Developer Tools · head to head
Depot vs CircleCI
Depot
Developer Tools
Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; CircleCI the free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Depot and CircleCI actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Depot
- Depot CI
- Container builds
- GitHub Actions runners
- Distributed caching
- Build API
- Depot Registry
- Cross-platform builds
- SSH debugging
Only in CircleCI
Nothing recorded that Depot does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Depot
- Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot CircleCI
- Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot CircleCI
- Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot CircleCI
- Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot CircleCI
CircleCI
- Continuous integration pipelines for application codenot Depot
- Parallel test execution across containersnot Depot
- Docker-based builds with layer cachingnot Depot
- Deployment pipelines with approval gatesnot Depot
- Self-hosted runners for private infrastructurenot Depot
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
CircleCI
- The free plan covers 6,000 build minutes and 5 active users a month
- Active users are billed at $15 each beyond the included five, and an active user is anyone who commits to a project
- Everything runs on credits, so compute, Docker layer caching at 200 credits a job and IP ranges at 450 credits per GB all draw from the same pool
- Network and storage overage costs 420 credits per GB
- Free credits expire monthly with no rollover, and paid credits expire after a year
- Scale is annual billing only
Pricing, plan by plan
Depot
Free- Developer$20/month
- 1 user
- 500 Docker build minutes per month
- 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
- Startup$200/month
- Unlimited users
- 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
- 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
- Business$undefined/custom
- Custom pricing
- Unlimited users
- Custom monthly compute
CircleCI
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 6,000 build minutes (small Docker resource class)
- Up to 5 active users per month
- 30,000 free credits per month
- Performance$15/month
- 30,000 credits included monthly
- 5 active users included (additional users $15/month each)
- 80x concurrency
- Scale$null/year
- Custom number of credits
- Customizable user limits
- Unlimited concurrency
Which should you pick?
Choose Depot if
- You need depot ci.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
- You also want container builds.
Questions people ask
- Is Depot or CircleCI better?
- Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and CircleCI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Depot or CircleCI?
- Depot starts at Free and CircleCI at Free.
- Does Depot or CircleCI run on more platforms?
- Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. CircleCI runs on Web.
- Can I use Depot for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Depot best used for?
- Depot is most often used for accelerating docker builds for container-based development, replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure, distributing cache across monorepo builds, debugging failed ci builds interactively with ssh. Of those, accelerating docker builds for container-based development and replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure are not what CircleCI is typically brought in for.
- What can Depot do that CircleCI cannot?
- Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceCircleCI: How much does CircleCI Performance plan cost?
CircleCI Performance plan costs $15 USD per month and includes 30,000 credits, 5 active users, 80x concurrency, 5 GB network, and 2 GB storage. Additional users beyond 5 cost $15 each per month.
SourceDepot: 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.
SourceCircleCI: Can I purchase additional credits on CircleCI Performance plan?
Yes, additional credits are available at $15 for every 25,000 credits purchased. Paid credits roll over month to month and expire after one year; free plan credits expire monthly without rollover.
SourceDepot: 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.
SourceCircleCI: What is included in the CircleCI free plan?
The free plan includes up to 6,000 build minutes per month (small Docker resource class), 5 active users, 30,000 free credits monthly, 30x concurrency, 1 GB network, 2 GB storage, and community support. No credit card required.
SourceCircleCI: What are the Scale plan limits and pricing?
CircleCI Scale plan offers custom pricing billed annually with unlimited concurrency, 50 GB network, 200 GB storage, customizable credits and users, enterprise controls, and GPU environment access. Requires contacting sales for a quote.
SourceRelated pages
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