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Developer Tools · head to head

WarpBuild vs Blacksmith

WarpBuild logo

WarpBuild

Developer Tools

2x faster, 50% cheaper GitHub Actions runners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Blacksmith logo

Blacksmith

Developer Tools

2x faster GitHub Actions with 60% cost savings

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Blacksmith has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: WarpBuild per-minute pricing requires tracking usage to estimate monthly costs; Blacksmith per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs
  • They diverge on capability: WarpBuild covers Optimized runner infrastructure, Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which WarpBuild and Blacksmith actually diverge.

Attributes where WarpBuild and Blacksmith differ
AttributeWarpBuildBlacksmith
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUsage-based per minute, varies by runner configurationUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS, CloudGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

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 WarpBuild

  • Optimized runner infrastructure
  • Intelligent caching
  • Incremental builds
  • Multi-architecture support
  • Unlimited concurrency
  • Autoscaling
  • BYOC support
  • Docker builders

Only in Blacksmith

  • Bare metal runners
  • Multiple OS support
  • ARM support
  • Docker layer caching
  • Sticky disks
  • GitHub Actions observability
  • Free tier
  • Static IPs

What people use each for

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

WarpBuild

  • Accelerating CI builds for teams with high test volumesnot Blacksmith
  • Running tests generated by AI coding assistants efficientlynot Blacksmith
  • Reducing GitHub Actions costs by 50% or morenot Blacksmith
  • Supporting teams that need ARM64 architecture runnersnot Blacksmith

Blacksmith

  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster, cheaper infrastructurenot WarpBuild
  • Accelerating CI build times for organizations with heavy CI loadnot WarpBuild
  • Reducing cloud spend on GitHub Actions by 60% or morenot WarpBuild
  • Supporting ARM architecture builds without GitHub runnersnot WarpBuild

Where each one falls short

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

WarpBuild

  • Per-minute pricing requires tracking usage to estimate monthly costs
  • Large configuration runners (32 vCPU) expensive at $0.064/min
  • macOS M4 Pro 12-core at $0.16/min is highest-cost option
  • BYOC option requires cloud setup by customer

Blacksmith

  • Per-minute pricing model requires estimating usage to predict costs
  • macOS M4 pricing ($0.08/min) is significantly higher than GitHub Actions
  • Docker layer caching and sticky disks are paid add-ons at $0.50/GB/mo
  • Static IP add-on costs $100/IP/mo

Pricing, plan by plan

WarpBuild

On request
  • Linux x86-64 (2vCPU, 8GB)$0.004/minute
    • 2 vCPU
    • 8 GB RAM
    • Standard performance
  • Linux x86-64 (4vCPU, 16GB)$0.008/minute
    • 4 vCPU
    • 16 GB RAM
    • Increased performance
  • Linux x86-64 (8vCPU, 32GB)$0.016/minute
    • 8 vCPU
    • 32 GB RAM
    • High performance
  • Linux x86-64 (16vCPU, 64GB)$0.032/minute
    • 16 vCPU
    • 64 GB RAM
    • Enterprise performance

Blacksmith

Free
  • Ubuntu x64$0.004/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • Ubuntu ARM$0.0025/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • Windows x64$0.008/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads
  • macOS M4$0.08/minute
    • 3,000 free minutes per month
    • 2x faster hardware
    • 4x faster cache downloads

Which should you pick?

Choose WarpBuild if

  • You need optimized runner infrastructure.
  • You work on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS, Cloud.
  • You also want intelligent caching.
WarpBuild review

Choose Blacksmith if

  • You need bare metal runners.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want multiple os support.
Blacksmith review

Questions people ask

Is WarpBuild or Blacksmith better?
Neither clearly leads. WarpBuild starts at On request and Blacksmith at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, WarpBuild or Blacksmith?
Blacksmith has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for WarpBuild and Free for Blacksmith.
Does WarpBuild or Blacksmith run on more platforms?
WarpBuild runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS, Cloud. Blacksmith runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Blacksmith for free?
Yes. Blacksmith has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. WarpBuild starts at On request.
What is WarpBuild best used for?
WarpBuild is most often used for accelerating ci builds for teams with high test volumes, running tests generated by ai coding assistants efficiently, reducing github actions costs by 50% or more, supporting teams that need arm64 architecture runners. Of those, accelerating ci builds for teams with high test volumes and running tests generated by ai coding assistants efficiently are not what Blacksmith is typically brought in for.
What can WarpBuild do that Blacksmith cannot?
WarpBuild covers Optimized runner infrastructure, Intelligent caching, Incremental builds, Multi-architecture support. Blacksmith covers Bare metal runners, Multiple OS support, ARM support, Docker layer caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

WarpBuild: How much cheaper is WarpBuild compared to GitHub Actions?

WarpBuild offers approximately 50% cost savings compared to GitHub-hosted runners. For example, Linux x86-64 2vCPU/8GB costs $0.004/min with WarpBuild vs $0.008/min with GitHub Actions.

Source
Blacksmith: How much do Blacksmith runners cost compared to GitHub Actions?

Blacksmith offers 60-75% cost savings depending on OS. Ubuntu x64 costs $0.004/min vs GitHub at $0.012/min. All plans include 3,000 free minutes monthly.

Source
WarpBuild: What is BYOC and how does it differ from managed runners?

BYOC (Bring Your Own Cloud) allows customers to run WarpBuild on their own cloud infrastructure at $0.002/min. Managed runners use WarpBuild's cloud infrastructure. BYOC provides lower costs but requires customer setup.

Source
Blacksmith: Can I use Docker layer caching with Blacksmith?

Yes, Docker layer caching is available as an add-on at $0.50/GB/mo. Managed Docker layer persistence is included with the base service.

Source
WarpBuild: Does WarpBuild support ARM64 runners?

Yes, WarpBuild offers ARM64 runners at lower costs than x86-64. Linux ARM64 starts at $0.003/min for 2vCPU/8GB configuration.

Source
Blacksmith: What is the SLA for Enterprise plans?

Enterprise Blacksmith plans include a 99.9% SLA guarantee along with 24/7 priority support, dedicated Slack channels, white-glove onboarding, and CI optimization support.

Source
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