CI/CD Cost Comparison
Compare GitHub Actions (Linux/Windows/macOS minutes) and CircleCI (credits) for tiny, startup and macOS-heavy scenarios — or enter a custom workload. Startup: GHA $60 (included=0), CircleCI Performance pack ceil $45. Optional helper maps Linux minutes → 10 credits/min (estimate only). GitLab CI parked. Official prices as of 2026-11-03; provider pages prevail.
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| Vendor | Total / mo | Math (list price, not a quote) |
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Units differ — columns for GHA Linux/Windows/macOS minutes vs CircleCI credits; compare your real bill drivers. Optional helper maps Linux-equivalent minutes → CircleCI via 10 credits/min (Linux Medium FAQ) as estimate only. Scenario A (tiny): GHA Free $12 covers 1k Linux; CircleCI Free 25k → both ~$0. Scenario B (startup): 10k Linux → GHA $60 (included=0; after Team $18 → $42); CircleCI 100k credits → Performance paid 70k → ceil 3 packs $45. Scenario C (macOS heavy): 1k macOS GHA $62; CircleCI macOS rates vary — enter credits. GitLab CI parked. Every line is list price, not a quote.
Estimates only. Official list prices as of 2026-11-03 (Asia/Shanghai); the provider's pricing page prevails. Sources: GitHub Actions · CircleCI
GitHub Actions Cost Calculator · CircleCI Cost Calculator · PaaS Hosting Cost Comparison · Serverless Compute Cost Comparison
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- VPS Hosting Cost Comparison DO · Vultr · Linode · Lightsail VPS monthly $.
- Serverless Compute Cost Comparison Workers vs Lambda vs Vercel Fluid monthly compute $.
How it works
- Which is cheaper for a tiny free-tier workload?
- Scenario A: GitHub Actions Free $12 included covers ~1k Linux minutes; CircleCI Free 25k credits → both ~$0 within free caps.
- What does a startup 10k Linux-minute month cost?
- Scenario B: GHA with included=0 → 10,000 × $0.006 = $60 (after Team $18 included → $42). CircleCI via 10 credits/min estimate → 100k credits on Performance → paid 70k → ceil 3 × $15 = $45. Units differ — list price, not a quote.
- How do I compare macOS builds?
- Scenario C: 1,000 macOS minutes on GHA = $62 (included=0). CircleCI macOS resource-class rates vary — enter your credits on the CircleCI calculator rather than inventing a rate.
- Can I convert Linux minutes to CircleCI credits?
- Only as an estimate. The CircleCI FAQ lists Linux Medium at 10 credits/min; other classes differ. Toggle the map helper on the comparison page and treat it as approximate.
- Are these quotes? Is GitLab included?
- No — every line is list price checked on 2026-11-03 (Asia/Shanghai) from GitHub Actions billing docs and circleci.com/pricing. GitLab CI is parked for now. Provider pages prevail.