Celesto vs Instabox
Run Linux jobs on Celesto without a monthly runner subscription. Instabox offers a free single-machine plan and lower paid CPU-and-memory rates; compare those benefits with the commitment and storage charges of its paid plans.
Install Celesto CIChecked November 1, 2026. Sources and assumptions
Celesto skips the paid monthly plan for flexible Linux CI
At 2 vCPU and 4 GiB, Instabox’s published CPU-and-memory rates total $0.017/hour before storage, below Celesto Standard’s $0.03/hour ($0.0005/min). Instabox Pro costs $20/month with $20 of monthly usage credit; usage above it is extra. Paid allocated storage is $0.00011/GiB-hour and egress above the plan allowance is $0.02/GiB. Celesto has no monthly runner plan and bills computer runtime including preparation and cleanup. Instabox’s free plan runs one 4-vCPU/8-GiB machine and supports only instabox-medium CI; do not apply the $20 paid minimum to that free tier.
Instabox: free medium-only CI, or paid plans from $20/month with usage credits; storage and egress charges apply. CPU count and memory alone do not establish equal hardware performance, network speed, or completed-job cost.
Pay for Celesto runtime without committing to a paid sandbox plan.
| Feature | Celesto | Instabox |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and commitments | ||
| Paid monthly plan | No monthly runner subscription(Celesto has the edge) | Pro from $20/month, includes $20 usage credit |
| 2 vCPU · 4 GiB compute | $0.03/hour | $0.017/hour CPU + RAM, before storage(Instabox has the edge) |
| Free usage | $5 one-time Micro credit, expires in 30 days | Free plan: one medium 4 vCPU / 8 GiB machine(Instabox has the edge) |
| Paid storage | Runner disk included in size rate(Celesto has the edge) | $0.00011 per allocated GiB-hour |
| Workflow fit | ||
| GitHub Actions | GitHub App, workspace setup, runs-on label | GitHub App and runs-on label |
| Job lifecycle | Fresh Linux x64 computer per job | Fresh Ubuntu 24.04 machine per job, deleted afterward |
| Runner sizes | Six sizes, 1–8 vCPU and 2–32 GB | CI small 2/4, medium 4/8, large 8/16; free medium only |
| Dependency cache | actions/cache and setup action caches; up to 25 GiB per paid repo included | Validate cache behavior on your workflow; CI guide does not specify a cache SLA |
Cost and commitments
- Paid monthly plan
- CelestoNo monthly runner subscription Has the edge
- InstaboxPro from $20/month, includes $20 usage credit
- 2 vCPU · 4 GiB compute
- Celesto$0.03/hour
- Instabox$0.017/hour CPU + RAM, before storage Has the edge
- Free usage
- Celesto$5 one-time Micro credit, expires in 30 days
- InstaboxFree plan: one medium 4 vCPU / 8 GiB machine Has the edge
- Paid storage
- CelestoRunner disk included in size rate Has the edge
- Instabox$0.00011 per allocated GiB-hour
Workflow fit
- GitHub Actions
- CelestoGitHub App, workspace setup, runs-on label
- InstaboxGitHub App and runs-on label
- Job lifecycle
- CelestoFresh Linux x64 computer per job
- InstaboxFresh Ubuntu 24.04 machine per job, deleted afterward
- Runner sizes
- CelestoSix sizes, 1–8 vCPU and 2–32 GB
- InstaboxCI small 2/4, medium 4/8, large 8/16; free medium only
- Dependency cache
- Celestoactions/cache and setup action caches; up to 25 GiB per paid repo included
- InstaboxValidate cache behavior on your workflow; CI guide does not specify a cache SLA
Choose Celesto when
- You want paid Linux CI without a monthly subscription
- Your workload benefits from a small 1-vCPU runner
- You want runner disk and supported dependency caching included in the runtime offering
Choose Instabox when
- One free medium runner is enough for your jobs
- Lower raw CPU/RAM rates outweigh the paid-plan commitment and storage charges
- You also want Instabox’s persistent sandbox and snapshot workflows
Keep GitHub Actions. Move compatible Linux jobs.
Install Celesto’s GitHub App, link a workspace, and fund a paid runner size. This example selects Standard, 2 vCPU and 4 GB, at $0.0005/minute. Port provider-specific caches, custom images, or pipeline syntax before migrating. The Micro-only trial starts with $5 shared credit, expires after 30 days, and allows one retained sandbox at a time.
1jobs:
2 test:
3 runs-on: [self-hosted, celesto-standard]
4 steps:
5 - uses: actions/checkout@v4
6 - run: npm ci && npm testCelesto bills computer runtime including preparation and cleanup. Linux x64 only; a two-hour safety limit applies. Concurrency depends on workspace limits, credit, and capacity.
Questions before you switch
Is Celesto always cheaper than Instabox?
No. Instabox’s 2-vCPU/4-GiB CPU-and-memory sum is $0.017/hour before storage, below Celesto’s $0.03/hour. Instabox also has a free medium-only CI tier. Celesto’s advantage is usage-priced paid CI without a monthly runner plan; compare actual runtime, paid plan credits, storage, egress, and free-tier eligibility.
Does Instabox require a $20/month plan for CI?
Not for every job. Its free plan supports instabox-medium only with one 4-vCPU/8-GiB machine. Paid plans start at $20/month and enable additional sizes and concurrency. A plan minimum must not be attributed to the free runner.
Is Celesto’s hardware or network faster?
We have not published a matched Instabox benchmark. CPU/RAM counts and list rates do not measure CPU generation, network throughput, cache performance, or completed-build cost. Run the same workflow on both before choosing on speed.
How does CI dependency caching work?
Linux x64 jobs include actions/cache and setup-node/setup-python caching without changes to compatible cache steps. Cache storage has no separate charge. Default per-repository limits are 5 GiB on trial and promotional credit and 25 GiB on paid credit; caches expire after 7 idle days. CI runtime consumes workspace credit.
Which Docker workflows are supported?
Docker Engine, Buildx, and Compose are preinstalled. Docker builds, Compose workflows, and GitHub service containers are verified. Validate Docker actions and whole-job containers before migrating. Docker’s explicit --cpus flag failed the documented preflight.
Do Docker layers persist between CI jobs?
No. Each job starts fresh. Use registry caches or portable archives through actions/cache to reuse layers. Direct BuildKit type=gha,version=2 cache export failed the documented preflight.
Sources and assumptions
Pricing and capabilities checked November 1, 2026. No matched performance or network benchmark is claimed here. Instabox is a trademark of its owner; Celesto is not affiliated with it.