Softwr

Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs JetBrains Rider

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
JetBrains Rider logo

JetBrains Rider

Developer Tools

Cross-platform .NET IDE from JetBrains for C#, F#, VB.NET and Unity

From
$18.25/month
Rated
-
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; JetBrains Rider requires a paid subscription with no permanently free commercial tier.
  • They diverge on capability: Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, JetBrains Rider covers Cross-platform .NET Development.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and JetBrains Rider actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and JetBrains Rider differ
AttributeBlacksmithJetBrains Rider
Starting priceFree$18.25/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSwindows, mac, linux
FoundedUnknown2000

Identical on both: 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 JetBrains Rider

  • Cross-platform .NET Development
  • ReSharper-powered Code Analysis
  • Integrated Debugger and Profiler
  • Version Control Integration
  • Unity Support

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

JetBrains Rider

  • Cross-platform .NET and ASP.NET Core developmentnot Blacksmith
  • Unity game development and debuggingnot Blacksmith
  • Large-scale C# refactoring with ReSharper-grade analysisnot Blacksmith
  • Teams standardizing on JetBrains tooling across languagesnot 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

JetBrains Rider

  • Requires a paid subscription with no permanently free commercial tier.
  • Heavier resource usage than lightweight editors like VS Code for small projects.
  • Some advanced features overlap with a separate ReSharper Visual Studio plugin, causing licensing confusion.
  • First-year pricing increased in late 2025, raising the cost of entry versus prior 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

JetBrains Rider

$18.25/month
  • Individual - Year 1$219/year
    • Full Rider IDE license
    • Free minor and major updates during subscription
  • Individual - Year 2$175/year
    • Continuity discount after first year
  • Individual - Year 3+$131/year
    • Further continuity discount from third year onward

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 JetBrains Rider if

  • You need cross-platform .net development.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want resharper-powered code analysis.
JetBrains Rider review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or JetBrains Rider better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and JetBrains Rider at $18.25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or JetBrains Rider?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $18.25/month for JetBrains Rider.
Does Blacksmith or JetBrains Rider run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. JetBrains Rider runs on windows, mac, linux.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. JetBrains Rider starts at $18.25/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 JetBrains Rider is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that JetBrains Rider cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. JetBrains Rider covers Cross-platform .NET Development, ReSharper-powered Code Analysis, Integrated Debugger and Profiler, Version Control Integration.

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
JetBrains Rider: Does Rider have a free version?

JetBrains offers a free non-commercial license for Rider for personal, non-commercial use, alongside paid commercial subscriptions with continuity discounts after the first year.

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
JetBrains Rider: What counts as non-commercial use under the free license?

Learning, open-source contributions without commercial benefit, content creation like monetized tutorials, and hobby projects qualify; any paid work or commercial release does not.

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
JetBrains Rider: Does the free non-commercial license include all Rider features?

Yes, it is a full-featured IDE identical to the paid version, with one exception: Code With Me is limited to the Community tier instead of the premium tier.

Source
JetBrains Rider: How often does the non-commercial license renew?

It issues a one-year license that renews automatically each year, provided Rider was opened at least once during the preceding six months.

Source
JetBrains Rider: What support do non-commercial license holders get?

Non-commercial users get community forums and public bug trackers rather than private support tickets, which are reserved for paid subscribers.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Blacksmith

More on JetBrains Rider

Keep looking

Other head to heads