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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Turborepo

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Turborepo logo

Turborepo

Developer Tools

High-performance build system for JavaScript and TypeScript monorepos

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; Turborepo no commercial support mentioned

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Turborepo actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Turborepo differ
AttributeDepotTurborepo
Pricing modelUnknownopen-source
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLIJavaScript/TypeScript, npm, yarn, pnpm
Founded20222015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

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 Turborepo

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

Turborepo

  • Monorepo build orchestrationnot Depot
  • JavaScript/TypeScript build optimizationnot Depot
  • Incremental buildsnot Depot
  • Task caching and remote executionnot 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

Turborepo

  • No commercial support mentioned
  • Build tool with community-driven development

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

Turborepo

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Turborepo review.

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 Turborepo if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on JavaScript/TypeScript, npm, yarn, pnpm.
Turborepo review

Questions people ask

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

Yes. Turborepo is open-source and free to use. The project is maintained and documented on turborepo.dev (redirected from turbo.build).

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
Turborepo: Does Turborepo offer commercial support or enterprise tiers?

No pricing tiers or commercial support details are provided on the Turborepo documentation site. The project appears to be community-supported.

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
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