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Blacksmith vs Checkmk

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Checkmk logo

Checkmk

Technology

Comprehensive IT monitoring, open and flexible

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Blacksmith per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs; Checkmk pricing calculated by service count, not hosts (approximately 30 services per host on average)
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Checkmk actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Checkmk differ
AttributeBlacksmithCheckmk
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Checkmk

Nothing recorded that Blacksmith does not also cover.

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 Checkmk
  • Accelerating CI build times for organizations with heavy CI loadnot Checkmk
  • Reducing cloud spend on GitHub Actions by 60% or morenot Checkmk
  • Supporting ARM architecture builds without GitHub runnersnot Checkmk

Checkmk

  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Blacksmith
  • System observabilitynot Blacksmith
  • Enterprise compliance monitoringnot 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

Checkmk

  • Pricing calculated by service count, not hosts (approximately 30 services per host on average)
  • Professional support limited to 8-10 hours per week on base plans
  • Synthetic monitoring is separate add-on with per-test pricing

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

Checkmk

Free
  • Community (Self-Hosted)Free
    • No cost, forever
    • Up to ~100 hosts
    • Basic infrastructure monitoring
  • Pro (Self-Hosted)$190/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Reporting
    • Distributed monitoring
  • Ultimate (Self-Hosted)$275/month
    • Full-stack observability
    • Advanced security compliance
    • 10 hours x 5 days professional support (upgradable to 24/7)
  • CloudAI (SaaS)$240/month
    • Fully managed cloud hosting
    • 99.5% uptime SLA
    • Supports up to 50000 services

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 Checkmk if

  • You want to start without paying.
Checkmk review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Checkmk better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Checkmk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Checkmk?
Blacksmith starts at Free and Checkmk at Free.
Does Blacksmith or Checkmk run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Checkmk runs on Web.
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 Checkmk is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Checkmk cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching.

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
Checkmk: Is there a free version of Checkmk?

Yes, Checkmk Community edition is free forever and supports up to approximately 100 hosts for basic infrastructure monitoring with no cost.

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
Checkmk: How does Checkmk calculate pricing by host count?

Checkmk uses service-based pricing where each monitored aspect (file system, hardware sensor, switch port, metric) counts as one service. On average, there are approximately 30 services per host.

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
Checkmk: What is the difference between Checkmk Pro and Ultimate tiers?

Pro tier at 190 EUR/month includes advanced analytics and 8x5 support, while Ultimate at 275 EUR/month adds full-stack observability, advanced compliance features, and upgradable 24/7 support.

Source
Checkmk: Does Checkmk offer a managed SaaS option?

Yes, Checkmk CloudAI is a fully managed SaaS tier at 240 EUR/month with 99.5% uptime SLA and support for up to 50000 services.

Source
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