Tenki vs BuildJet
How Tenki and BuildJet compare on price, performance, free tier, hardware, and migration.
Tenki vs BuildJet: at a glance
Tenki and BuildJet are both third-party GitHub Actions runner providers that market themselves as faster and cheaper than GitHub-hosted runners. Tenki operates its own bare-metal x64 and Apple Silicon M4 Pro compute pool, runs every job inside an ephemeral Firecracker microVM, and bundles an AI code reviewer product. BuildJet runs on Hetzner/OVH hardware and focuses exclusively on Linux GitHub Actions runners with a simple, low-cost pricing model.
Quick comparison
| Dimension | Tenki | BuildJet |
|---|---|---|
| Core product | Runners + AI code reviewer | GitHub Actions runners |
| Hardware | Bare-metal x64 and Apple Silicon M4 Pro | Hetzner / OVH bare-metal (primarily Linux) |
| Standard runner price | $0.003/min (2 vCPU / 4 GB Linux) | See buildjet.com/for-github-actions |
| Free tier | 1,700 minutes/month, renewed monthly, no card | See BuildJet's current free-tier terms |
| macOS runners | Apple M4 Pro bare-metal | Linux-only |
| Windows runners | Yes | 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 need a full drop-in replacement for GitHub-hosted runners across Linux, Windows, and macOS.
- Apple M4 Pro macOS runners matter for your iOS or cross-platform CI.
- You want Firecracker-microVM-level isolation between jobs for supply-chain safety.
- You want AI pull-request review from the same vendor.
- You value a generous, no-credit-card free tier (1,700 min/month) for evaluation.
When to choose BuildJet
- Your CI is Linux-only and extreme price sensitivity matters more than hardware variety.
- You prefer Hetzner/OVH infrastructure for geographic or regulatory reasons.
- You don't need macOS, Windows, or ancillary products.
Migration
Migrating from BuildJet to Tenki is a single-line change:
jobs:
build:
runs-on: tenki-ubuntu-2x-4gb # was: buildjet-2vcpu-ubuntu-2204See the get-started guide for full setup and the Migration Wizard for a two-click migration.
FAQ
Is Tenki or BuildJet cheaper?
At the 2 vCPU / 4 GB Linux profile, Tenki is $0.003 per minute. BuildJet publishes competitive per-minute rates on its site — compare the specific profile you run. Differences at other profiles vary by vendor.
Does Tenki support macOS and Windows runners?
Yes. Tenki operates Apple M4 Pro macOS bare-metal runners and Windows Server runners in addition to Linux. BuildJet is primarily Linux-focused.
How does job isolation differ?
Tenki runs each job in an ephemeral Firecracker microVM that is destroyed after completion — strong isolation, no persistent state, no noisy-neighbor interference. BuildJet uses VM-level isolation.
Does Tenki offer cached builds?
Yes — Tenki operates a Tenki Cache service for GitHub Actions cache acceleration. See the runners docs for setup.