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Blacksmith vs Grow

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
Grow logo

Grow

Business Intelligence

No-code BI for growing companies

From
$500/month
Free plan
No
Visit GrowFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; Grow is a no-code business intelligence platform.
  • Blacksmith has a free plan, then $0.004/mo; Grow starts at $500/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only Grow lists no-code Setup.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where Grow falls short: the pricing URL serves marketing content with no plan, rate, minimum or cost driver published anywhere on it.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Grow actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Grow differ
AttributeBlacksmithGrow
Starting priceFree$500/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android, TV and console
CategoryDeveloper ToolsBusiness Intelligence

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 Grow

  • No-code Setup
  • Unlimited Dashboards
  • Data Blending
  • Alerts
  • Embedding
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • QuickBooks

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

Grow

  • No-code dashboards and business intelligence for teams without analystsnot Blacksmith
  • Blending data from more than 100 sources including BigQuery, PostgreSQL, Salesforce and HubSpotnot Blacksmith
  • ETL, warehousing and visualisation in a single platformnot 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

Grow

  • The pricing URL serves marketing content with no plan, rate, minimum or cost driver published anywhere on it
  • The only calls to action are Get Started Now and Watch Demo; there is no self-serve rate card
  • The vendor advertises unlimited users with no per-seat charges, which means the price driver is not disclosed at all

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

Grow

$500/month
  • Starter$500/mo
    • Unlimited Users
    • 75+ Integrations
    • Support
  • Pro$1,000/mo
    • Advanced Features
    • Custom Integrations
    • Training

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 Grow if

  • You need no-code setup.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, TV and console.
  • You also want unlimited dashboards.
Grow review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Grow better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Grow at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Grow?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $500/month for Grow.
Does Blacksmith or Grow run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Grow runs on Web, iOS, Android, TV and console.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Grow starts at $500/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 Grow is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Grow cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Grow covers No-code Setup, Unlimited Dashboards, Data Blending, Alerts.

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
Grow: How much does Grow cost?

Grow does not publish pricing on their website. They offer a request-a-free-trial model that requires contacting their sales team. Pricing is determined by contacting sales through their contact form or trial request process.

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
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
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