Developer Tools · head to head
Blacksmith vs Deno
Blacksmith
Developer Tools
2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Deno
Developer Tools
A fast, open-source, fully Node-compatible JS runtime with TypeScript baked right in
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Blacksmith per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs; Deno egress bandwidth overage costs $0.20/GB which can become expensive for high-traffic applications
- Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Deno actually diverge.
| Attribute | Blacksmith | Deno |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Platforms | GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS | Web |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).
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 Deno
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 Deno
- Accelerating CI build times for organizations with heavy CI loadnot Deno
- Reducing cloud spend on GitHub Actions by 60% or morenot Deno
- Supporting ARM architecture builds without GitHub runnersnot Deno
Deno
- Running TypeScript natively without transpilation overheadnot Blacksmith
- Migrating Node.js applications to secure-by-default runtimenot Blacksmith
- Deploying edge functions and serverless containers seamlesslynot Blacksmith
- Consolidating developer tools into single binarynot 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
Deno
- Egress bandwidth overage costs $0.20/GB which can become expensive for high-traffic applications
- CPU time overage is $0.10/hour on Pro and Builder tiers, adding to costs for compute-intensive workloads
- Enterprise pricing is not disclosed; requires sales contact
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
Deno
Free- FreeFree
- 1 million requests/month
- 20GB egress bandwidth
- 10 apps
- Pro$20/month
- 5 million requests/month
- 200GB egress
- 50 apps
- Builder$200/month
- 25 million requests/month
- 2,000GB egress
- 10,000 apps
- Enterprise$null/month
- Custom limits on all metrics
- 99.95% reliability SLA
- Email support with SLA
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Blacksmith or Deno better?
- Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Deno at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Deno?
- Blacksmith starts at Free and Deno at Free.
- Does Blacksmith or Deno run on more platforms?
- Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Deno 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 Deno is typically brought in for.
- What can Blacksmith do that Deno 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.
SourceDeno: How much does Deno Deploy cost?
Deno Deploy offers a free tier at $0/month, Pro at $20/month, and Builder at $200/month. Enterprise has custom pricing. All plans include base request and bandwidth limits, with overage charges for additional usage.
SourceBlacksmith: 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.
SourceDeno: What are Deno Deploy's overage charges?
Egress bandwidth overages cost $0.20 per GB. CPU time overages are $0.10 per hour on Pro and Builder tiers. Memory time and KV database operations also incur charges beyond included limits.
SourceBlacksmith: 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.
SourceDeno: How many apps can I deploy on Deno's free plan?
The free tier includes 10 apps with up to 1 concurrent build. Pro tier supports 50 apps with 3 concurrent builds, and Builder supports 10,000 apps with 20 concurrent builds.
SourceDeno: How many team members can access Deno Deploy?
The free tier supports up to 3 team members. Pro supports 10 team members. Builder supports 25 team members. Enterprise has custom seat limits.
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