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Free CI Minutes Compared

How many free build minutes each hosted CI service gives you each month, and the catch that comes with them. Every row links to the dated listing and the vendor's own pricing page. Last checked 2026-11-11.

Service	Free CI allowance	Catch	Checked
GitHub Actions (GitHub Free)	$12 USD of compute a month for private repos (about 2,000 standard Linux minutes); standard runners in public repos free	Metered in dollars per runner type; larger runners billed even in public repos	2026-11-09 source
GitLab CI/CD (GitLab.com Free)	400 shared-runner compute minutes a month per top-level group	Card required to use shared runners; 5 users per private group	2026-11-11 source
CircleCI (Free)	30,000 credits a month: up to 6,000 small Docker minutes, about 3,000 Linux Medium minutes	Credits expire monthly; 5 active users	2026-11-11 source

FAQ

Which CI service has the most free build minutes?

By raw minutes on the smallest machine, CircleCI Free (30,000 credits, up to 6,000 small Docker minutes a month), then GitHub Actions ($12 of compute, about 2,000 standard Linux minutes for private repos), then GitLab.com Free (400 compute minutes). Public repositories on GitHub's standard runners are not counted at all.

Are self-hosted runners free?

Yes on all three: GitHub Actions self-hosted runners are free, GitLab does not count minutes on your own runners, and CircleCI Free allows 5 concurrent self-hosted runner tasks. You still pay for the machine you run them on.

Do I need a credit card for free CI minutes?

GitLab.com asks for a card (verified with a $1 authorisation that is not charged) before you can use its shared runners on Free. GitHub Actions and CircleCI Free do not need a card for the included allowance.