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Developer Tools · head to head

WarpBuild vs Depot

WarpBuild logo

WarpBuild

Developer Tools

2x faster, 50% cheaper GitHub Actions runners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Depot 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; Depot developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • They diverge on capability: WarpBuild covers Optimized runner infrastructure, Depot covers Depot CI.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which WarpBuild and Depot actually diverge.

Attributes where WarpBuild and Depot differ
AttributeWarpBuildDepot
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUsage-based per minute, varies by runner configurationUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsGitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS, CloudCloud, GitHub, CLI
FoundedUnknown2022

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 Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

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 Depot
  • Running tests generated by AI coding assistants efficientlynot Depot
  • Reducing GitHub Actions costs by 50% or morenot Depot
  • Supporting teams that need ARM64 architecture runnersnot Depot

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot WarpBuild
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot WarpBuild
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot WarpBuild
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot 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

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

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

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/month
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/month
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Business$undefined/custom
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

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 Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot review

Questions people ask

Is WarpBuild or Depot better?
Neither clearly leads. WarpBuild starts at On request and Depot at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, WarpBuild or Depot?
Depot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for WarpBuild and Free for Depot.
Does WarpBuild or Depot run on more platforms?
WarpBuild runs on GitHub Actions, Linux, Windows, macOS, Cloud. Depot runs on Cloud, GitHub, CLI.
Can I use Depot for free?
Yes. Depot 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 Depot is typically brought in for.
What can WarpBuild do that Depot cannot?
WarpBuild covers Optimized runner infrastructure, Intelligent caching, Incremental builds, Multi-architecture support. Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed 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
Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

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
Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

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
Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
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