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Buildkite vs GitHub: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Buildkite and GitHub. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: GitHub starts at $4/mo, making it $26/mo cheaper than Buildkite ($30/mo). Buildkite offers a free plan.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026

Buildkite vs GitHub: Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureBuildkiteGitHub
Starting Price$30/mo$4/mo
Number of Plans33
Free TierYesYes
Pricing Modelper-seatper-seat
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

GitHub is the more affordable option, starting at $4/mo compared to Buildkite's $30/mo. Both are Dev Tools with 6 combined pricing plans and 44 features compared. At comparable tiers, the monthly price difference is $9.

Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Dev Tools needs.

Pricing Plans
Buildkite
Buildkite
Try it free
Tier 1
Personal
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 3 concurrent jobs (hosted+self-hosted) per org/mo
  • 50k test executions/mo
  • 1GB storage & bandwidth (combined)/mo
  • 500 minutes/month
Start with Personal
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Unlimited public/private repositories
  • Dependabot security and version updates
  • 2,000 CI/CD minutes/month
  • 500MB of Packages storage
  • Issues & Projects
  • Community support
Start with Free
Tier 2
ProPopular
$30/month
$30 / year
Includes
  • 10 concurrent self-hosted agents per org/mo
  • Unlimited test executions
  • 250 managed tests per org/mo
  • 20GB storage & bandwidth (combined) per org/mo
  • 2,000 minutes/month
  • SSO
  • Priority email support
Start with Pro
Team
$4/monthCheapest
$0 / year
Includes
  • Everything included in Free, plus...
  • Access to GitHub Codespaces
  • Repository rules
  • Multiple reviewers in pull requests
  • Draft pull requests
  • Code owners
  • Required reviewers
  • Pages and Wikis
  • 3,000 CI/CD minutes/month
  • 2GB of Packages storage
Start with Team
Tier 3
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Build the perfect plan for your business
  • Unlimited pipelines
  • Volume discounts
  • Advanced governance & control
  • Custom SCIM, SAML, ADFS
  • User & API activity audit logs
  • Build exports
Start with Enterprise
EnterprisePopular
$21/monthCheapest
$2 / year
Includes
  • Everything included in Team, plus...
  • Data residency
  • Enterprise Managed Users
  • User provisioning through SCIM
  • Enterprise Account to centrally manage multiple organizations
  • Environment protection rules
  • Audit Log API
  • SOC1, SOC2, type 2 reports annually
  • SAML single sign-on
  • Advanced auditing
Start with Enterprise

Swipe to compare plans →

Buildkite

CI/CD platform running builds on your own infrastructure

View all Buildkite plans

GitHub

Code hosting, version control, and collaboration platform

View all GitHub plans
Our Pick

GitHub

GitHub offers a free plan, starts at $26/mo lower ($4/mo vs $30/mo).

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: GitHub

Try GitHub free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Buildkite if:

  • You prefer Buildkite's free tier features—3 concurrent jobs (hosted+self-hosted) per org/mo, 50k test executions/mo
  • Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Buildkite offers negotiated terms for large deployments
  • You need predictable billing — Buildkite's per-seat model avoids surprise overages

Choose GitHub if:

  • You want lower per-user costs—GitHub starts at $4/mo, saving $26/mo compared to Buildkite at $30/mo
  • You prefer GitHub's free tier features—Unlimited public/private repositories, Dependabot security and version updates
  • You want more features built-in—GitHub offers 8 additional features across its plans

Both Buildkite and GitHub offer free plans [1], eliminating cost barriers for evaluation. This means you can test both tools thoroughly with your actual workflows before any financial commitment. The free tiers differ in scope: Buildkite includes 4 features, while GitHub includes 6 features. Evaluate which free tier matches your evaluation needs before deciding to upgrade. When upgrading to paid tiers, GitHub offers better value at approximately $9.00/mo difference for comparable tier levels. Plan accordingly if your team will graduate from the free tier within 12 months. Your best approach is to activate both free trials and evaluate which tool's workflow, integrations, and user experience align better with your team's needs before committing to paid plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Buildkite vs GitHub

Which is cheaper, Buildkite or GitHub?
As of March 2026, GitHub starts at a lower price point. Buildkite starts at $30/mo while GitHub starts at $4/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does Buildkite have vs GitHub?
Buildkite offers 3 pricing plans, while GitHub offers 3 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Buildkite or GitHub offer a free plan?
Yes, both Buildkite and GitHub offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
Can I save money by paying annually for Buildkite or GitHub?
Both Buildkite and GitHub offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
What is the most popular Buildkite plan?
The Pro plan is Buildkite's most popular tier, priced at $30/mo. Key features include 10 concurrent self-hosted agents per org/mo, Unlimited test executions, 250 managed tests per org/mo.
What is the most popular GitHub plan?
The Enterprise plan is GitHub's most popular tier, priced at $21/mo. Key features include Everything included in Team, plus..., Data residency, Enterprise Managed Users.
Does Buildkite or GitHub offer custom enterprise pricing?
Buildkite offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. GitHub lists all its pricing publicly.

Sources

  1. Buildkite Official PricingVendor pricing page
  2. GitHub Official PricingVendor pricing page

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