BuildPulse vs Depot
Both replace GitHub-hosted runners with a one-line change. BuildPulse lists 33% less per minute than Depot on x64 and 58% less on arm64, charges no plan fee, and includes flaky test detection with every run. Here are the prices side by side, and where each one fits.
33%
less per minute than Depot on Linux x64, every size
58%
less per minute on arm64, where Depot charges its x64 price
$0
plan fee: BuildPulse bills the minute and nothing else
3,000
free base minutes every month, at every size
At a glance
| Depot runners | BuildPulse runners | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per minute, x64 | $0.006 at 2 vCPU to $0.192 at 64 | $0.004 to $0.128, 33% less |
| Price per minute, arm64 | Same as x64 | $0.0025 at 2 vCPU, 58% less |
| Plan fee | A monthly plan fee in addition to minutes | None. Per minute only, no minimums, no commitment |
| Free minutes | See Depot’s pricing page | 3,000 base minutes a month, at every size |
| CI providers | GitHub Actions | GitHub Actions, CircleCI and Semaphore, on the same machines and prices |
| Flaky test detection | Not included | Included with every run: detection, quarantine and per-test timing |
| Sizes | 2 to 64 vCPU | 2 to 64 vCPU, x64 and arm64, plus Docker builder runners |
| Config change | The runs-on label | The runs-on label |
Price per minute, size by size
Each row is the same vCPU count on both sides, at each vendor's list price per minute. Depot lists one price for x64 and arm64; BuildPulse prices arm64 below x64, which is why the arm64 gap is wider. Depot also charges a monthly plan fee, which is not in its per-minute column.
Linux x64
| Linux x64 | Memory | BuildPulse $/min | Depot $/min | Per minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 vCPU · 2x | 8 GB | $0.004 | 33% less | |
| 4 vCPU · 4x | 16 GB | $0.008 | 33% less | |
| 8 vCPU · 8x | 32 GB | $0.016 | 33% less | |
| 16 vCPU · 16x | 64 GB | $0.032 | 33% less | |
| 32 vCPU · 32x | 128 GB | $0.064 | 33% less | |
| 64 vCPU · 64x | 256 GB | $0.128 | 33% less |
Linux arm64
| Linux arm64 | Memory | BuildPulse $/min | Depot $/min | Per minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 vCPU · 2x | 8 GB | $0.0025 | 58% less | |
| 4 vCPU · 4x | 16 GB | $0.005 | 58% less | |
| 8 vCPU · 8x | 32 GB | $0.010 | 58% less | |
| 16 vCPU · 16x | 64 GB | $0.020 | 58% less | |
| 32 vCPU · 32x | 128 GB | $0.040 | 58% less | |
| 64 vCPU · 64x | 256 GB | $0.080 | 58% less |
Depot prices from Depot's runner types page, checked September 18, 2026, before its monthly plan fee. BuildPulse prices are the same ones on /pricing.
What BuildPulse adds
Flaky test detection included
Every run is parsed for flaky tests and per-test timing, with quarantine and Jira-linked triage. No second tool, no separate bill.
CircleCI and Semaphore too
The same machines and per-minute prices run CircleCI jobs through a self-hosted runner and Semaphore jobs through a self-hosted agent, so one vendor covers every pipeline.
No plan fee, fixed egress IPs
Per-minute billing with no monthly plan. Runners leave from four fixed addresses you can allowlist, and a dedicated egress IP is available on request.
When Depot may fit better
Depot is a well-built product and this page is not here to say otherwise. If what you mainly want is Depot's remote container build service outside of CI, or you are already on a Depot plan that bundles the features you use, it may be the better fit, and the honest move is to keep it. If your question is the per-minute price of a GitHub Actions runner, whether you can drop the plan fee, and whether flaky test detection can come with the runner rather than beside it, the tables above answer it.
FAQ
Is there a plan fee?
No. BuildPulse bills the minute and nothing else: no monthly plan, no minimum, no commitment. The first 3,000 base minutes a month are free on every account.
How fast are BuildPulse runners compared with Depot’s?
We have not benchmarked Depot’s runners, so this page makes no claim about their speed. Our published benchmark is against GitHub-hosted runners, and the repository is public if you want to add a lane for any other vendor.
How do I switch from Depot?
Change the runs-on label on a job to a BuildPulse label such as bp-ubuntu-latest-x64-4x. Your steps, actions, caches and secrets stay as they are. Run both for a day and keep whichever is faster on your repository.
Does arm64 cost the same as x64?
No. BuildPulse prices arm64 (Graviton) below x64 at every size, $0.0025 a minute at 2 vCPU against $0.004. Depot lists the same price for both.
Our speed numbers against GitHub-hosted runners are in the GitHub Actions benchmark and github.com/buildpulse/runner-benchmarks; the full comparison is BuildPulse vs GitHub-hosted runners.
Run both for a day
Point one workflow at a BuildPulse label and keep whichever is faster on your repository. Nothing else in your workflow moves.
3,000 free minutes every month · No credit card required