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Databases · head to head

Cloudinary vs Depot

Cloudinary logo

Cloudinary

Databases

Image and video API for developers

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit CloudinaryFull review
Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit DepotFull review

The short version

  • Depot is a cloud-based CI/CD platform.
  • Free plans on both; paid from $99/mo and $20/mo.
  • Where Cloudinary falls short: free plan includes only 25 monthly credits and is limited to 3 users and 1 account.
  • Where Depot falls short: developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudinary and Depot actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudinary and Depot differ
AttributeCloudinaryDepot
PlatformsWebWeb, GitHub, API
CategoryDatabasesDeveloper Tools

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

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Depot, founded for Cloudinary.

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 Cloudinary

Nothing recorded that Depot does not also cover.

Only in Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

What people use each for

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

Cloudinary

  • Automating image transformations and delivery across multiple devicesnot Depot
  • Generating AI-powered image captions and alternative text at scalenot Depot
  • Transcoding and optimizing video with automatic subtitle generationnot Depot
  • Building workflow automation for content teams without codingnot Depot

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot Cloudinary
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot Cloudinary
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot Cloudinary
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot Cloudinary

Where each one falls short

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

Cloudinary

  • Free plan includes only 25 monthly credits and is limited to 3 users and 1 account
  • Enterprise plan pricing is custom; rates not published
  • Monthly billing is more expensive than annual; yearly plan is $89/month for Plus ($224/month for Advanced)

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudinary

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Upload widget
    • API
    • Search
  • Plus$99/mo
    • All Free features
    • S3 bucket backup
    • Auto-tagging search
  • Advanced$249/mo
    • All Plus features
    • Custom domain (CNAME)
    • Optional HTTPS SSL
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • Multi-CDN infrastructure
    • Enterprise SLAs
    • Designated success manager

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/mo
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/mo
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • BusinessOn request
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloudinary if

  • You want to start without paying.
Cloudinary review

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, GitHub, API.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudinary or Depot better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudinary starts at Free and Depot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudinary or Depot?
Cloudinary starts at Free and Depot at Free.
Does Cloudinary or Depot run on more platforms?
Cloudinary runs on Web. Depot runs on Web, GitHub, API.
Can I use Cloudinary for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cloudinary best used for?
Cloudinary is most often used for automating image transformations and delivery across multiple devices, generating ai-powered image captions and alternative text at scale, transcoding and optimizing video with automatic subtitle generation, building workflow automation for content teams without coding. Of those, automating image transformations and delivery across multiple devices and generating ai-powered image captions and alternative text at scale are not what Depot is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudinary do that Depot cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloudinary: What are included in Cloudinary's free plan?

Cloudinary's free plan includes upload widget, API access, search, remote fetch, auto-backup, revision tracking, image and video transformations, video transcoding, and CDN delivery. The free plan includes 25 monthly credits, 3 users, and 1 account with community support.

Source
Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
Cloudinary: How does Cloudinary's credit system work?

Cloudinary credits measure usage: one credit equals 1,000 transformations, or 1 GB managed storage, or 1 GB image bandwidth, or 2 GB video bandwidth. The free plan grants 25 credits per month, Plus plan 225 monthly credits, and Advanced plan 600 monthly credits.

Source
Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
Cloudinary: What is the difference between Cloudinary Plus and Advanced plans?

Plus plan costs $99/month (or $89/month annually) and includes S3 backup, auto-tagging, and expedited support for up to 3 users across 2 accounts with 225 credits. Advanced is $249/month ($224/month annually), adds custom domain (CNAME) and SSL options for 5 users across 3 accounts with 600 credits.

Source
Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
Cloudinary: Does Cloudinary offer annual billing discounts?

Yes. Cloudinary's annual billing provides discounts: Plus plan is $89/month when billed yearly (versus $99/month monthly), and Advanced plan is $224/month when billed yearly (versus $249/month monthly).

Source
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