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, GitHub pricing.
GitHub Actions Pricing Plans (2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| FreePopular | Free |
| Team | $4/user/month |
| Enterprise | $21/user/month |
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
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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.
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