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Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs Sunsama

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
Sunsama logo

Sunsama

Project Management

The daily planner for busy professionals

From
$17/month
Free plan
No
Visit SunsamaFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; Sunsama is a daily planner.
  • Blacksmith has a free plan, then $0.004/mo; Sunsama starts at $17/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only Sunsama lists daily planning ritual.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where Sunsama falls short: pricing is higher than some competitor daily planners at $17+ per month.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Sunsama actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Sunsama differ
AttributeBlacksmithSunsama
Starting priceFree$17/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryDeveloper ToolsProject Management

Not yet recorded: 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 Sunsama

  • Daily planning ritual
  • Task timeboxing
  • Workload management
  • Shutdown routine
  • Focus mode
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • Todoist

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

Sunsama

  • Schedulingnot Blacksmith
  • Appointment bookingnot Blacksmith
  • Time trackingnot Blacksmith
  • Resource managementnot Blacksmith
  • Team coordinationnot 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

Sunsama

  • Pricing is higher than some competitor daily planners at $17+ per month
  • Requires consistent daily engagement with the planning ritual to be effective
  • Limited customization of the daily planning framework compared to more flexible task managers

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

Sunsama

$17/month
  • Pro Plan (Annual)$17/mo
    • Unlimited usage
    • Unlimited integrations
    • AI + MCP + Zapier support
  • Pro Plan (Monthly)$22/mo
    • Unlimited usage
    • Unlimited integrations
    • AI + MCP + Zapier 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 Sunsama if

  • You need daily planning ritual.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want task timeboxing.
Sunsama review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Sunsama better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Sunsama at $17/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Sunsama?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $17/month for Sunsama.
Does Blacksmith or Sunsama run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Sunsama runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sunsama starts at $17/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 Sunsama is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Sunsama cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Sunsama covers Daily planning ritual, Task timeboxing, Workload management, Shutdown routine.

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
Sunsama: What is the pricing for Sunsama and is there a free trial?

Sunsama costs $17 per month when billed yearly or $22 per month when billed monthly. A 14-day free trial is available without requiring a credit card.

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
Sunsama: What task management tools does Sunsama integrate with?

Sunsama integrates with Asana, Todoist, Trello, Jira, Linear, Monday.com, Notion, ClickUp, GitHub, and Google Tasks, allowing you to pull tasks from these services into your daily plan.

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
Sunsama: Can Sunsama sync with my calendar?

Yes, Sunsama is bidirectionally synced with Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, and iCloud Calendar, creating a unified view of your schedule and daily commitments.

Source
Sunsama: Does Sunsama have a mobile app?

Yes, Sunsama is available as a mobile app on both iOS and Android through the Google Play Store and Apple App Store for managing your daily plan on the go.

Source
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