs, static IPs and an observability view of job times and logs across your workflows. Linux x64 and Arm, Windows and macOS runners are available in several sizes. It appeals to teams whose Actions bills or wait times have grown but who don't want to migrate to another CI system. Pricing is per minute, below GitHub's list rates, with a monthly allowance of free minutes and paid add-ons for caching features and static IPs. It is a hosted service that only works with GitHub Actions.

Best for: Teams on GitHub Actions who want faster, cheaper runners with a one-line change.

What works

One-line switch from GitHub-hosted runners
Lower per-minute prices
Free monthly minutes

Why people leave

Only works with GitHub Actions
Caching features are paid add-ons
Adds a third party with access to your builds

Top Blacksmith alternatives

See all 5

1
Depot
Faster runners plus accelerated Docker builds and remote caching.
66.5
2
GitHub Actions
Standard hosted runners with no extra vendor.
62.6
3
Buildkite
Run CI on your own hardware with a hosted control plane.
59.6
4
CircleCI
Full hosted CI with fast machines and test insights.
57.2
5
Semaphore
Fast hosted CI billed per minute, outside GitHub Actions.
55.3

Why people left Blacksmith

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Blacksmith: common questions

Is Blacksmith free?

Blacksmith has a free plan and paid plans.

Is Blacksmith open source?

No, Blacksmith is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Semaphore.

What platforms does Blacksmith run on?

Blacksmith is available for Web.

What are the best alternatives to Blacksmith?

The highest-ranked Blacksmith alternatives right now are Depot, GitHub Actions and Buildkite. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Blacksmith alternatives

Blacksmith facts

4 of 4 verified

Linux x64 price: $0.004/min (2 vCPU); Checked Oct 25, 2026blacksmith.sh(opens source in a new tab); “Ubuntu x64 $0.004 /min”
Free minutes: 3,000/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026blacksmith.sh(opens source in a new tab); “3,000 free min/mo.”
Docker layer caching: $0.50/GB/month add-on; Checked Oct 25, 2026blacksmith.sh(opens source in a new tab); “Docker layer caching (+$0.50/GB/mo.)”
Setup: Drop-in replacement for GitHub runners; Checked Oct 25, 2026blacksmith.sh(opens source in a new tab); “A dead simple, drop-in replacement that costs 60% less than GitHub runners: - runs-on: ubuntu-latest █ Try for free No credit card required.”