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Developer Tools · head to head

GitLab CI/CD vs Krea

GitLab CI/CD logo

GitLab CI/CD

Developer Tools

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

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
K

Krea

Design

Generate, enhance, and edit images, videos, or 3D meshes with AI

From
On request
Free plan
No

The short version

  • GitLab CI/CD is free; Krea prices on request.
  • Where GitLab CI/CD falls short: compute minute quotas for Premium and Ultimate tiers not disclosed in documentation.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where GitLab CI/CD and Krea differ
AttributeGitLab CI/CDKrea
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFreemiumUsage-based
Free tierYesNo
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDesign

Identical on both: platforms (Web).

What people use each for

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

GitLab CI/CD

  • Reducing open source project infrastructure costs with public project discountsnot Krea
  • Enforcing monthly CI/CD spending limits and quota notificationsnot Krea
  • Allocating compute minutes to open source contributors affordablynot Krea
  • Forecasting CI/CD spending patterns across multiple projectsnot Krea
  • Providing private runners for cost control without owning infrastructurenot Krea

Krea

No use cases recorded yet. See the Krea review.

Where each one falls short

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

GitLab CI/CD

  • Compute minute quotas for Premium and Ultimate tiers not disclosed in documentation
  • Additional compute minutes beyond quota incur charges; exact pricing not specified

Krea

  • Usage is metered in compute units that vary by operation; the free tier grants only 100 units per day, and the $9 per month Basic tier steps up to 5,000 units, as of August 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

GitLab CI/CD

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 400 compute minutes per month for free tier namespaces
    • Linux x86-64 runners at 1x cost factor
  • PremiumOn request
    • Higher monthly compute minute quotas than free tier
    • Additional compute minutes available for purchase
  • UltimateOn request
    • Highest monthly compute minute allocations
    • Additional compute minutes available for purchase

Krea

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Krea review.

Which should you pick?

Choose GitLab CI/CD if

  • You want to start without paying.

Choose Krea if

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

Questions people ask

Is GitLab CI/CD or Krea better?
Neither clearly leads. GitLab CI/CD starts at Free and Krea at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GitLab CI/CD or Krea?
GitLab CI/CD has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GitLab CI/CD and On request for Krea.
Does GitLab CI/CD or Krea run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use GitLab CI/CD for free?
Yes. GitLab CI/CD has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Krea starts at On request.
What is GitLab CI/CD best used for?
GitLab CI/CD is most often used for reducing open source project infrastructure costs with public project discounts, enforcing monthly ci/cd spending limits and quota notifications, allocating compute minutes to open source contributors affordably, forecasting ci/cd spending patterns across multiple projects. Of those, reducing open source project infrastructure costs with public project discounts and enforcing monthly ci/cd spending limits and quota notifications are not what Krea is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GitLab CI/CD: How many GitLab CI compute minutes does the free tier include?

The free tier of GitLab CI includes 400 compute minutes per month for free tier namespaces on GitLab.com.

Source
GitLab CI/CD: What is the cost factor for different GitLab CI runner types?

Linux x86-64 small runners cost 1x; medium runners cost 2x; large runners cost 3x. macOS and Windows runners have cost factors of 6-12x and are in beta status.

Source
GitLab CI/CD: Do public open-source projects get discounts on GitLab CI compute minutes?

Public open-source projects receive a 0.5x discount on compute minutes. Public forks of GitLab open-source projects receive a 0.008x discount.

Source
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