Softwr

Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs Microsoft SQL Server

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
Microsoft SQL Server logo

Microsoft SQL Server

Databases

Enterprise-grade relational database management system

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit Microsoft SQL ServerFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $0.004/mo and $3945/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only Microsoft SQL Server lists ACID Compliance.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where Microsoft SQL Server falls short: performance monitoring toolset is insufficient for hybrid cloud environments requiring real-time analytics across multiple deployment types.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Microsoft SQL Server actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Microsoft SQL Server differ
AttributeBlacksmithMicrosoft SQL Server
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWindows, Linux, Self-hosted, Azure
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDatabases

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: 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 Microsoft SQL Server

  • T-SQL
  • ACID Compliance
  • Advanced Security
  • In-memory OLTP
  • Columnstore Indexes
  • Always On Availability
  • Machine Learning Services
  • Azure

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

Microsoft SQL Server

  • Transaction processingnot Blacksmith
  • Data storagenot Blacksmith
  • Application backendnot Blacksmith
  • Reportingnot Blacksmith
  • Data analyticsnot 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

Microsoft SQL Server

  • Licensing and on-premises deployment costs are high compared to open-source alternatives, with Enterprise Edition exceeding $60,000 for minimum core requirements
  • Performance monitoring toolset is insufficient for hybrid cloud environments requiring real-time analytics across multiple deployment types
  • Heavy I/O resource consumption can saturate disk volumes and degrade performance when processing large transaction workloads
  • Always On availability groups with up to 8 secondary replicas are limited to Enterprise edition only; Standard supports only basic availability groups with 2 replicas
  • CPU and memory scaling is capped at 4 sockets or 32 cores on Standard edition, limiting deployments requiring higher compute capacity

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

Microsoft SQL Server

Free
  • ExpressFree
    • 4 cores maximum
    • 1.4 GB memory per instance
    • 50 GB database size limit
  • DeveloperFree
    • All Enterprise features
    • Non-production use only
  • Standard$3,945
    • 32 core maximum per instance
    • 256 GB buffer pool memory
    • Basic availability groups with 2 replicas
  • Enterprise$15,123
    • Unlimited scaling
    • Always On with up to 8 secondaries
    • Advanced security and HA features

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 Microsoft SQL Server if

  • You need t-sql.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Self-hosted, Azure.
  • You also want acid compliance.
Microsoft SQL Server review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Microsoft SQL Server better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Microsoft SQL Server at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Microsoft SQL Server?
Blacksmith starts at Free and Microsoft SQL Server at Free.
Does Blacksmith or Microsoft SQL Server run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Microsoft SQL Server runs on Windows, Linux, Self-hosted, Azure.
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 Microsoft SQL Server is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Microsoft SQL Server cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Microsoft SQL Server covers T-SQL, ACID Compliance, Advanced Security, In-memory OLTP.

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
Microsoft SQL Server: What is the pricing model for SQL Server?

SQL Server uses core-based licensing with per-2-core pack pricing. Enterprise Edition costs approximately $15,123 per 2-core pack (minimum 8 cores). Standard Edition costs approximately $3,945 per 2-core pack. Developer and Express editions are free. Software Assurance adds 25-35% annually for upgrades and support.

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
Microsoft SQL Server: Does SQL Server run on Linux?

Yes. SQL Server 2017 and later run on Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Ubuntu), Docker containers, and Windows with feature parity including Always On availability groups, Active Directory authentication, and encryption.

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
Microsoft SQL Server: Is there a free edition of SQL Server?

Yes. SQL Server Express is free and includes all functionality of Enterprise edition for development and testing, with limits of 4 cores, 1,410 MB memory per instance, and 50 GB per database. Developer edition is also free for non-production use.

Source
Microsoft SQL Server: Can SQL Server be deployed offline?

Yes. SQL Server can be installed from offline media on machines without internet access. Microsoft provides complete offline installation packages for SQL Server, SSMS, and supporting components, making deployment in isolated or air-gapped environments feasible.

Source
Microsoft SQL Server: What high availability options does SQL Server provide?

SQL Server offers Always On availability groups (Enterprise only), Always On failover cluster instances, database mirroring, log shipping, and for disaster recovery, failover servers in Azure and Accelerated Database Recovery for faster recovery after failures.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Blacksmith

More on Microsoft SQL Server

Keep looking

Other head to heads