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Buildkite vs Helm

Buildkite logo

Buildkite

Software

CI/CD pipelines that run on your own compute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
H

Helm

Software

The package manager for Kubernetes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Buildkite free plan caps at 5 users and 10 concurrent jobs, with 2,000 Linux vCPU minutes per month and 30 day build retention; Helm licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (helm/helm LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buildkite and Helm actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildkite and Helm differ
AttributeBuildkiteHelm
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Buildkite

  • Free plan caps at 5 users and 10 concurrent jobs, with 2,000 Linux vCPU minutes per month and 30 day build retention
  • Pro plan is $30 per active user per month, capped at 50 users, with only 10 of the up to 250 concurrent agents included before extra usage
  • Enterprise plan enforces a 30 user minimum even though pricing itself is custom
  • Hosted compute beyond included minutes is metered at $0.004 per vCPU minute on Linux and $0.02 per vCPU minute on Mac

Helm

  • Licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (helm/helm LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • Contributors must sign commits under the Developer Certificate of Origin to have them accepted, per helm.sh, a process requirement not all Kubernetes tools impose

Pricing, plan by plan

Buildkite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Buildkite review.

Helm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Helm review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Buildkite if

  • You want to start without paying.
Buildkite review

Choose Helm if

  • You want to start without paying.
Helm review

Questions people ask

Is Buildkite or Helm better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildkite starts at Free and Helm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildkite or Helm?
Buildkite starts at Free and Helm at Free.
Does Buildkite or Helm run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Buildkite for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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