Which is cheaper, CircleCI or Depot?

CircleCI is 1.3x cheaper than Depot. CircleCI starts at $0/mo, Depot starts at $20/mo.

Does CircleCI have a free tier?

Yes, CircleCI offers a free tier with activeUsers: 5, concurrencyDocker: 30, selfHostedRunners: 5, networkGB: 1, storageGB: 2.

CircleCI has moderate switching cost. Depot has drop-in switching cost. Depot is easier to switch away from.

Ci Cd

CircleCI

← More affordable

Flexible usage-based CI/CD platform with Docker, Linux, macOS, Windows, and Arm support

Switching Cost: moderate

Depot

Fast container builds and CI runners with persistent caching and GitHub Actions integration

Switching Cost: drop-in

The pricing gap between CircleCI and Depot runs about 1.3x — significant consideration for scaling.

For experimentation and testing, CircleCI wins with its free tier option — something Depot doesn't offer.

Pricing philosophy differs — CircleCI charges tiered, but Depot takes a flat-rate approach.

CircleCI stands out for teams needing a free tier — zero upfront costs for prototyping and testing is a genuine advantage.

CircleCI stands out for teams needing a free tier — zero upfront costs for prototyping and testing is a genuine advantage.

Price Difference

1.3x

CircleCI is cheaper by $5/mo

Free Tier

CircleCI

Has a free tier option

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies

Switching Costs

Depot

Lower switching costs for easier migration