--- title: "GitHub Actions Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)" description: "GitHub Actions (CI/CD): Free tier. Plans, pros & cons, and GitHub Actions alternatives compared for startups in 2026." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/github-actions retrieved: 2026-11-13 --- ![GitHub Actions logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/github.svg) [CI/CD](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/ci%5Fcd)Free tier # GitHub Actions: Pricing, Features & Alternatives GitHub Actions automates workflows directly in your GitHub repo. Build, test, and deploy code with CI/CD pipelines and community-created actions. Who it’s for: Teams whose code lives on GitHub and who want CI/CD in the same place, with free minutes to start. Category CI/CD Pricing Free tier available Free tier Yes Best for CI/CD: GitHub, marketplace actions, free for public repos ## GitHub Actions at a Glance What it is CI/CD built into GitHub Where jobs run GitHub-hosted or self-hosted runners Free access $12 of compute a month; public repos free How you pay Per runner-minute beyond the included amount Self-hosting Self-hosted runners, free Checked November 2026 against [GitHub Actions billing](https://docs.github.com/en/billing/concepts/product-billing/github-actions), [GitHub pricing](https://github.com/pricing). [Visit GitHub Actions official site](https://github.com/features/actions) ## GitHub Actions Pricing Plans (2026) | Plan | Price | Highlights | | ----------- | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | FreePopular | Free | $12 of included compute a month (about 2,000 Linux minutes) · Public repos free on standard runners · 500 MB artifact storage | | Team | $4/user/month | $18 of included compute a month (about 3,000 Linux minutes) · 2 GB artifact storage · Required reviewers, code owners | | Enterprise | $21/user/month | $300 of included compute a month (about 50,000 Linux minutes) · 50 GB artifact storage · SAML SSO, audit logs | Pricing summary: Free · paid from $4/user/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site. ## Key GitHub Actions Features * ✓Included compute each month is a dollar amount: $12 on Free (about 2,000 Linux minutes), $18 on Pro and Team, $300 on Enterprise Cloud * ✓Linux 2-core $0.006 a minute, Windows $0.010, macOS $0.062; Linux 1-core $0.002 * ✓Standard runners on public repositories are free and don’t use the allowance * ✓Self-hosted runners don’t use included compute * ✓GitHub Team is $4 a user a month; Enterprise $21 ### ✓ Pros * +Built into GitHub repositories * +Free on public repos with standard runners * +Large marketplace of actions * +Self-hosted runners don’t use the allowance ### ✗ Cons * −macOS minutes cost $0.062 each * −Small included compute on Free * −Workflow YAML gets complex ## Best GitHub Actions Alternatives [Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/github-actions) [![Buildkite logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=buildkite.com&sz=128)BuildkiteFree · paid from $30/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/buildkite)[![GitLab CI/CD logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=gitlab.com&sz=128)GitLab CI/CDFree · paid from $29/user/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/gitlab-ci)[![Jenkins logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=jenkins.io&sz=128)JenkinsFree](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/jenkins)[![CircleCI logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/circleci.svg)CircleCIFree · paid from $15/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/circleci) ## GitHub Actions Compared [GitHub Actions vs Argo CD](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/argo-cd-vs-github-actions)[GitHub Actions vs Depot](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/depot-vs-github-actions)[GitHub Actions vs Buildkite](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/buildkite-vs-github-actions)[GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/github-actions-vs-gitlab-ci)[GitHub Actions vs Jenkins](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/github-actions-vs-jenkins)[GitHub Actions vs CircleCI](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/circleci-vs-github-actions) ## GitHub Actions FAQ What is GitHub Actions used for?⌄ GitHub Actions is a ci/cd tool. CI/CD and automation platform built into GitHub repositories. Is GitHub Actions free?⌄ Yes. GitHub Actions has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features. How much does GitHub Actions cost?⌄ GitHub Actions offers a free tier, with paid plans starting at $4/month. What are the best GitHub Actions alternatives?⌄ Popular GitHub Actions alternatives include Buildkite, GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, CircleCI. Compare pricing and features on our GitHub Actions alternatives page. ## Not sure if GitHub Actions fits your stack? Get a free, AI-powered tech stack tailored to your budget, app type, and team size, including the best ci/cd pick for you. [Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)