CircleCI vs GitHub Actions: $15 vs $4/Mo (2026)
Compare / CircleCI vs GitHub
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Team size
25 seats

CircleCI vs GitHub

Developer Tools pricing comparison · 2026

CircleCI pricing ranges from $0–$15/month, while GitHub ranges from $0–$21/user/month. GitHub is typically 73% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

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See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit CircleCI pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Visit GitHub pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Compare
2 products · Developer Tools
Side-by-side · live
CircleCI
CircleCI is a continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) platform that automates software
verified 27d ago
$324 $1.2K
View pricing →
GitHub
GitHub pricing ranges from free to $21/user/month as of March 2026.
verified 27d ago
$324 $1.2K
View pricing →
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
CircleCI saves $864 vs GitHub · 25 seats
Cheapest $324
Spread 73%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Performance
$4.5K/yr
year 1 license · $15/seat
Enterprise
$6.3K/yr
year 1 license · $21/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$324/yr
Vendr · n=20
Median annual
$1.2K/yr
Vendr · n=161
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 1 sourced fact
Vendr median
Last verified 3w ago
Confidence Medium confidence
Sources 14 sourced facts
12 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median
Last verified 3w ago
Confidence High confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
No hidden costs documented
4 documented
  • Git LFS Storage and Bandwidth Overages
    5-20% of license costs
    3 sources
  • Critical Collaboration Features Locked Behind Paid Tiers
    $4-$17/user/month
    6 sources
  • Enterprise Plan Required for SSO and Directory Integration
    $17/user/month
    1 source
  • GitHub Actions CI/CD Minutes Overages
    5-15% of license costs
    2 sources
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
No public ratings yet
Best for
Open source and side projects
No public ratings yet
Best for
Individuals and organizations starting out
Watch out
Advanced features and security scanning locked behind paid Enterprise tiers
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Visit CircleCI pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
Visit GitHub pricing
Free plan limits → Discount programs →
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
Developer Tools

CircleCI

$0–$15
/month
4 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Developer Tools

GitHub

$0–$21
/user/month
3 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →

Comparing CircleCI and GitHub pricing in the Developer Tools space. CircleCI ranges from $0-90/month, while GitHub costs $0-21/user/month. This detailed comparison breaks down pricing tiers, features, and value to help you choose the right tool for your team.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan CircleCI GitHub
Free Free /month Free /user/month
Performance $15 /month (starting) $4 /user/month
Scale Custom $21 /user/month
Enterprise Custom —

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

CircleCI

3 scenarios
$0/month (free tier with basic features)
Solo / Getting Started
$15/month
Growing Business
plus potential add-ons
Custom pricing — typically negotiated annually, contact sales for quote
Enterprise (100+ users)

GitHub

5 scenarios
$460/month ($5,520/year)
20-Developer Startup with Copilot
$80 for Team (20 x $4) + $380 for Copilot Business (20 x $19). Actions within included 60,000 minutes.
$8,450/month ($101,400/year)
100-Person Enterprise with Advanced Security
$2,100 for Enterprise (100 x $21) + $2,450 for Advanced Security (50 x $49) + $3,900 for Copilot Enterprise (100 x $39)
$0/month
Solo Developer or Open Source Project — Free Plan
See all 5 scenarios →

Market Intelligence

CircleCI

Median annual cost
$324
Based on
20 deals

GitHub

Median annual cost
$1,188
Based on
161 deals

Continue researching

CircleCI

GitHub

Our Verdict

Choose CircleCI if you need a solution optimized for small teams or individual developers with its pricing model starting at $0-90/month. The platform excels in its category with strong feature depth.

Choose GitHub if you prefer a solution designed for small teams or individual developers with pricing at $0-21/user/month, offering a different approach to solving similar problems with its own strengths.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 What is the starting price for CircleCI vs GitHub?

CircleCI starts at Free with their Free tier, while GitHub begins at Free with their Free plan.

02 How much does the professional tier cost for each platform?

CircleCI's Performance tier is priced at $15/month (starting), compared to GitHub's Team tier at $4/user/month.

03 What are the enterprise pricing options?

For enterprise needs, CircleCI offers Custom pricing at their Enterprise level, while GitHub provides Custom pricing with their Enterprise Server tier.

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