Celesto vs Blacksmith
Both run your GitHub Actions on fresh microVMs after a one-line change. On the same hardware, Celesto gives you 6× more CI per dollar. Blacksmith covers more platforms.
- Same 2 vCPU · 8 GB runner
- 6×more CI per dollar
- 83% less per minute · $0.00067 vs $0.004
- Smallest runner
- $0.00025/min
- Micro, 1 vCPU · 2 GB. Blacksmith starts at 2 vCPU for $0.004.
- actions/cache
- Built in
- No workflow changes and no storage fee.
Same workload, two bills.
Pick a monthly runtime and a runner size.
You keep $66.67 a month — or run 6× more CI for the same budget.
List runtime prices before free allowances or credits, at equal runtime on both. Blacksmith includes 3,000 free minutes each month; Celesto starts with a one-time $5 credit.
Size for size.
Each Blacksmith Linux x64 runner next to the Celesto runner with the same CPU and memory.
| Hardware | Blacksmith | Celesto | CI per dollar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 vCPU · 8 GB | $0.004/min | $0.00067/min | 6×83% less |
| 4 vCPU · 16 GB | $0.008/min | $0.0013/min | 6×83% less |
| 8 vCPU · 32 GB | $0.016/min | $0.0027/min | 6×83% less |
Feature by feature.
A dot marks whoever has the edge on that line.
Price
- 2 vCPU · 8 GB, per minute
- $0.00067(Celesto has the edge)
- $0.004
- Smallest runner
- 1 vCPU at $0.00025/min(Celesto has the edge)
- 2 vCPU at $0.004/min
- Free usage
- $5 one-time credit
- 3,000 min every month(Blacksmith has the edge)
- Seat or platform fee
- None
- None
Caching
- actions/cacheNew
- Served by Celesto, no workflow change
- Colocated, no workflow change
- Cache storage
- Up to 25 GB per repo, no fee
- 25 GB per repo, no fee
- Docker layer cache
- Not available
- $0.50 per GB-month(Blacksmith has the edge)
Platforms
- Linux x64
- Ubuntu 24.04
- Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04
- Largest Linux runner
- 8 vCPU · 32 GB
- 32 vCPU · 128 GB(Blacksmith has the edge)
- ARM, Windows, macOS
- Not yet
- All three(Blacksmith has the edge)
- Docker and service containers
- Not supported
- Supported(Blacksmith has the edge)
Running jobs
- Isolation
- Fresh microVM per job
- Fresh microVM per job
- Logs and results
- In GitHub Actions
- GitHub Actions, plus log search and test analytics(Blacksmith has the edge)
- SSH into a runner
- No
- Yes(Blacksmith has the edge)
- Migration
- Change runs-on
- Change runs-on
Celesto has the edge Blacksmith has the edge
Which one fits?
Choose Celesto if
- Your Linux jobs cost too much: 6× more CI per dollar on the same hardware
- Coding agents open pull requests all day, and CI runs on every push
- Lint and unit tests fit a 1 vCPU runner at $0.00025/min
- Your workflows use actions/cache and should keep working unchanged
Stay on Blacksmith if
- You need ARM, Windows, or macOS runners
- Your jobs build Docker images or use container jobs and service containers
- A single job needs more than 8 vCPU
- You rely on built-in test analytics, log search, or SSH into runners
Switch in one line.
Install the GitHub App, then swap the runner label. Your steps, caches, and logs stay in GitHub Actions.
− runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404+ runs-on: [self-hosted, celesto-memory]Questions.
Is Celesto cheaper than Blacksmith?
Yes, on list price. On matching Linux x64 hardware, Celesto charges 83% less per minute, which is 6× more CI per dollar: $0.00067 against $0.004 for 2 vCPU and 8 GB, and the same ratio at 4 and 8 vCPU. Blacksmith includes 3,000 free minutes each month, so on that size Celesto costs less once you run more than about 3,600 minutes a month.
Does Celesto cache dependencies like Blacksmith?
Yes. Celesto serves the GitHub Actions cache itself, so actions/cache and the cache option of setup-node, setup-python, and similar actions work without workflow changes. Storage is included at no extra charge. Docker layer caching is not available on Celesto.
How do I move a workflow from Blacksmith to Celesto?
Install the Celesto CI GitHub App and finish setup. Then replace each Blacksmith label with the Celesto size that has the same CPU and memory: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404 becomes [self-hosted, celesto-memory], 4vcpu becomes celesto-large, and 8vcpu becomes celesto-xl. Your workflow steps stay the same.
What does Blacksmith support that Celesto does not?
Blacksmith offers ARM, Windows, and macOS runners, Linux runners up to 32 vCPU, Docker builds with layer caching, container jobs and service containers, SSH access to runners, and test analytics. Celesto runs Linux x64 jobs on Ubuntu 24.04 with up to 8 vCPU.
Is Celesto faster than Blacksmith?
We have not published a speed benchmark against Blacksmith, so this page compares list prices only. Job time depends on your workload. Run one workflow on both and compare the duration and the bill.
Can I use Celesto and Blacksmith at the same time?
Yes. The runner is chosen per job by its runs-on label, so you can move price-sensitive Linux jobs to Celesto and keep Docker, ARM, Windows, or macOS jobs on Blacksmith.
Start with $5 in credits. Rerun your slowest workflow.
Install Celesto CIBlacksmith details from its public pricing and documentation, checked October 16, 2026: Pricing · Runners · Dependency cache · Docker builds · SSH. Celesto prices come from the current runner catalog. Rates compare list prices, not measured job speed.Blacksmith is a trademark of its owner; Celesto is not affiliated with it.