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Developer Tools · head to head

Buildkite vs Koyeb

Buildkite logo

Buildkite

Developer Tools

CI/CD pipelines that run on your own compute

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Koyeb logo

Koyeb

Cloud

High-performance serverless infrastructure for APIs, inference, and databases

From
$29/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Buildkite has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Koyeb pricing starts at $29/month with additional compute costs
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buildkite and Koyeb actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildkite and Koyeb differ
AttributeBuildkiteKoyeb
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, CLI, API
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCloud

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Buildkite

Nothing recorded that Koyeb does not also cover.

Only in Koyeb

  • Serverless containers
  • GPU support
  • Global distribution
  • Multi-protocol support
  • Serverless Postgres
  • Zero-downtime deployments

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Buildkite

  • CI/CD pipeline automationnot Koyeb
  • Test execution at scalenot Koyeb
  • Deployment automationnot Koyeb

Koyeb

  • Deploying AI inference models globally with GPU accelerationnot Buildkite
  • Building SaaS platforms with automatic scalingnot Buildkite
  • Running distributed AI agents and background workersnot Buildkite

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

Koyeb

  • Pricing starts at $29/month with additional compute costs
  • GPU compute is expensive at $0.75-$2.50 per hour
  • Limited customization for infrastructure configuration

Pricing, plan by plan

Buildkite

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 5 users
    • 10 concurrent jobs
    • 2000 Linux vCPU minutes monthly
  • Pro$30/month
    • Up to 50 users
    • 250 concurrent agents (10 included)
    • 4000 Linux vCPU minutes monthly
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Unlimited users (30 minimum)
    • Custom usage limits
    • Full platform access

Koyeb

$29/month
  • Pro$29/month
    • $10 included compute
    • 10 users
    • 100 services
  • Scale$299/month
    • $100 included compute
    • 50 users
    • 1,000 services
  • Enterprise$1000/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom resources
    • SSO/RBAC

Which should you pick?

Choose Buildkite if

  • You want to start without paying.
Buildkite review

Choose Koyeb if

  • You need serverless containers.
  • You work on Web, CLI, API.
  • You also want gpu support.
Koyeb review

Questions people ask

Is Buildkite or Koyeb better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildkite starts at Free and Koyeb at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildkite or Koyeb?
Buildkite has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Buildkite and $29/month for Koyeb.
Does Buildkite or Koyeb run on more platforms?
Buildkite runs on Web. Koyeb runs on Web, CLI, API.
Can I use Buildkite for free?
Yes. Buildkite has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Koyeb starts at $29/month.
What is Buildkite best used for?
Buildkite is most often used for ci/cd pipeline automation, test execution at scale, deployment automation. Of those, ci/cd pipeline automation and test execution at scale are not what Koyeb is typically brought in for.
What can Buildkite do that Koyeb cannot?
Koyeb covers Serverless containers, GPU support, Global distribution, Multi-protocol support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buildkite: Can I use Buildkite without paying?

Yes, Buildkite offers a free plan that includes up to 5 users, 10 concurrent jobs, 2000 Linux vCPU minutes monthly, and 250k test executions per month at no cost.

Source
Koyeb: What are Koyeb's subscription plans?

Pro plan is $29/month with $10 included compute, Scale plan is $299/month with $100 included compute and 99.9% SLA, and Enterprise starts at $1,000/month with unlimited users and 99.99% SLA.

Source
Buildkite: What happens if I exceed my included compute minutes on Buildkite?

Hosted agent compute is charged separately at $0.004 per Linux vCPU minute and $0.02 per Mac vCPU minute, billed to the second with no minimums.

Source
Koyeb: How much does GPU compute cost?

GPU pricing is per-second: RTX-A6000 costs $0.75/hour, A100 costs $1.60/hour, H100 costs $2.50/hour, and 8x H100 costs $20.00/hour.

Source
Buildkite: Do I need an annual commitment for Buildkite's Pro plan?

No, Buildkite's Pro plan is billed monthly at $30 per active user with no long-term contract required. All tiers include a 30-day all-access trial.

Source
Koyeb: What database options are available?

Koyeb offers serverless Postgres starting at free (0.25 vCPU, 1GB RAM) up to 3XL at $1.28/hour with 8 vCPU and 32GB RAM. Storage costs $0.50/month per GB.

Source
Buildkite: What user limits apply to each Buildkite plan?

Free plan supports up to 5 users, Pro plan supports up to 50 users, and Enterprise plan provides unlimited users with a 30-user minimum.

Source
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