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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs MongoDB Atlas

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
MongoDB Atlas logo

MongoDB Atlas

Technology

The multi-cloud developer data platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; MongoDB Atlas m0 free tier limited to learning and exploration only with no backup capability
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and MongoDB Atlas actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and MongoDB Atlas differ
AttributeDepotMongoDB Atlas
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLIWeb
CategoryDeveloper ToolsTechnology
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 MongoDB Atlas

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 MongoDB Atlas
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot MongoDB Atlas
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot MongoDB Atlas
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot MongoDB Atlas

MongoDB Atlas

  • Building applications with flexible JSON document storagenot Depot
  • Performing full-text and vector search on unstructured datanot Depot
  • Scaling multi-cloud deployments across AWS, Azure, GCPnot Depot
  • Streaming event data integration with Kafkanot 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

MongoDB Atlas

  • M0 free tier limited to learning and exploration only with no backup capability
  • Data transfer egress charges apply at 0.12 USD/GB for dedicated clusters; inbound free
  • MongoDB Search and Vector Search add significant per-hour costs starting at 0.12 USD/hour

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

MongoDB Atlas

Free
  • M0 (Free Tier)Free
    • 512 MB storage
    • Shared RAM and vCPU
    • No backups
  • Flex Tier$0.011/hour
    • 5 GB storage
    • Shared RAM and vCPU
    • Pay-as-you-go hourly billing
  • M2 Shared$9/month
    • 2 GB storage
    • Shared RAM and vCPU
  • M5 Shared$25/month
    • 5 GB storage
    • Shared RAM and vCPU

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 MongoDB Atlas if

  • You want to start without paying.
MongoDB Atlas review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or MongoDB Atlas better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and MongoDB Atlas at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or MongoDB Atlas?
Depot starts at Free and MongoDB Atlas at Free.
Does Depot or MongoDB Atlas run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. MongoDB Atlas 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 MongoDB Atlas is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that MongoDB Atlas 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.

Source
MongoDB Atlas: How much does MongoDB Atlas cost?

MongoDB Atlas offers a free M0 tier with 512 MB storage, Flex tier at approximately 8-30 USD/month with pay-per-hour billing, shared clusters at 9-25 USD/month, and dedicated clusters from 56.94 USD/month. Add-on services like MongoDB Search cost 0.12-3.27 USD/hour.

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
MongoDB Atlas: Is there a free tier?

Yes, MongoDB Atlas M0 free tier offers 512 MB storage with shared resources, suitable for learning and exploration. Flex tier allows pay-as-you-go usage starting at 0.011 USD/hour.

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
MongoDB Atlas: What are the data transfer limits?

Inbound data transfer is typically free; egress from dedicated clusters costs 0.12 USD/GB. Free and Flex tiers do not incur data transfer charges.

Source
MongoDB Atlas: What backup options are available?

M0 free tier and Flex tier do not include backups. Dedicated clusters M10 and above include backup services with region and snapshot storage-based pricing.

Source
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