Developer Tools · head to head
Blacksmith vs Splunk Enterprise Security
Blacksmith
Developer Tools
2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
Splunk Enterprise Security
Cybersecurity
The platform for operational intelligence
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
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; Splunk Enterprise Security splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- They diverge on capability: Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Splunk Enterprise Security actually diverge.
| Attribute | Blacksmith | Splunk Enterprise Security |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS | Web, Api |
| Category | Developer Tools | Cybersecurity |
| Founded | Unknown | 2003 |
Identical on both: 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 Splunk Enterprise Security
- Security monitoring
- Incident review
- Risk-based alerting
- Threat intelligence
- Investigation workbench
- MITRE ATT&CK mapping
- Automated response
- Compliance reporting
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 Splunk Enterprise Security
- Accelerating CI build times for organizations with heavy CI loadnot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Reducing cloud spend on GitHub Actions by 60% or morenot Splunk Enterprise Security
- Supporting ARM architecture builds without GitHub runnersnot Splunk Enterprise Security
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Running a security operations centre on Splunk indexed log datanot Blacksmith
- Correlation searches, risk based alerting and incident investigationnot Blacksmith
- Compliance reporting from pooled security telemetrynot 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
Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Enterprise Security is licensed separately from the Splunk platform, so a SIEM deployment needs both
- Splunk publishes no rate for Enterprise Security and directs buyers to contact a pricing expert
- UEBA, SOAR and automated threat analysis require the Premier edition rather than Essentials
- The platform underneath can be billed by ingest volume, workload or activity, so the total cost depends on a pricing model chosen at contract time rather than a list price
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
Splunk Enterprise Security
On request- Workload PricingFree
- Pay per compute
- Flexible scaling
- All features
- Ingest PricingFree
- Pay per GB ingested
- Predictable costs
- All features
- Entity PricingFree
- Pay per monitored entity
- Security focused
- All 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.
Choose Splunk Enterprise Security if
- You need security monitoring.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want incident review.
Questions people ask
- Is Blacksmith or Splunk Enterprise Security better?
- Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Splunk Enterprise Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Splunk Enterprise Security?
- Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and On request for Splunk Enterprise Security.
- Does Blacksmith or Splunk Enterprise Security run on more platforms?
- Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Splunk Enterprise Security runs on Web, Api.
- Can I use Blacksmith for free?
- Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Splunk Enterprise Security starts at On request.
- 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 Splunk Enterprise Security is typically brought in for.
- What can Blacksmith do that Splunk Enterprise Security cannot?
- Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Splunk Enterprise Security covers Security monitoring, Incident review, Risk-based alerting, Threat intelligence.
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.
SourceSplunk Enterprise Security: How much does Splunk Enterprise Security cost?
Splunk Enterprise Security pricing is not published. The product is available in Essentials Edition with threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, and Premier Edition with UEBA, SOAR, and Automated Threat Analysis. Customers must contact Splunk sales for pricing quotes on either edition.
SourceBlacksmith: 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.
SourceSplunk Enterprise Security: What editions of Splunk Enterprise Security are available?
Splunk Enterprise Security offers Essentials Edition with threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, and Premier Edition which adds UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics), SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response), and Automated Threat Analysis.
SourceBlacksmith: 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Splunk Enterprise Security
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