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Blacksmith vs CircleCI

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CircleCI logo

CircleCI

Testing

The leading CI/CD platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Blacksmith per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs; CircleCI the free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and CircleCI actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and CircleCI differ
AttributeBlacksmithCircleCI
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTesting
FoundedUnknown2011

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 CircleCI

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

CircleCI

  • Continuous integration pipelines for application codenot Blacksmith
  • Parallel test execution across containersnot Blacksmith
  • Docker-based builds with layer cachingnot Blacksmith
  • Deployment pipelines with approval gatesnot Blacksmith
  • Self-hosted runners for private infrastructurenot 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

CircleCI

  • The free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
  • Active users are billed at $15 each beyond the included five, and an active user is anyone who commits to a project
  • Everything runs on credits, so compute, Docker layer caching at 200 credits a job and IP ranges at 450 credits per GB all draw from the same pool
  • Network and storage overage costs 420 credits per GB
  • Free credits expire monthly with no rollover, and paid credits expire after a year
  • Scale is annual billing only

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

CircleCI

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 6,000 build minutes (small Docker resource class)
    • Up to 5 active users per month
    • 30,000 free credits per month
  • Performance$15/month
    • 30,000 credits included monthly
    • 5 active users included (additional users $15/month each)
    • 80x concurrency
  • Scale$null/year
    • Custom number of credits
    • Customizable user limits
    • Unlimited concurrency

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 CircleCI if

  • You want to start without paying.
CircleCI review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or CircleCI better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and CircleCI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or CircleCI?
Blacksmith starts at Free and CircleCI at Free.
Does Blacksmith or CircleCI run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. CircleCI 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 CircleCI is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that CircleCI 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
CircleCI: How much does CircleCI Performance plan cost?

CircleCI Performance plan costs $15 USD per month and includes 30,000 credits, 5 active users, 80x concurrency, 5 GB network, and 2 GB storage. Additional users beyond 5 cost $15 each per month.

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
CircleCI: Can I purchase additional credits on CircleCI Performance plan?

Yes, additional credits are available at $15 for every 25,000 credits purchased. Paid credits roll over month to month and expire after one year; free plan credits expire monthly without rollover.

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
CircleCI: What is included in the CircleCI free plan?

The free plan includes up to 6,000 build minutes per month (small Docker resource class), 5 active users, 30,000 free credits monthly, 30x concurrency, 1 GB network, 2 GB storage, and community support. No credit card required.

Source
CircleCI: What are the Scale plan limits and pricing?

CircleCI Scale plan offers custom pricing billed annually with unlimited concurrency, 50 GB network, 200 GB storage, customizable credits and users, enterprise controls, and GPU environment access. Requires contacting sales for a quote.

Source
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