Blacksmith runs GitHub Actions jobs on Linux, arm64, Windows and macOS from one account. Its Linux x64 runners cost $0.004, $0.008 and $0.016 a minute at 2, 4 and 8 vCPU. Teams that look elsewhere usually run mostly Linux x64 and want a lower rate, a Docker layer cache that isn't billed per GB, or runners on a personal repository (Blacksmith needs a GitHub organization).

Here are 10 alternatives, priced from each provider's own pricing page on November 7, 2026.

Price per minute, Linux x64

Runner 2 vCPU 4 vCPU 8 vCPU Where jobs run
Blacksmith (today) $0.004 $0.008 $0.016 Hosted
Sengi Basic $0.001 $0.002 $0.004 Hosted, Linux x64
Sengi Premium $0.003 $0.006 $0.012 Hosted, Linux x64
WarpBuild $0.004 $0.008 $0.016 Hosted, or your own AWS/GCP/Azure
Avrea $0.004 $0.008 $0.016 Hosted
Namespace $0.006 $0.012 $0.024 Hosted
GitHub-hosted $0.006 $0.012 $0.022 Hosted by GitHub
Depot $0.006 $0.012 $0.024 Hosted
StarSling $0.004 $0.008 $0.016 Hosted
Latchkey $0.0025 $0.005 $0.010 Hosted
compiler.dev $0.002 $0.004 $0.008 Hosted
RunsOn $0.0009 $0.0013 $0.0021 Your own AWS account, plus licence

What a month costs

Runner 3,000 min, 2 vCPU 20,000 min, 4 vCPU 100,000 min, 8 vCPU
Blacksmith $0 $160 $1,600
Sengi Basic $0 $37 $397
Sengi Premium $9 $120 $1,200
WarpBuild $12 $160 $1,600
Avrea $0 $148 $1,588
Latchkey $7.50 $100 $1,000
compiler.dev $6 $80 $800
GitHub-hosted (Team) $0 $222 $2,182
Namespace $18 $190 $2,275
Depot $26 $248 $2,408
RunsOn $2.70 + licence $26 + licence $210 + licence

Minutes × list price, less free or included usage, plus the cheapest plan fee. Blacksmith's 3,000 free minutes are applied at 2 vCPU only, since its pricing page doesn't say how they count at larger sizes.

Which one fits

  • Lowest bill on hosted Linux x64: Sengi Basic, $0.001 / $0.002 / $0.004, 3,000 free minutes a month, Actions cache and Docker layer cache included, personal repositories and organizations.
  • CPU-bound builds that need to finish sooner: Sengi Premium, from $0.003. A production Docker image built in 7m34s against 14m36s on GitHub's 4 vCPU runner.
  • macOS and Windows beside Linux: GitHub-hosted, WarpBuild, Avrea or Namespace.
  • Runners inside your own cloud: RunsOn (AWS) or WarpBuild's bring-your-own-cloud mode.
  • arm64 at the lowest list price: FlameWill, $0.0009 a minute for 2 vCPU in the EU.
  • Tooling for coding agents: Latchkey or StarSling.
  • Remote Docker builders on the same plan: Depot.

What to check when you replace Blacksmith

  1. Cache billing. Blacksmith bills Docker layer caching and sticky disks at $0.50 per GB a month. Check whether the replacement includes it.
  2. Personal repositories. If you have any, the replacement must support them.
  3. Free allowance. Blacksmith gives 3,000 minutes a month; Sengi Basic and Avrea give the same.
  4. Operating systems. If you use Blacksmith's macOS or Windows runners, keep those jobs where they are and move only the Linux ones. The runner is chosen per job.

Switching a job is one line:

runs-on: sengi-basic-4-ubuntu-2404 # was: your Blacksmith 4 vCPU label

Every option with its strengths and gaps: sengi.run/alternatives/blacksmith.

Disclosure: Sengi Basic and Sengi Premium are our product. Every other price is from the provider's own page.

Sengi Team