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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Skaffold

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Skaffold logo

Skaffold

Software Development

Command-line inner loop for Kubernetes: watch, build, push and deploy on every file save

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; Skaffold the skaffold.yaml apiVersion changes with releases and old configs stop being accepted, so upgrading is not a no-op; you run skaffold fix and re-test your profiles.
  • They diverge on capability: Depot covers Depot CI, Skaffold covers Dev loop.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Skaffold actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Skaffold differ
AttributeDepotSkaffold
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLILinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryDeveloper ToolsSoftware 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 Skaffold

  • Dev loop
  • File sync
  • Pluggable builders
  • Pluggable deployers
  • Profiles
  • Render and apply split
  • Debug mode
  • Automatic port forwarding

What people use each for

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

Depot

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

Skaffold

  • A microservices team whose application cannot be run meaningfully outside a cluster and needs a fast local edit-to-running cyclenot Depot
  • Standardising build and deploy commands across many repositories so onboarding is one command rather than a wiki pagenot Depot
  • Producing rendered manifests in CI for a GitOps controller such as Argo CD to applynot Depot
  • Giving developers on underpowered laptops a remote build path via Cloud Build while keeping the same local workflownot 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

Skaffold

  • The skaffold.yaml apiVersion changes with releases and old configs stop being accepted, so upgrading is not a no-op; you run skaffold fix and re-test your profiles.
  • It is a Google project outside CNCF governance, and the Google Cloud Build and Cloud Deploy integrations are noticeably better developed than anything for AWS or Azure, which shapes the tool toward one cloud.
  • File sync only helps when the runtime picks up changed files without a restart; for compiled languages you are back to a full image rebuild each save and the headline speed advantage largely disappears.
  • It solves the inner loop and stops there. There is no approval workflow, no environment promotion and no audit trail, so you still need a separate delivery tool and now maintain two definitions of how deployment works.
  • Debugging a failing Skaffold run means understanding your builder, your deployer, your cluster and Skaffold's own layering all at once, and its error output often surfaces the underlying tool's message without saying which stage produced it.

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

Skaffold

Free
  • SkaffoldFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed
    • No paid tier or hosted service
    • Support via GitHub issues

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 Skaffold if

  • You need dev loop.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want file sync.
Skaffold review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or Skaffold better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and Skaffold at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or Skaffold?
Depot starts at Free and Skaffold at Free.
Does Depot or Skaffold run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI. Skaffold runs on Linux, macOS, 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 Skaffold is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that Skaffold cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. Skaffold covers Dev loop, File sync, Pluggable builders, Pluggable deployers.

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
Skaffold: Is Skaffold a continuous delivery system?

No. It automates build and deploy for developers and CI, but it has no promotion, approval or rollback governance. Pair it with Argo CD or Cloud Deploy for that.

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
Skaffold: Does Skaffold require Google Cloud?

No, it works against any Kubernetes cluster including local kind or minikube. Google Cloud integrations are optional but are the best-supported ones.

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
Skaffold: Is the project still maintained?

Yes. Releases continued through 2026, with v2.24.0 published in July 2026.

Skaffold: Can it deploy Helm charts?

Yes, Helm is a first-class deployer alongside kubectl, Kustomize and kpt, and you can mix builders and deployers in one config.

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