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Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs Evidence

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
Evidence logo

Evidence

Business Intelligence

Business intelligence as code for teams and AI agents

From
$2500/month
Free plan
No
Visit EvidenceFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service.
  • Blacksmith has a free plan, then $0.004/mo; Evidence starts at $2500/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only Evidence lists analytics Agent.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where Evidence falls short: high starting price at $2,500/month limits small team adoption.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Evidence actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Evidence differ
AttributeBlacksmithEvidence
Starting priceFree$2500/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, Embedded
CategoryDeveloper ToolsBusiness Intelligence

Not yet recorded: pricing model 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 Evidence

  • Analytics Agent
  • Code-based infrastructure
  • Development environment
  • Visualization tools
  • Embedded analytics
  • Enterprise security
  • Multi-channel access

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

Evidence

  • Building version-controlled analytics infrastructurenot Blacksmith
  • Enabling AI agents to answer business questionsnot Blacksmith
  • Delivering analytics through multiple channels (web, Slack, ChatGPT)not Blacksmith
  • Embedding white-labeled analytics in productsnot 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

Evidence

  • High starting price at $2,500/month limits small team adoption
  • No freemium option for evaluation or learning
  • Code-based approach has steeper learning curve than visual tools
  • AI credits limited on Team plan; additional credits cost extra
  • Requires Git workflow familiarity for effective collaboration

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

Evidence

$2500/month
  • Team$2,500/mo
    • Unlimited users
    • Monthly billing
    • Analytics Agent
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • All Team features
    • SSO/SAML authentication
    • SCIM directory sync

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 Evidence if

  • You need analytics agent.
  • You work on Web, Embedded.
  • You also want code-based infrastructure.
Evidence review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Evidence better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Evidence at $2500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Evidence?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $2500/month for Evidence.
Does Blacksmith or Evidence run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Evidence runs on Web, Embedded.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Evidence starts at $2500/month.
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 Evidence is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Evidence cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Evidence covers Analytics Agent, Code-based infrastructure, Development environment, Visualization tools.

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
Evidence: Does Evidence have per-user pricing?

No, Evidence offers one flat price for unlimited users at $2,500/month on the Team plan with a 30-day free trial.

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
Evidence: How many AI credits come with Team plan?

Team plan includes 20,000 AI credits monthly at $0.01 per additional credit. Enterprise offers custom credit packages.

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
Evidence: What is included in the Enterprise plan?

Enterprise adds SSO/SAML, SCIM directory sync, row-level access rules, embedding capabilities, and custom deployment options at custom pricing.

Source
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