Softwr

Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs ClickHouse

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
ClickHouse logo

ClickHouse

Databases

Fast open-source column-oriented database for real-time analytics

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit ClickHouseFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service.
  • ClickHouse is free; Blacksmith starts at $0.004/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only ClickHouse lists column-oriented Storage.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where ClickHouse falls short: limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and ClickHouse actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and ClickHouse differ
AttributeBlacksmithClickHouse
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases

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

Not yet recorded: 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 ClickHouse

  • Column-oriented Storage
  • Real-time Analytics
  • SQL Support
  • Linear Scalability
  • Data Compression
  • Vectorized Query Execution
  • Approximate Calculations
  • Kafka

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

ClickHouse

  • Business intelligencenot Blacksmith
  • Data warehousingnot Blacksmith
  • Real-time analyticsnot Blacksmith
  • Reportingnot Blacksmith
  • Machine learningnot 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

ClickHouse

  • Limited multi-row atomic transactions and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations unsuitable for transactional systems
  • Requires upfront schema design discipline with MergeTree engine choices and sort/partition keys
  • Experimental vector search support, not production-ready for vector operations
  • Different query syntax from standard SQL requiring migration planning
  • Limited JOIN capabilities compared to traditional relational databases
  • Migration complexity with 2-4 weeks estimated for data type mapping and query translation

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

ClickHouse

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ClickHouse review.

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 ClickHouse if

  • You need column-oriented storage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want real-time analytics.
ClickHouse review

Questions people ask

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

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
ClickHouse: What is ClickHouse best used for?

ClickHouse is optimized for analytical workloads on large datasets. It excels at fast aggregations and queries, being 10-100x faster than PostgreSQL on large aggregations.

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
ClickHouse: Does ClickHouse support transactions?

ClickHouse has limited transaction support and expensive UPDATE/DELETE operations. It is not suitable for transactional workloads requiring strict ACID guarantees.

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
ClickHouse: How does ClickHouse compare to PostgreSQL?

ClickHouse is 10-100x faster for analytics but PostgreSQL is better for transactional workloads. Many teams use both: PostgreSQL for writes via MaterializedPostgreSQL replication to ClickHouse for analytics.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Blacksmith

More on ClickHouse

Keep looking

Other head to heads