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Blacksmith vs Oracle Analytics Cloud

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
Oracle Analytics Cloud logo

Oracle Analytics Cloud

Business Intelligence

Complete analytics in the cloud

From
$16/month
Free plan
No
Visit Oracle Analytics CloudFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; Oracle Analytics Cloud is a comprehensive cloud analytics solution.
  • Blacksmith has a free plan, then $0.004/mo; Oracle Analytics Cloud starts at $16/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only Oracle Analytics Cloud lists self-service Analytics.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where Oracle Analytics Cloud falls short: no dedicated mobile application for on-the-go access.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Oracle Analytics Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Oracle Analytics Cloud differ
AttributeBlacksmithOracle Analytics Cloud
Starting priceFree$16/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb
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 Oracle Analytics Cloud

  • Self-service Analytics
  • Augmented Analytics
  • Data Preparation
  • Natural Language
  • Mobile
  • Oracle Database
  • Oracle ERP
  • Salesforce

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

Oracle Analytics Cloud

  • Self-service analyticsnot Blacksmith
  • Data explorationnot Blacksmith
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Blacksmith
  • Collaborative analysisnot Blacksmith
  • Embedded 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

Oracle Analytics Cloud

  • No dedicated mobile application for on-the-go access
  • Limited documentation for collecting data from on-premise services
  • Performance issues and occasional software glitches requiring re-login
  • Expensive for small businesses and organizations with limited budgets

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

Oracle Analytics Cloud

$16/month
  • Professional$16/mo
    • Self-service Analytics
    • Reporting
    • Dashboards
  • Enterprise$80/mo
    • Advanced Analytics
    • ML Models
    • Premium Support

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 Oracle Analytics Cloud if

  • You need self-service analytics.
  • You also want augmented analytics.
Oracle Analytics Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Oracle Analytics Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Oracle Analytics Cloud at $16/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Oracle Analytics Cloud?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $16/month for Oracle Analytics Cloud.
Does Blacksmith or Oracle Analytics Cloud run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Oracle Analytics Cloud runs on Web.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Oracle Analytics Cloud starts at $16/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 Oracle Analytics Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Oracle Analytics Cloud cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Oracle Analytics Cloud covers Self-service Analytics, Augmented Analytics, Data Preparation, Natural Language.

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
Oracle Analytics Cloud: What data sources does Oracle Analytics Cloud support?

Oracle Analytics Cloud connects to relational databases, cloud applications, and big data platforms. It integrates with Salesforce, Snowflake, Azure Synapse Analytics, Google BigQuery, Amazon Redshift, and the Oracle ecosystem.

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
Oracle Analytics Cloud: What are the pricing tiers for Oracle Analytics Cloud?

Oracle Analytics Cloud offers a Professional plan at $16/user/month and an Enterprise plan at $80/user/month. BYOL pricing is $0.3226/OCPU/hour base plus $1.0753/hour (Professional) or $2.1506/hour (Enterprise).

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
Oracle Analytics Cloud: Does Oracle Analytics Cloud have a mobile app?

No, Oracle Analytics Cloud lacks a dedicated mobile application, which is considered a significant limitation by users who need mobile access to dashboards and reports.

Source
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