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Blacksmith vs Cyfe

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
Cyfe logo

Cyfe

Business Intelligence

All-in-one business dashboard

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit CyfeFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; Cyfe is an all-in-one business dashboard application.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $0.004/mo and $29/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only Cyfe lists pre-built Widgets.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where Cyfe falls short: dashboards are the billing unit, at 2 on the $29 Starter plan and 5 on the $39 Standard plan.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Cyfe actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Cyfe differ
AttributeBlacksmithCyfe
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android, TV and console
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 Cyfe

  • Pre-built Widgets
  • Custom Metrics
  • Historical Data
  • White-labeling
  • Embedding
  • Google Analytics
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

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

Cyfe

  • Building business dashboards from marketing, sales and finance sourcesnot Blacksmith
  • Displaying live metrics on office screens and shared public URLsnot 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

Cyfe

  • Dashboards are the billing unit, at 2 on the $29 Starter plan and 5 on the $39 Standard plan
  • Users are capped separately, at 1 on Starter and 2 on Standard, so a two person team needs the second tier for seats alone
  • Unlimited users only appears on the $119 Premier plan
  • Additional dashboards beyond a plan are $5 each
  • The Agency plan includes 10 clients with further clients at $19 each

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

Cyfe

Free
  • Starter$29/mo
    • 2 Dashboards
    • 1 User
    • 14-day free trial
  • Standard$39/mo
    • 5 Dashboards
    • 2 Users
    • 14-day free trial
  • Pro$65/mo
    • 10 Dashboards
    • 5 Users
    • 14-day free trial
  • Premier$119/mo
    • 20 Dashboards
    • Unlimited Users
    • Additional dashboards available at $5 per dashboard

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 Cyfe if

  • You need pre-built widgets.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, TV and console.
  • You also want custom metrics.
Cyfe review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Cyfe better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Cyfe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Cyfe?
Blacksmith starts at Free and Cyfe at Free.
Does Blacksmith or Cyfe run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Cyfe runs on Web, iOS, Android, TV and console.
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 Cyfe is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Cyfe cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Cyfe covers Pre-built Widgets, Custom Metrics, Historical Data, White-labeling.

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
Cyfe: How much does Cyfe cost?

Cyfe offers five subscription plans: Starter at $29/month (2 dashboards, 1 user), Standard at $39/month (5 dashboards, 2 users), Pro at $65/month (10 dashboards, 5 users), Premier at $119/month (20 dashboards, unlimited users), and Agency at $190/month (100 dashboards, 15 users, 10 clients).

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
Cyfe: What features are included in all Cyfe plans?

All Cyfe tiers include unlimited history, TV mode for dashboard displays, public shareable URLs, custom logos and themes, custom SSL domain support, unlimited data exports, and embedded analytics capabilities. The 14-day free trial is available for every plan.

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
Cyfe: What is included in Cyfe's Agency plan?

The Agency plan at $190/month includes 100 dashboards, 15 users, and 10 clients. Additional clients cost $19 each. The plan provides 100% white label branding, branded widgets, custom CSS, and full client management features.

Source
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