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Blacksmith vs Swagger UI

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swagger UI logo

Swagger UI

Developer Tools

Interactive API documentation generated from OpenAPI specs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Blacksmith per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs; Swagger UI only as good as the specification: a thin OpenAPI file produces thin documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Swagger UI covers OpenAPI rendering.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Swagger UI actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Swagger UI differ
AttributeBlacksmithSwagger UI
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, Self-hosted, Docker

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Swagger UI

  • OpenAPI rendering
  • Try it out
  • Schema display
  • Self-hostable

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

Swagger UI

  • Publishing API documentation that stays in step with the specificationnot Blacksmith
  • Letting developers try endpoints before writing any client codenot Blacksmith
  • Internal API discovery across teamsnot 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

Swagger UI

  • Only as good as the specification: a thin OpenAPI file produces thin documentation
  • Default presentation is dated compared with modern documentation tools
  • Large specifications render slowly and become hard to navigate
  • Try it out against production needs care with authentication and CORS, and is often disabled as a result

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

Swagger UI

Free
  • Swagger UIFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community 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 Swagger UI if

  • You need openapi rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Docker.
  • You also want try it out.
Swagger UI review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Swagger UI better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Swagger UI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Swagger UI?
Blacksmith starts at Free and Swagger UI at Free.
Does Blacksmith or Swagger UI run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Swagger UI runs on Web, Self-hosted, Docker.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Swagger UI is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Swagger UI cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Swagger UI covers OpenAPI rendering, Try it out, Schema display, Self-hostable.

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
Swagger UI: Is Swagger UI free?

Yes, open source under the Apache 2.0 licence. SmartBear sells commercial SwaggerHub separately.

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
Swagger UI: What is the difference between Swagger and OpenAPI?

OpenAPI is the specification format; Swagger is the toolset around it, including Swagger UI. The specification was renamed from Swagger to OpenAPI in 2016.

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
Swagger UI: Can Swagger UI make real API calls?

Yes, through its try-it-out control, though authentication and CORS configuration often mean it is disabled for production APIs.

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