A CI/CD cost calculator helps engineering teams estimate monthly pipeline expenses before committing to a platform. GitHub Actions, CircleCI, and GitLab CI all use different pricing models — compute minutes, credits, or flat-rate plans — making direct comparisons difficult without a calculator.
Pipeline Usage
Most CI runs use Linux runners
Enter your usage details and click Compare Costs
Pricing notes: Based on publicly listed 2026 pricing. GitHub Actions: Linux $0.008/min, Windows $0.016/min, macOS $0.08/min, storage $0.25/GB-mo (2,000 free Linux minutes on Free plan). CircleCI: from $15/month with 30,000 credits (~5,000 Linux minutes). GitLab CI: $0.005/min for additional minutes, 400 free on Free tier. Actual costs vary by plan and region.
How to Use the CI/CD Cost Calculator
This CI/CD cost calculator helps you compare monthly expenses across GitHub Actions, CircleCI, and GitLab CI before committing to a platform or upgrading your plan.
Step 1: Estimate Your Compute Minutes
Look at your current pipeline runs and calculate total minutes per month. For GitHub Actions, check the "Actions" billing section in your organization settings. For a team running 50 PRs/day with 6-minute average build time: 50 × 6 × 30 = 9,000 Linux minutes/month.
Step 2: Account for OS Multipliers
Windows runners cost 2x and macOS runners cost 10x the Linux rate on GitHub Actions. If you run iOS builds on macOS, even 500 macOS minutes can cost as much as 5,000 Linux minutes. Enter your OS-specific minutes separately for accurate estimates.
Step 3: Include Artifact Storage
Build artifacts, test reports, and caches accumulate quickly. Each GB stored beyond free allowances adds to monthly cost. A medium project with 30 releases/month may generate 10-50 GB of artifacts depending on retention policy.
Step 4: Check Parallelism Requirements
If your tests benefit from parallel job execution, verify that your plan supports the required concurrent jobs. GitHub Actions Free allows 20 concurrent jobs; CircleCI Free allows 1 concurrent job per pipeline. Parallelism limits can force serial execution and double or triple your wall-clock build time.
When GitHub Actions Is Cheapest
For teams using GitHub repositories, GitHub Actions is typically the most cost-effective option up to ~30,000 Linux minutes/month. The free tier (2,000 minutes/month) covers most individual projects. GitHub also offers 50% discount for GitHub Team plans.
When to Consider GitLab CI
GitLab CI offers the most generous free tier for self-hosted runners (unlimited with your own compute). If you can provision your own infrastructure, GitLab with self-hosted runners can reduce CI costs to near-zero. The managed shared runner costs are $0.005/min beyond free tier.
FAQ
Is this CI/CD cost calculator free to use?
Yes, completely free with no account required. All calculations happen in your browser using publicly available pricing data from each platform.
How accurate are the CI/CD cost estimates?
Estimates are based on publicly listed pricing as of 2026. Actual costs may vary based on your plan tier, negotiated contracts, geographic region, and specific machine types. Always verify with the platform's pricing page before making budget decisions.
What is included in GitHub Actions minutes?
GitHub Actions charges per-minute for compute time on Linux, Windows, and macOS runners. Linux is the base rate ($0.008/min), Windows is 2x, and macOS is 10x. The first 2,000 minutes per month are free on the Free plan.
How does CircleCI credit pricing work?
CircleCI uses a credit system. Credits are consumed based on the resource class (CPU/RAM) and compute time. Different machine types (Docker, Linux VM, macOS) consume credits at different rates. The free tier includes 6,000 credits per month.
What is the cheapest CI/CD platform for small teams?
For small teams with under 2,000 minutes/month, GitHub Actions free tier is typically the most cost-effective option. GitLab CI also offers 400 CI/CD minutes free per month on shared runners. As usage scales, comparing actual compute costs per minute is essential.
Does storage cost matter for CI/CD pricing?
Yes. Artifact storage and caching can add significant costs at scale. GitHub Actions charges $0.25/GB-month for storage over the free allowance. CircleCI and GitLab CI also charge for artifact storage beyond free tier limits. For high artifact volume pipelines, storage can rival compute costs.