Developer Tools · head to head
Blacksmith vs HCP Terraform
Blacksmith
Developer Tools
2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
HCP Terraform
Developer Tools
Infrastructure as code provisioning and management, formerly Terraform Cloud
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Blacksmith per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs; HCP Terraform legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier
- Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and HCP Terraform actually diverge.
| Attribute | Blacksmith | HCP Terraform |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | usage-based |
| 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 HCP Terraform
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 HCP Terraform
- Accelerating CI build times for organizations with heavy CI loadnot HCP Terraform
- Reducing cloud spend on GitHub Actions by 60% or morenot HCP Terraform
- Supporting ARM architecture builds without GitHub runnersnot HCP Terraform
HCP Terraform
- Infrastructure as Code managementnot Blacksmith
- Cloud resource provisioningnot 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
HCP Terraform
- Legacy free version deprecated; no current freemium tier
- New users receive $500 credit but still require usage to continue service
- Terraform Enterprise requires custom pricing
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
HCP Terraform
Free- Essentials$0.1/month
- Per resource pricing
- Remote state storage
- VCS connection
- Standard$0.47/month
- Per resource pricing
- Essentials features plus unlimited modules
- Module deprecation
- Premium$0.99/month
- Per resource pricing
- Standard features plus module revocation
- Waypoint actions
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 HCP Terraform better?
- Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and HCP Terraform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or HCP Terraform?
- Blacksmith starts at Free and HCP Terraform at Free.
- Does Blacksmith or HCP Terraform run on more platforms?
- Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. HCP Terraform 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 HCP Terraform is typically brought in for.
- What can Blacksmith do that HCP Terraform 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.
SourceHCP Terraform: How much does HCP Terraform cost?
HCP Terraform uses per-resource pricing starting at $0.10/month/resource for Essentials, $0.47/month/resource for Standard, and $0.99/month/resource for Premium.
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.
SourceHCP Terraform: Does HCP Terraform offer a free tier?
No, the legacy free version has been deprecated. However, new users receive $500 credit to try the service.
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.
SourceHCP Terraform: What does the Standard plan include?
Standard plan at $0.47/month/resource includes unlimited modules, module deprecation, team notifications, no-code provisioning, and Waypoint templates.
SourceRelated pages
More on HCP Terraform
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- HCP Terraform vs Rust
- HCP Terraform vs Ansible
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- HCP Terraform vs RubyMine
- HCP Terraform vs Soketi
- HCP Terraform vs SonarQube
- HCP Terraform vs Sourcegraph
- HCP Terraform vs Atlantis
- HCP Terraform vs Visual Studio Code
- HCP Terraform vs ESLint
- HCP Terraform vs pnpm
- HCP Terraform vs Turborepo
- HCP Terraform vs Harness
- HCP Terraform vs Octopus Deploy
- HCP Terraform vs Moonrepo
- HCP Terraform vs Spacelift
- HCP Terraform vs Coder
- HCP Terraform vs Keycloak
- HCP Terraform vs Buildkite
- HCP Terraform vs Helix
- HCP Terraform vs JetBrains Rider
- HCP Terraform vs Argo CD