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Harness vs Buildkite

Harness logo

Harness

Software

Software delivery platform across CI, CD, security testing and cost management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Buildkite logo

Buildkite

Software

CI/CD pipelines that run on your own compute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Buildkite has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Harness essentials plan caps users at 500, organizations at 1, custom dashboards at 5 and concurrent CI pipeline executions at 60, all unlimited only on Enterprise; Buildkite free plan caps at 5 users and 10 concurrent jobs, with 2,000 Linux vCPU minutes per month and 30 day build retention

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Harness and Buildkite actually diverge.

Attributes where Harness and Buildkite differ
AttributeHarnessBuildkite
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
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.

Harness

  • Essentials plan caps users at 500, organizations at 1, custom dashboards at 5 and concurrent CI pipeline executions at 60, all unlimited only on Enterprise
  • Pipeline history is limited to 6 months on the Essentials plan; extending to 25 months requires an Enterprise add-on
  • Enterprise plan pricing is quote only, reached by contacting sales rather than a published rate

Buildkite

  • Free plan caps at 5 users and 10 concurrent jobs, with 2,000 Linux vCPU minutes per month and 30 day build retention
  • Pro plan is $30 per active user per month, capped at 50 users, with only 10 of the up to 250 concurrent agents included before extra usage
  • Enterprise plan enforces a 30 user minimum even though pricing itself is custom
  • Hosted compute beyond included minutes is metered at $0.004 per vCPU minute on Linux and $0.02 per vCPU minute on Mac

Pricing, plan by plan

Harness

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Harness review.

Buildkite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Buildkite review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Harness if

Nothing in the data separates Harness from Buildkite on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Harness review

Choose Buildkite if

  • You want to start without paying.
Buildkite review

Questions people ask

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

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