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Software · head to head

GitLab CI/CD vs Helm

G

GitLab CI/CD

Software

Automatically build, test, deploy, and monitor your applications with GitLab CI/CD

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
H

Helm

Software

The package manager for Kubernetes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Helm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GitLab CI/CD free tier namespaces receive only 400 compute minutes per month per docs.gitlab.com; GPU runners consume minutes at up to 7x the rate of a small Linux x86-64 runner; Helm licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (helm/helm LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GitLab CI/CD and Helm actually diverge.

Attributes where GitLab CI/CD and Helm differ
AttributeGitLab CI/CDHelm
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelusage-basedopen-source
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GitLab CI/CD

  • Free tier namespaces receive only 400 compute minutes per month per docs.gitlab.com; GPU runners consume minutes at up to 7x the rate of a small Linux x86-64 runner
  • Additional compute minutes beyond the monthly quota must be purchased separately through GitLab's pricing pages, which returned a 403 to this fetcher on 2026-08-19; the mechanism is pay-per-minute-pack rather than a flat overage rate published in the documentation

Helm

  • Licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (helm/helm LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • Contributors must sign commits under the Developer Certificate of Origin to have them accepted, per helm.sh, a process requirement not all Kubernetes tools impose

Pricing, plan by plan

GitLab CI/CD

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the GitLab CI/CD review.

Helm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Helm review.

Which should you pick?

Choose GitLab CI/CD if

Nothing in the data separates GitLab CI/CD from Helm on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

GitLab CI/CD review

Choose Helm if

  • You want to start without paying.
Helm review

Questions people ask

Is GitLab CI/CD or Helm better?
Neither clearly leads. GitLab CI/CD starts at On request and Helm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GitLab CI/CD or Helm?
Helm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for GitLab CI/CD and Free for Helm.
Does GitLab CI/CD or Helm run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Helm for free?
Yes. Helm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GitLab CI/CD starts at On request.
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