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Blacksmith vs ChartMogul

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
ChartMogul logo

ChartMogul

Business Intelligence

Subscription analytics platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ChartMogulFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; ChartMogul is a subscription analytics platform.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $0.004/mo and $59/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only ChartMogul lists MRR Analytics.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where ChartMogul falls short: the free tier stops at $10K MRR, so it lapses precisely as a company starts to matter.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and ChartMogul actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and ChartMogul differ
AttributeBlacksmithChartMogul
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, API
CategoryDeveloper ToolsBusiness Intelligence

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Blacksmith, founded for Blacksmith.

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Blacksmith

  • Bare metal runners
  • Multiple OS support
  • ARM support
  • Docker layer caching
  • Sticky disks
  • GitHub Actions observability
  • Free tier
  • Static IPs

Only in ChartMogul

  • MRR Analytics
  • Churn Analysis
  • Cohort Analysis
  • Customer Segmentation
  • Revenue Recognition
  • Stripe
  • Chargebee
  • Recurly

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Blacksmith

  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster, cheaper infrastructurenot ChartMogul
  • Accelerating CI build times for organizations with heavy CI loadnot ChartMogul
  • Reducing cloud spend on GitHub Actions by 60% or morenot ChartMogul
  • Supporting ARM architecture builds without GitHub runnersnot ChartMogul

ChartMogul

  • MRR trackingnot Blacksmith
  • Churn analysisnot Blacksmith
  • Revenue analyticsnot Blacksmith
  • Subscription metricsnot Blacksmith
  • Financial forecastingnot Blacksmith

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Blacksmith

  • Per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs
  • macOS M4 pricing ($0.08/min) is significantly higher than GitHub Actions
  • Docker layer caching and sticky disks are paid add-ons at $0.50/GB/mo
  • Static IP add-on costs $100/IP/mo

ChartMogul

  • The free tier stops at $10K MRR, so it lapses precisely as a company starts to matter
  • Starter is capped at 3 team members and a single billing system connection
  • Two-way CRM sync and warehouse integration require the Pro tier
  • Pricing scales with your ARR rather than with usage, so the bill rises as the business grows
  • Enterprise starts at $19,900 a year and is required above $10M ARR

Pricing, plan by plan

Blacksmith

Free
  • Ubuntu x64$0.004/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • Ubuntu ARM$0.0025/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • Windows x64$0.008/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • macOS M4$0.08/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads

ChartMogul

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to $120K ARR tracked
    • 1 billing source
    • Unlimited team members
  • Starter$59/mo
    • $59-$707/month based on ARR
    • Up to $10M ARR tracked
    • 1 billing source
  • Pro$99/mo
    • $99-$1,199/month based on ARR
    • Up to $10M ARR tracked
    • 5 billing sources
  • Enterprise$19,900/yr
    • Custom pricing available
    • Unlimited ARR tracked
    • 15 billing sources

Which should you pick?

Choose Blacksmith if

  • You need bare metal runners.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want multiple os support.
Blacksmith review

Choose ChartMogul if

  • You need mrr analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want churn analysis.
ChartMogul review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or ChartMogul better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and ChartMogul at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or ChartMogul?
Blacksmith starts at Free and ChartMogul at Free.
Does Blacksmith or ChartMogul run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. ChartMogul runs on Web, API.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Blacksmith best used for?
Blacksmith is most often used for replacing github actions runners with faster, cheaper infrastructure, accelerating ci build times for organizations with heavy ci load, reducing cloud spend on github actions by 60% or more, supporting arm architecture builds without github runners. Of those, replacing github actions runners with faster, cheaper infrastructure and accelerating ci build times for organizations with heavy ci load are not what ChartMogul is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that ChartMogul cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. ChartMogul covers MRR Analytics, Churn Analysis, Cohort Analysis, Customer Segmentation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Blacksmith: How much do Blacksmith runners cost compared to GitHub Actions?

Blacksmith offers 60-75% cost savings depending on OS. Ubuntu x64 costs $0.004/min vs GitHub at $0.012/min. All plans include 3,000 free minutes monthly.

Source
ChartMogul: How much does ChartMogul cost for a small SaaS startup?

ChartMogul offers a free plan for companies with up to $120K ARR. Starter plans begin at $59 per month for smaller ARR amounts and scale up to $707 per month, with a 17% discount available for annual commitments. Source: https://chartmogul.com/pricing

Source
Blacksmith: Can I use Docker layer caching with Blacksmith?

Yes, Docker layer caching is available as an add-on at $0.50/GB/mo. Managed Docker layer persistence is included with the base service.

Source
ChartMogul: What are the team member limits on ChartMogul plans?

The Free and Pro plans include unlimited team members, while the Starter plan is limited to 3 team members. Enterprise plans offer unlimited users with custom pricing. Source: https://chartmogul.com/pricing

Source
Blacksmith: What is the SLA for Enterprise plans?

Enterprise Blacksmith plans include a 99.9% SLA guarantee along with 24/7 priority support, dedicated Slack channels, white-glove onboarding, and CI optimization support.

Source
ChartMogul: How many billing sources can each ChartMogul plan integrate?

Free and Starter plans support 1 billing source each. Pro plans increase to 5 billing sources. Enterprise plans support 15 billing sources with custom pricing and unlimited integration capabilities. Source: https://chartmogul.com/pricing

Source
ChartMogul: Does ChartMogul offer an annual payment discount?

Yes, ChartMogul provides a 17% discount when paying annually instead of monthly on Starter and Pro plans. Enterprise customers can discuss custom annual pricing with the sales team. Source: https://chartmogul.com/pricing

Source
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