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Blacksmith vs ProofHub

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
ProofHub logo

ProofHub

Project Management

All-in-one project management and team collaboration

From
$45/month
Free plan
No
Visit ProofHubFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; ProofHub is an all-in-one project management and team collaboration software.
  • Blacksmith has a free plan, then $0.004/mo; ProofHub starts at $45/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only ProofHub lists time tracking.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where ProofHub falls short: the Ultimate Control plan advertises $89 a month for the first 3 months and then charges $135, so the headline is an introductory rate.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and ProofHub actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and ProofHub differ
AttributeBlacksmithProofHub
Starting priceFree$45/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryDeveloper ToolsProject Management

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 ProofHub

  • Tasks
  • Discussions
  • Proofing
  • Time tracking
  • Gantt charts
  • Slack
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox

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

ProofHub

  • Project management for teamsnot Blacksmith
  • Resource planning and reportingnot Blacksmith
  • Collaborative workflow managementnot 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

ProofHub

  • The Ultimate Control plan advertises $89 a month for the first 3 months and then charges $135, so the headline is an introductory rate
  • The Essential plan caps projects at 40 and storage at 15 GB
  • Storage is 100 GB even on the higher plan, which is low for a tool holding project files
  • There is no free tier, and the entry price is a flat $45 a month billed annually

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

ProofHub

$45/month
  • Essential$45/mo
    • 40 projects
    • Unlimited users
    • 15GB storage
  • Ultimate Control$89/mo
    • Unlimited projects
    • Unlimited users
    • 100GB storage

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 ProofHub if

  • You need tasks.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want discussions.
ProofHub review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or ProofHub better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and ProofHub at $45/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or ProofHub?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $45/month for ProofHub.
Does Blacksmith or ProofHub run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. ProofHub runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ProofHub starts at $45/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 ProofHub is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that ProofHub cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. ProofHub covers Tasks, Discussions, Proofing, Time tracking.

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
ProofHub: How much does ProofHub cost?

ProofHub offers two plans: Essential at $45/month (annual) or $50/month (monthly), and Ultimate Control at $89/month (first 3 months) or $135/month thereafter (annual billing).

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
ProofHub: Are per-user fees required with ProofHub?

No. ProofHub includes unlimited users in both Essential and Ultimate Control plans. There are no per-user fees regardless of team size.

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
ProofHub: Does ProofHub offer a free trial?

Yes, ProofHub provides a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. You can explore all features before committing.

Source
ProofHub: Can I cancel ProofHub anytime?

Yes. ProofHub has no long-term contracts. You can cancel anytime and switch billing between annual and monthly plans.

Source
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