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Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs RubyMine

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RubyMine logo

RubyMine

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for Ruby and Ruby on Rails development

From
$24/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; RubyMine no permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription.
  • They diverge on capability: Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, RubyMine covers Rails-aware coding assistance.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and RubyMine actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and RubyMine differ
AttributeBlacksmithRubyMine
Starting priceFree$24/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSwindows, mac, linux
FoundedUnknown2000

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

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 RubyMine

  • Rails-aware coding assistance
  • Integrated debugger
  • Test runner integration
  • Database tools
  • Version control integration
  • Docker support

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

RubyMine

  • Building and maintaining Ruby on Rails applicationsnot Blacksmith
  • Debugging Ruby web applicationsnot Blacksmith
  • Running and managing RSpec or Minitest suitesnot Blacksmith
  • Working across Ruby, JavaScript, and SQL in one projectnot 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

RubyMine

  • No permanently free tier for commercial use; requires an ongoing subscription.
  • More resource-intensive than lightweight editors such as Sublime Text.
  • Focused primarily on Ruby, so polyglot teams may prefer IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate with plugins instead.
  • Startup time can be slower than simpler text editors on older hardware.

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

RubyMine

$24/month
  • Individual$24/month
    • Personal use license
    • Access to RubyMine
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/month
    • Business use license
    • Access to RubyMine
    • Volume and renewal discounts

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 RubyMine if

  • You need rails-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want integrated debugger.
RubyMine review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or RubyMine better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and RubyMine at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or RubyMine?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $24/month for RubyMine.
Does Blacksmith or RubyMine run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. RubyMine runs on windows, mac, linux.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RubyMine starts at $24/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 RubyMine is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that RubyMine cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. RubyMine covers Rails-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Test runner integration, Database tools.

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
RubyMine: How much does RubyMine cost?

RubyMine is sold as a JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses available for students and open-source maintainers.

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
RubyMine: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains provides a free trial period for RubyMine so developers can evaluate it before purchasing a subscription.

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
RubyMine: What platforms does RubyMine support?

RubyMine runs as a desktop application on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
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