Softwr

Development Tools · head to head

Helm vs Buildkite

H

Helm

Development Tools

The package manager for Kubernetes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Buildkite logo

Buildkite

Development Tools

CI/CD pipelines that run on your own compute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; 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 Helm and Buildkite actually diverge.

Attributes where Helm and Buildkite differ
AttributeHelmBuildkite
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Development Tools).

Where each one falls short

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

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

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

Helm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Helm review.

Buildkite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Buildkite review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Helm if

  • You want to start without paying.
Helm review

Choose Buildkite if

  • You want to start without paying.
Buildkite review

Questions people ask

Is Helm or Buildkite better?
Neither clearly leads. Helm starts at Free and Buildkite at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Helm or Buildkite?
Helm starts at Free and Buildkite at Free.
Does Helm or Buildkite run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Helm for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Helm

More on Buildkite

Keep looking

Other head to heads