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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Maestro

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Maestro logo

Maestro

Mobile Development

Open source mobile UI testing with YAML flows, and a cloud priced per concurrent device rather than per test minute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; Maestro cloud pricing is per concurrent device at 250 USD per month, so the cost is driven by how quickly you need the suite to finish rather than by how much you test, and a team wanting a fast pull request gate buys several devices at once.
  • They diverge on capability: Depot covers Depot CI, Maestro covers YAML test flows.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Maestro actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Maestro differ
AttributeDepotMaestro
Pricing modelUnknownPer concurrent cloud device per month
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLIiOS, Android, Web, macOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryDeveloper ToolsMobile Development
Founded2022Unknown

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 Maestro

  • YAML test flows
  • Built-in flakiness tolerance
  • Maestro Studio
  • Open source CLI
  • Cloud device runs
  • CI and pull request integration

What people use each for

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

Depot

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

Maestro

  • A mobile team replacing an Appium suite that spends more engineering time on maintenance than on new coveragenot Depot
  • Running smoke tests on every pull request without buying and maintaining a physical device labnot Depot
  • Letting a QA specialist who does not write application code author and own the end-to-end suitenot Depot
  • Reproducing a reported bug by recording the exact flow in Studio and committing it as a regression testnot 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

Maestro

  • Cloud pricing is per concurrent device at 250 USD per month, so the cost is driven by how quickly you need the suite to finish rather than by how much you test, and a team wanting a fast pull request gate buys several devices at once.
  • YAML is deliberately limited, so tests with real conditional logic or data-driven permutations end up in embedded scripting blocks where the readability advantage that justified the format disappears.
  • Maestro drives the app as a black box, so it cannot assert on internal state, mock a network layer from inside the process or inspect application memory the way an in-process framework can.
  • The hosted device catalogue is narrower than dedicated device clouds, so testing against a long tail of specific manufacturer builds and older operating system versions still requires another provider.
  • The project rebranded from mobile.dev to Maestro, so a share of existing tutorials, blog posts and links point at old domains and documentation that no longer match the current tooling.

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

Maestro

Free
  • LocalFree
    • Free and open source CLI
    • Maestro Studio, Viewer and MCP
    • Runs on your own simulators, emulators and devices
  • Cloud$250/month
    • Per device per month
    • Unlimited hosted test runs
    • Hosted Android, iOS and web devices
  • Enterprise Cloud$undefined/year
    • Quoted
    • SSO and dedicated support
    • Custom contracts

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.
Depot review

Choose Maestro if

  • You need yaml test flows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web, macOS, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want built-in flakiness tolerance.
Maestro review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or Maestro better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and Maestro at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or Maestro?
Depot starts at Free and Maestro at Free.
Does Depot or Maestro run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. Maestro runs on iOS, Android, Web, macOS, Linux, Windows.
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 Maestro is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that Maestro cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. Maestro covers YAML test flows, Built-in flakiness tolerance, Maestro Studio, Open source CLI.

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.

Source
Maestro: Is Maestro free?

The CLI, Studio and local execution are free and open source. The hosted device cloud is 250 USD per device per month.

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
Maestro: What exactly does per device mean?

It is a concurrency slot. One device runs one test at a time, so suite duration is a function of how many devices you buy.

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
Maestro: How does it compare with Appium?

Tests are YAML rather than code and flakiness handling is built in, which reduces maintenance, at the cost of lower-level control.

Maestro: Can it test web applications too?

Yes, the cloud offers hosted web devices alongside Android and iOS, though the product centre of gravity is mobile.

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