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Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs Cybereason Defense Platform

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Cybereason Defense Platform logo

Cybereason Defense Platform

Cybersecurity

AI-driven endpoint protection and detection

From
$50/year
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Blacksmith has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Blacksmith per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs; Cybereason Defense Platform no published pricing on any platform tier: three plan levels (Enterprise, Enterprise Advanced, Enterprise Complete) feature-differentiated but cost-free
  • They diverge on capability: Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Cybereason Defense Platform covers Next-gen antivirus.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Cybereason Defense Platform actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Cybereason Defense Platform differ
AttributeBlacksmithCybereason Defense Platform
Starting priceFree$50/year
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWindows, Macos, Linux, Mobile
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: 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 Cybereason Defense Platform

  • Next-gen antivirus
  • Endpoint detection and response
  • Machine learning detection
  • Behavioral analysis
  • Threat hunting
  • Automated remediation
  • XDR integration
  • Ransomware protection

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

Cybereason Defense Platform

  • Enterprise threat detection and response platformnot Blacksmith
  • Managed detection and response (MDR) servicesnot Blacksmith
  • Advanced cybersecurity for large organizationsnot 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

Cybereason Defense Platform

  • No published pricing on any platform tier: three plan levels (Enterprise, Enterprise Advanced, Enterprise Complete) feature-differentiated but cost-free
  • MDR services cost hidden: tiered MDR inclusion (Essentials, Essentials+XR, Complete) does not disclose pricing per tier
  • Add-on pricing absent: incident response, DFIR, assessments, mobile defense, threat hunting marked as 'Add-On' with no pricing
  • Sales-gated all pricing: no budget range or starting price available; customers must book demo or contact sales

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

Cybereason Defense Platform

$50/year
  • Cybereason NGAV$50/year
    • Next-gen antivirus
    • Machine learning detection
    • Ransomware protection
  • Cybereason EDR$85/year
    • All NGAV features
    • Endpoint detection
    • Automated response
  • Cybereason Complete$150/year
    • All EDR features
    • Managed detection
    • 24/7 SOC support

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 Cybereason Defense Platform if

  • You need next-gen antivirus.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Mobile.
  • You also want endpoint detection and response.
Cybereason Defense Platform review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Cybereason Defense Platform better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Cybereason Defense Platform at $50/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Cybereason Defense Platform?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $50/year for Cybereason Defense Platform.
Does Blacksmith or Cybereason Defense Platform run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Cybereason Defense Platform runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Mobile.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cybereason Defense Platform starts at $50/year.
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 Cybereason Defense Platform is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Cybereason Defense Platform cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Cybereason Defense Platform covers Next-gen antivirus, Endpoint detection and response, Machine learning detection, Behavioral analysis.

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
Cybereason Defense Platform: What are the Cybereason Enterprise pricing tiers?

Cybereason offers three tiers (Enterprise, Enterprise Advanced, Enterprise Complete) with different MDR service levels (MDR Essentials, MDR Essentials+XR, MDR Complete), but exact pricing is not published.

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
Cybereason Defense Platform: How much do add-on services cost (incident response, DFIR, threat hunting)?

Add-on services (incident response, DFIR, security assessments, mobile defense, threat hunting) are available across all plans but marked as 'Add-On' with no published 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
Cybereason Defense Platform: How do I get pricing from Cybereason?

Click 'Book a Demo' or 'Talk to a Cybereason Defender' on the website. Cybereason sales will discuss pricing, platform fit, and custom solutions based on your organization's needs.

Source
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