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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Vite

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vite logo

Vite

Developer Tools

Next generation frontend tooling

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development; Vite does not support Node.js built-in polyfills, requiring manual configuration for CommonJS libraries

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Vite actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Vite differ
AttributeDepotVite
PlatformsCloud, GitHub, CLINode.js, Deno, Bun
Founded20222020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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 Vite

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

Vite

  • Developers speeding up hot module replacement during React developmentnot Depot
  • Vue.js teams reducing rebuild times in large monorepo codebasesnot Depot
  • Teams building with TypeScript without additional tooling configurationnot Depot
  • Open-source contributors testing code changes in sub-second feedbacknot 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

Vite

  • Does not support Node.js built-in polyfills, requiring manual configuration for CommonJS libraries
  • File watching fails on Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 in certain conditions
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to webpack
  • Ampersands in Windows project paths cause module resolution failures

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

Vite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Vite 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 Vite if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Node.js, Deno, Bun.
Vite review

Questions people ask

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

Vite automatically converts CommonJS dependencies to ES modules during pre-bundling using esbuild, but it does not support Node.js built-in polyfills. For projects requiring Node builtins, additional configuration may be needed.

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
Vite: Can Vite work offline?

Vite requires internet for initial dependency pre-bundling with esbuild. Once dependencies are pre-bundled and cached, development can continue with local file serving, but full offline development is not 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
Vite: What are Vite's system requirements on Windows?

Vite can run on Windows, but WSL2 users may experience file watching issues where Vite cannot detect file changes in certain conditions. Windows users with project paths containing ampersands may encounter module resolution failures with npm.

Source
Vite: Does Vite support TypeScript, JSX, and CSS out of the box?

Yes. Vite natively supports TypeScript, JSX, CSS, and WebAssembly without additional configuration needed for basic use.

Source
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