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Developer Tools · head to head

GitLab CI/CD vs Speakeasy

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
Full reviewWebsite
Speakeasy logo

Speakeasy

Cybersecurity

AI control plane for governing enterprise agents, MCP servers, and skills

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GitLab CI/CD has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GitLab CI/CD compute minute quotas for Premium and Ultimate tiers not disclosed in documentation; Speakeasy no self-serve pricing is published; every plan requires a sales conversation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where GitLab CI/CD and Speakeasy differ
AttributeGitLab CI/CDSpeakeasy
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebweb, api
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Identical on both: 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 GitLab CI/CD

Nothing recorded that Speakeasy does not also cover.

Only in Speakeasy

  • AI tool catalog
  • Per-agent identity
  • Role-based access control
  • Real-time policy enforcement
  • Audit logging
  • MDM and SSO integration

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 Speakeasy
  • Enforcing monthly CI/CD spending limits and quota notificationsnot Speakeasy
  • Allocating compute minutes to open source contributors affordablynot Speakeasy
  • Forecasting CI/CD spending patterns across multiple projectsnot Speakeasy
  • Providing private runners for cost control without owning infrastructurenot Speakeasy

Speakeasy

  • Governing AI agents at enterprise scalenot GitLab CI/CD
  • Preventing shadow AI tool sprawlnot GitLab CI/CD
  • Enforcing least-privilege access for agentsnot GitLab CI/CD
  • Auditing AI tool call activity for compliancenot GitLab CI/CD

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

Speakeasy

  • No self-serve pricing is published; every plan requires a sales conversation.
  • The product pivoted away from its original SDK-generation offering, so past documentation and customers built on that use case are no longer the focus.
  • Requires integration with an existing identity provider such as Okta or Entra ID to be useful, so it is not a standalone solution.
  • No published free tier or trial pricing was found.

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
  • Premium$null/tiered
    • Higher monthly compute minute quotas than free tier
    • Additional compute minutes available for purchase
  • Ultimate$null/tiered
    • Highest monthly compute minute allocations
    • Additional compute minutes available for purchase

Speakeasy

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom pricing
    • AI tool catalog and visibility
    • Per-agent identity and access control

Which should you pick?

Choose GitLab CI/CD if

  • You want to start without paying.
GitLab CI/CD review

Choose Speakeasy if

  • You need ai tool catalog.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want per-agent identity.
Speakeasy review

Questions people ask

Is GitLab CI/CD or Speakeasy better?
Neither clearly leads. GitLab CI/CD starts at Free and Speakeasy 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 Speakeasy?
GitLab CI/CD has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GitLab CI/CD and On request for Speakeasy.
Does GitLab CI/CD or Speakeasy run on more platforms?
GitLab CI/CD runs on Web. Speakeasy runs on web, api.
Can I use GitLab CI/CD for free?
Yes. GitLab CI/CD has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Speakeasy 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 Speakeasy is typically brought in for.
What can GitLab CI/CD do that Speakeasy cannot?
Speakeasy covers AI tool catalog, Per-agent identity, Role-based access control, Real-time policy enforcement.

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
Speakeasy: How much does Speakeasy cost?

Speakeasy offers an Enterprise tier with features including SaaS catalog integrations, custom server creation, code mode efficiency, and serverless hosting. No specific pricing is published; interested parties contact the company to discuss pricing.

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
Speakeasy: What is included in Speakeasy's Enterprise plan?

The Enterprise plan includes SaaS catalog integrations, custom server creation, code mode efficiency, and serverless hosting. Customers contact Speakeasy to discuss their specific pricing for these features.

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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