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Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs Porter

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Porter logo

Porter

Cloud

Effortless app infrastructure, your own cloud

From
$6/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; Porter pricing based on vCPU and memory can be expensive for small projects
  • They diverge on capability: Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Porter covers Rapid deployment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Porter actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Porter differ
AttributeBlacksmithPorter
Starting priceFree$6/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSAWS, GCP, Azure
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCloud

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Porter

  • Rapid deployment
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Framework agnostic
  • DevOps automation
  • Enterprise compliance
  • Cost optimization

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

Porter

  • Deploying Next.js applications with serverless backendsnot Blacksmith
  • Scaling microservices across multiple cloud providersnot Blacksmith
  • Running applications without dedicated DevOps staffnot 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

Porter

  • Pricing based on vCPU and memory can be expensive for small projects
  • Vendor lock-in to Porter platform despite multi-cloud support
  • Limited customization for complex infrastructure requirements

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

Porter

$6/month
  • Standard$undefined/usage
    • RAM: $6 per month per GB
    • vCPU: $13 per month per vCPU
    • Unlimited applications
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Volume discounts available
    • All Standard features
    • 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 Porter if

  • You need rapid deployment.
  • You work on AWS, GCP, Azure.
  • You also want multi-cloud support.
Porter review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Porter better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Porter at $6/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Porter?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $6/month for Porter.
Does Blacksmith or Porter run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Porter runs on AWS, GCP, Azure.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Porter starts at $6/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 Porter is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Porter cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Porter covers Rapid deployment, Multi-cloud support, Framework agnostic, DevOps automation.

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
Porter: How is Porter priced?

Porter uses pay-as-you-go pricing: $6 per month per GB of RAM and $13 per month per vCPU. You only pay for the resources your applications use, not cloud instance capacity.

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
Porter: Does Porter include cloud provider costs?

Porter pricing excludes underlying cloud provider costs (AWS, Azure, GCP), though cloud credits can offset those expenses.

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
Porter: Do startups get special pricing?

Yes, nonprofits receive 50% off standard rates, and startups may qualify for special pricing programs.

Source
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