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Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs Visor

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
Visor logo

Visor

Project Management

The spreadsheet-native project management tool

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit VisorFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; Visor is a spreadsheet-native project management tool.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $0.004/mo and $18/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only Visor lists two-way sync.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where Visor falls short: syncing is metered in credits, at 10,000 a month shared on free and 50,000 on Starter.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Visor actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Visor differ
AttributeBlacksmithVisor
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsProject Management

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

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 Visor

  • Two-way sync
  • Spreadsheet views
  • Gantt charts
  • Pivot tables
  • Custom fields
  • Jira
  • Asana
  • Salesforce

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

Visor

  • Project and portfolio managementnot Blacksmith
  • Team collaborationnot Blacksmith
  • Data organization and reportingnot Blacksmith
  • Workflow automationnot 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

Visor

  • Integrations are capped by plan, at 1 on free, 2 on Starter and 3 on Team, so connecting Jira, Salesforce and HubSpot together needs the top tier
  • Syncing is metered in credits, at 10,000 a month shared on free and 50,000 on Starter
  • Extra credits are sold in booster packs at $50 for 250,000
  • The free plan is limited to 2 workbooks and 5 users
  • The flat rate Business plan is $750 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

Visor

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Table and Board views only
    • Max 2 workbooks
    • Max 5 workspace members
  • Starter$18/mo
    • Gantt, Timeline and Dashboard views
    • Milestones and Jira dependencies
    • Up to 500 records per workbook
  • Team$24/mo
    • Unlimited free viewers
    • Unlimited workbooks
    • Private workbooks
  • Business$750/mo
    • Flat rate for up to 100 editors
    • Unlimited free viewers
    • 2,000,000 shared sync credits per month

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 Visor if

  • You need two-way sync.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want spreadsheet views.
Visor review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Visor better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Visor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Visor?
Blacksmith starts at Free and Visor at Free.
Does Blacksmith or Visor run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Visor runs on Web.
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 Visor is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Visor cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Visor covers Two-way sync, Spreadsheet views, Gantt charts, Pivot tables.

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
Visor: How many workbooks and records can I have on each Visor plan?

The Free plan allows up to 2 workbooks with 250 records each. Starter includes up to 10 workbooks with 500 records each. Team and Business plans offer unlimited workbooks, with Team supporting 1,000 records per workbook and Business supporting the highest capacity.

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
Visor: What are sync credits in Visor and how many do I get?

Sync credits enable real-time synchronization between workbooks and external data sources. Free includes 10,000 credits per month, Starter gets 50,000, Team gets 100,000 per license, and Business includes 2,000,000 per month. Additional credits available for $37.50 per 250,000 credits annually.

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
Visor: How many workspace members and viewers are included in each plan?

Free plan allows 5 workspace members maximum. Starter supports up to 10 workspace members plus free viewer-only members. Team and Business plans include unlimited workspace members and unlimited free viewer-only members for sharing read-only access.

Source
Visor: What is the difference between Visor's per-user and Business flat-rate pricing?

Free, Starter, and Team are priced per user at $0, $18, and $24 per month respectively. Business is a flat rate of $750 per month and covers up to 100 editors with unlimited free viewers, making it cost-effective for large teams.

Source
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