CircleCI vs GitHub Actions: $15 vs $4/Mo (2026)

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.

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

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.