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Developer Tools · head to head

Blacksmith vs Yellowfin

Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit BlacksmithFull review
Yellowfin logo

Yellowfin

Business Intelligence

Action-based business intelligence

From
$50/month
Free plan
No
Visit YellowfinFull review

The short version

  • Blacksmith is a GitHub Actions runner service; Yellowfin is an action-based BI platform.
  • Blacksmith has a free plan, then $0.004/mo; Yellowfin starts at $50/mo.
  • Only Blacksmith lists bare metal runners; only Yellowfin lists automated Analysis.
  • Where Blacksmith falls short: per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs.
  • Where Yellowfin falls short: the pricing page publishes no rate, no minimum and no per-user price; every model ends in a Get Pricing form.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Blacksmith and Yellowfin actually diverge.

Attributes where Blacksmith and Yellowfin differ
AttributeBlacksmithYellowfin
Starting priceFree$50/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOSWeb, iOS, Android, Embedded
CategoryDeveloper ToolsBusiness Intelligence

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 Yellowfin

  • Automated Analysis
  • Data Stories
  • Collaboration
  • Signals
  • Embedded Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Google Analytics
  • SQL Server

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

Yellowfin

  • Embedding white-labelled dashboards and analytics into a software productnot Blacksmith
  • Enterprise reporting with automated business monitoring and alertingnot Blacksmith
  • Data storytelling and guided natural language querying for business usersnot 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

Yellowfin

  • The pricing page publishes no rate, no minimum and no per-user price; every model ends in a Get Pricing form
  • One of the three embedded models is a revenue share, so Yellowfin takes a cut of the revenue your analytics module earns
  • Another model prices by server core, so scaling deployment hardware raises the licence cost independently of users
  • Getting a quote requires submitting a form with a marketing consent checkbox and a user-count band rather than seeing a rate card

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

Yellowfin

$50/month
  • Team$50/mo
    • Dashboards
    • Stories
    • Collaboration
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced Features
    • Embedding
    • Custom SLA

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 Yellowfin if

  • You need automated analysis.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Embedded.
  • You also want data stories.
Yellowfin review

Questions people ask

Is Blacksmith or Yellowfin better?
Neither clearly leads. Blacksmith starts at Free and Yellowfin at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Blacksmith or Yellowfin?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Blacksmith and $50/month for Yellowfin.
Does Blacksmith or Yellowfin run on more platforms?
Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS. Yellowfin runs on Web, iOS, Android, Embedded.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Yellowfin starts at $50/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 Yellowfin is typically brought in for.
What can Blacksmith do that Yellowfin cannot?
Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching. Yellowfin covers Automated Analysis, Data Stories, Collaboration, Signals.

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
Yellowfin: What pricing models does Yellowfin offer?

Yellowfin offers three flexible models for embedded analytics: Aligned Utility Model (price per unit), Revenue Share Model (based on analytics revenue value), and Server Core (fixed price based on server deployment).

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
Yellowfin: Is Yellowfin pricing predictable and scalable?

Yes, Yellowfin pricing is simple, predictable and scalable with no hidden costs or surprises.

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
Yellowfin: Are there limits on user access or development environments?

No limitations exist on access to functionality across users. There are also no limits on dev and test licenses, ensuring DevOps is covered.

Source
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