Tenki vs Blacksmith
How Tenki and Blacksmith compare on price, performance, free tier, macOS support, and migration.
Tenki vs Blacksmith: at a glance
Tenki and Blacksmith are both bare-metal GitHub Actions runner providers that position themselves as faster, cheaper drop-in replacements for GitHub-hosted runners. The biggest practical differences are product scope (Tenki includes an AI code reviewer; Blacksmith is runner-only), hardware footprint (Tenki runs both x64 and Apple Silicon M4 Pro; verify Blacksmith's current macOS lineup on its site), and free-tier generosity.
Quick comparison
| Dimension | Tenki | Blacksmith |
|---|---|---|
| Core product | Runners + AI code reviewer | Bare-metal GitHub Actions runners |
| Hardware | Bare-metal x64 and Apple Silicon M4 Pro | Bare-metal x64 (verify current macOS offering) |
| Standard runner price | $0.003/min (2 vCPU / 4 GB Linux) | See blacksmith.sh pricing |
| Free tier | 1,700 minutes/month, renewed monthly, no card | See Blacksmith's current free-tier terms |
| macOS runners | Apple M4 Pro bare-metal | Check availability |
| Isolation | Ephemeral Firecracker microVM per job | VM-level isolation |
| AI code review | Included (Tenki Code Reviewer, $20/user/month) | Not offered |
| Migration effort | One-line runs-on change | One-line runs-on change |
When to choose Tenki
- You want a single vendor for runners and AI pull-request review.
- You need Apple M4 Pro macOS runners alongside Linux/Windows.
- You want Firecracker-microVM-level isolation between jobs.
- You want a 1,700 minute/month free tier for evaluation.
When to choose Blacksmith
- You want a runner-only vendor with no adjacent products.
- Blacksmith's specific hardware or region lineup matches your regulatory needs better than Tenki's.
Migration
Both vendors support a one-line runs-on change in your workflow YAML. Migrating to Tenki:
jobs:
build:
runs-on: tenki-ubuntu-2x-4gb # was: ubuntu-latest or blacksmith-*See the get-started guide for full setup and the Migration Wizard for a two-click migration.
FAQ
Is Tenki faster than Blacksmith?
Both vendors run on bare-metal hardware, so performance depends on the specific workload and profile. Tenki publishes benchmark numbers in the Why Tenki doc — we recommend running your own benchmark on a workload that matters to you on both vendors' free tiers.
Is Tenki cheaper than Blacksmith?
Tenki's standard 2 vCPU / 4 GB Linux runner is $0.003 per minute. Compare against Blacksmith's current published rates for the same profile.
Can I switch from Blacksmith to Tenki?
Yes. Change the runs-on: value in your workflow YAML and run Tenki's Migration Wizard to set up the GitHub App. No other workflow changes are needed.
Does Tenki offer AI code review like a separate add-on?
AI code review is a separate Tenki product (Tenki Code Reviewer) at $20 per user per month after a 7-day free trial. It can be used independently of Tenki runners.