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Blacksmith vs Eagle Eye Networks

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Eagle Eye Networks logo

Eagle Eye Networks

Cybersecurity

Cloud video surveillance billed per camera per month, where retention length drives the bill more than anything else

From
On request
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; Eagle Eye Networks cost scales with retention as well as resolution, and long retention has been observed to increase the monthly figure by 200 to 400 percent over 7 day storage, so an insurer or regulator raising the retention requirement can multiply the bill without adding cameras.
  • They diverge on capability: Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Eagle Eye Networks covers Bridge and CMVR appliances.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Eagle Eye Networks actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Eagle Eye Networks differ
AttributeBlacksmithEagle Eye Networks
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownPer camera per month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

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 Eagle Eye Networks

  • Bridge and CMVR appliances
  • Per-camera cloud retention
  • Browser and mobile access
  • Cloud analytics
  • Licence plate recognition
  • Multi-site management
  • Video sharing and export
  • Open API

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

Eagle Eye Networks

  • A 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back officenot Blacksmith
  • A school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrallynot Blacksmith
  • A car dealership needing footage shared with police within minutes of an overnight theftnot Blacksmith
  • A retailer replacing failing DVRs but keeping the ONVIF cameras already installednot 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

Eagle Eye Networks

  • Cost scales with retention as well as resolution, and long retention has been observed to increase the monthly figure by 200 to 400 percent over 7 day storage, so an insurer or regulator raising the retention requirement can multiply the bill without adding cameras.
  • Pricing is not published, so the widely cited 15 to 50 US dollars per camera per month range is a reseller-derived estimate rather than a rate you can hold Eagle Eye to.
  • Every camera needs upstream bandwidth for continuous upload, so sites on poor connections either degrade quality or lose the cloud advantage, and the bridge only buffers for a limited period during an outage.
  • Video lives in Eagle Eye’s data centres, which raises data residency questions for public bodies and for European buyers, and exit means downloading years of footage before a subscription ends.
  • It is a per-camera subscription with no perpetual option, so a large site that would have paid once for an on-premises VMS pays indefinitely, and the crossover point against a Genetec or Milestone deployment usually arrives within a few years.

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

Eagle Eye Networks

On request
  • Cloud VMS subscription$undefined/month
    • Priced per camera per month by resolution and retention
    • Retention tiers of 7, 30, 90 and 180 days and 1, 2 and 3 years
    • Independently observed range of roughly 15 to 50 USD per camera per month

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 Eagle Eye Networks if

  • You need bridge and cmvr appliances.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want per-camera cloud retention.
Eagle Eye Networks review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Eagle Eye Networks better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Eagle Eye Networks at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Eagle Eye Networks?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and On request for Eagle Eye Networks.
Does Blacksmith or Eagle Eye Networks run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Eagle Eye Networks runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Eagle Eye Networks starts at On request.
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 Eagle Eye Networks is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Eagle Eye Networks cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Eagle Eye Networks covers Bridge and CMVR appliances, Per-camera cloud retention, Browser and mobile access, Cloud analytics.

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
Eagle Eye Networks: Do I need Eagle Eye cameras?

No. The bridge connects existing ONVIF cameras, which is the main reason organisations pick it over camera-maker cloud services.

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
Eagle Eye Networks: What does it cost per camera?

Not published. Independent observations put it between roughly 15 and 50 US dollars per camera per month depending on resolution and retention, with Canadian examples up to 79 for 90 day 4K.

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
Eagle Eye Networks: What happens if my internet drops?

The on-site bridge buffers recording locally and uploads when the connection returns, but buffer capacity is finite and a long outage loses footage.

Eagle Eye Networks: Where is my video stored?

In Eagle Eye’s data centres. Confirm the region before buying if you have data residency obligations.

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