Developer Tools · head to head
Depot vs GitHub Actions
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; GitHub Actions private repository usage is capped at 2,000 minutes per month on GitHub Free and 3,000 on Pro and Team, with anything beyond billed
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Depot and GitHub Actions actually diverge.
| Attribute | Depot | GitHub Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | Cloud, GitHub, CLI | Web |
| Category | Developer Tools | Testing |
| Founded | 2022 | 2008 |
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 GitHub Actions
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 GitHub Actions
- Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot GitHub Actions
- Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot GitHub Actions
- Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot GitHub Actions
GitHub Actions
- Running CI builds and tests on pushes and pull requestsnot Depot
- Automating releases, container image builds and deployments from a repositorynot Depot
- Scheduled maintenance jobs and repository automationnot 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
GitHub Actions
- Private repository usage is capped at 2,000 minutes per month on GitHub Free and 3,000 on Pro and Team, with anything beyond billed
- Artifact storage is only 500 MB on GitHub Free and 2 GB on Team, and it is shared with GitHub Packages storage
- Larger runners are always charged for, even on public repositories and even when plan quota remains
- Windows runners cost $0.010 per minute against $0.006 for a 2-core Linux runner, so the same workflow costs more per platform
- macOS runners are charged at a higher per-minute rate than Linux runners
- Failed runs consume minutes, so a job that fails after 5 minutes and is re-run for 10 uses 15 minutes of quota
- Storage is billed on hourly accrual in GB-Hours, so deleting artifacts stops future charges but does not remove charges already accrued in the cycle
- Cache storage is a separate 10 GB per repository allowance and peak hourly usage above it is charged
- Minutes are charged to the repository owner, not the person who triggered the run, and anyone with write access can trigger runs
- Without a valid payment method on file, workflows are blocked as soon as the quota is exhausted
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
GitHub Actions
Free- FreeFree
- 2,000 CI/CD minutes per month
- Free for public repositories
- Team$4/month
- 3,000 CI/CD minutes per month
- Free for public repositories
- First 12 months at promotional rate
- Enterprise$21/month
- 50,000 CI/CD minutes per month
- Free for public repositories
- First 12 months at promotional rate
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 GitHub Actions better?
- Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and GitHub Actions at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Depot or GitHub Actions?
- Depot starts at Free and GitHub Actions at Free.
- Does Depot or GitHub Actions run on more platforms?
- Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. GitHub Actions 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 GitHub Actions is typically brought in for.
- What can Depot do that GitHub Actions 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.
SourceGitHub Actions: How much does GitHub Actions cost?
GitHub Actions is free for public repositories. For private repositories, the Team plan costs $4 per user per month (first 12 months) with 3,000 CI/CD minutes, and the Enterprise plan costs $21 per user per month (first 12 months) with 50,000 CI/CD minutes.
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.
SourceGitHub Actions: Is there a free version of GitHub Actions?
Yes, GitHub Actions is free for all public repositories. The Free plan for private repositories includes 2,000 CI/CD minutes per month. All tiers include free CI/CD minutes for public repository workflows.
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.
SourceGitHub Actions: What does the Team plan add to GitHub Actions?
The Team plan provides 3,000 CI/CD minutes per month compared to 2,000 on the Free plan. It costs $4 per user per month for the first 12 months. Minutes apply only to private repository workflows.
SourceRelated pages
More on GitHub Actions
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