Developer Tools · head to head
Blacksmith vs Kaspersky Total Security

Blacksmith
Developer Tools
2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes

Kaspersky Total Security
Cybersecurity
Complete protection for your digital life
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Blacksmith per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs; Kaspersky Total Security uS sales banned since June 2024 with support ending September 29, 2024
- They diverge on capability: Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Kaspersky Total Security covers Real-time protection.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Kaspersky Total Security actually diverge.
| Attribute | Blacksmith | Kaspersky Total Security |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android |
| Category | Developer Tools | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | Unknown | 1997 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), 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 Kaspersky Total Security
- Real-time protection
- Ransomware protection
- Safe Money
- Privacy protection
- Parental controls
- Password manager
- VPN
- File encryption
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 Kaspersky Total Security
- Accelerating CI build times for organizations with heavy CI loadnot Kaspersky Total Security
- Reducing cloud spend on GitHub Actions by 60% or morenot Kaspersky Total Security
- Supporting ARM architecture builds without GitHub runnersnot Kaspersky Total Security
Kaspersky Total Security
- Antivirusnot Blacksmith
- Internet Securitynot Blacksmith
- Parental Controlnot 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
Kaspersky Total Security
- US sales banned since June 2024 with support ending September 29, 2024
- VPN limited to 200 MB per day and servers in only 24 countries
- Password manager has privacy concerns with questionable terms and policies
- VPN and password manager only included in Plus and Premium tiers, not in Standard
- Occasionally flags legitimate files as false positives
- Firewall leaves open ports on public networks
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
Kaspersky Total Security
Free- FreeFree
- Basic antivirus
- No real-time protection
- Standard$38.99/year
- Antivirus
- Firewall
- Anti-phishing
- Plus$52.99/year
- Standard features
- Password manager
- VPN with limit
- Premium$74.99/year
- Plus features
- Identity protection
- Unlimited VPN
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.
Choose Kaspersky Total Security if
- You need real-time protection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- You also want ransomware protection.
Questions people ask
- Is Blacksmith or Kaspersky Total Security better?
- Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Kaspersky Total Security at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Kaspersky Total Security?
- Blacksmith starts at Free and Kaspersky Total Security at Free.
- Does Blacksmith or Kaspersky Total Security run on more platforms?
- Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Kaspersky Total Security runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
- 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 Kaspersky Total Security is typically brought in for.
- What can Blacksmith do that Kaspersky Total Security cannot?
- Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Kaspersky Total Security covers Real-time protection, Ransomware protection, Safe Money, Privacy protection.
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.
SourceKaspersky Total Security: What does Kaspersky Total Security include?
Kaspersky Total Security (Premium tier) includes antivirus, firewall, password manager, VPN with 200 MB daily limit, parental controls (Kaspersky Safe Kids), and anti-ransomware protection.
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.
SourceKaspersky Total Security: How much does Kaspersky Total Security cost?
Kaspersky Standard costs $38.99/year for 3 devices. Plus tier is $52.99/year for 5 devices. Premium is $74.99/year for 10 devices. Multi-year discounts available.
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.
SourceKaspersky Total Security: Is Kaspersky available in the United States?
No. The U.S. government banned Kaspersky software sales in June 2024, with support and software updates ceasing September 29, 2024, citing national security concerns regarding Russian government ties.
SourceKaspersky Total Security: Does Kaspersky have parental controls?
Yes. Premium and Plus tiers include one year free access to Kaspersky Safe Kids parental controls app, which provides activity reports, app monitoring, usage limits, and geo-fencing with location tracking.
SourceKaspersky Total Security: How much does the VPN provide?
Kaspersky's free VPN (Kaspersky Secure Connection) offers only 200 MB per day of traffic, limiting data usage. Full VPN is included in Plus and Premium plans but with limited servers in only 24 countries.
SourceRelated pages
More on Kaspersky Total Security
Other head to heads
- Blacksmith vs WarpBuild
- Blacksmith vs Depot
- Blacksmith vs Namespace
- Blacksmith vs Earthly
- Blacksmith vs Nx Cloud
- Blacksmith vs OpsLevel
- Blacksmith vs Garden
- Blacksmith vs ConfigCat
- Blacksmith vs Dagger
- Blacksmith vs Nix
- Blacksmith vs Rust
- Blacksmith vs Ansible
- Blacksmith vs PartyKit
- Blacksmith vs PhpStorm
- Blacksmith vs Pieces for Developers
- Blacksmith vs RAD Studio
- Blacksmith vs Refact
- Blacksmith vs Norton 360
- Blacksmith vs ESET NOD32 Antivirus
- Blacksmith vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Blacksmith vs McAfee Total Protection
- Blacksmith vs Avast One
- Blacksmith vs Surfshark
- Blacksmith vs 1Password
- Blacksmith vs Malwarebytes
- Blacksmith vs Sticky Password
- Blacksmith vs LastPass
- Blacksmith vs Enpass
- Blacksmith vs Keeper Password Manager
- Blacksmith vs iDenfy
- Blacksmith vs IDnow
- Blacksmith vs Jumio
- Blacksmith vs LogicManager
- Blacksmith vs Mullvad VPN
- Blacksmith vs Private Internet Access
- Kaspersky Total Security vs WarpBuild
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Depot
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Namespace
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Earthly
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Nx Cloud
- Kaspersky Total Security vs OpsLevel
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Garden
- Kaspersky Total Security vs ConfigCat
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Dagger
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Nix
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Rust
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Ansible
- Kaspersky Total Security vs PartyKit
- Kaspersky Total Security vs PhpStorm
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Pieces for Developers
- Kaspersky Total Security vs RAD Studio
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Refact
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Norton 360
- Kaspersky Total Security vs ESET NOD32 Antivirus
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Bitdefender Total Security
- Kaspersky Total Security vs McAfee Total Protection
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Avast One
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Surfshark
- Kaspersky Total Security vs 1Password
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Malwarebytes
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Sticky Password
- Kaspersky Total Security vs LastPass
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Enpass
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Keeper Password Manager
- Kaspersky Total Security vs iDenfy
- Kaspersky Total Security vs IDnow
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Jumio
- Kaspersky Total Security vs LogicManager
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Mullvad VPN
- Kaspersky Total Security vs Private Internet Access
