What this calculator does
Whether you're new to developer & utility numbers or run them every week, the github actions cost calculator gives the same clean result — with a live chart and a copyable summary you can drop into any doc.
The GitHub Actions Cost Calculator estimates your monthly CI/CD bill. Pick your plan, choose a runner OS (Linux, Windows or macOS), and enter workflow volume — it applies your free-tier minutes and returns the billable cost plus a free-vs-billable minutes chart.
How to use the GitHub Actions Cost Calculator
- Pick your GitHub plan — Free, Pro/Team or Enterprise — to apply the correct included minutes.
- Choose the runner (Linux is 1×, Windows 2×, macOS 10× the per-minute rate).
- Enter runs/day, average minutes per run and working days per month.
The formula
billable_minutes = max(0, runs × mins_per_run × days − free_minutes); cost = billable_minutes × per_minute_rate
Worked example
40 Linux 2-core runs/day × 8 min × 22 days = 7,040 min. Pro plan covers 3,000 free → 4,040 billable × $0.008 = $32.32/month.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting macOS runners cost 10× Linux — a single macOS build can dwarf your Linux bill.
- Assuming free minutes apply to private repos on the Free plan only (they don't apply to larger runners).
- Ignoring parallel jobs in a matrix — 4 jobs × 10 min = 40 billable minutes, not 10.
When to use it
Use when moving CI to GitHub Actions, adding matrix builds, or before adopting macOS runners which are 10× the cost of Linux.
Pro tips for the GitHub Actions Cost Calculator
- Change one input at a time to see which lever actually moves the answer the most.
- Round-trip check: reverse the inputs to confirm the formula matches what you'd compute by hand.
- Bookmark this page: the URL and inputs are all you need to reproduce the exact result later.
Frequently asked questions
›Do free minutes cover larger runners?
No — the 2,000/3,000/50,000 included minutes only apply to standard runners. 4-core+, GPU and larger runners bill from minute one.
›Windows and macOS multipliers?
Windows = 2× the Linux rate, macOS = 10×. This calculator uses the per-minute rate directly so the multiplier is baked in.
›Are self-hosted runners free?
GitHub charges $0 for self-hosted runner minutes — you pay for the underlying hardware/cloud instead.
›How is a partial minute billed?
GitHub rounds up each job to the nearest minute; this calculator uses the average you enter.
›Storage and data transfer?
Not included here — Actions Storage (artifacts, packages) and data transfer bill separately per GB.
›Does the GitHub Actions Cost Calculator store the numbers I enter?
No. All math runs locally in your browser — nothing is sent to a server, and closing the tab discards the inputs unless you save them to favorites.
›How accurate is this github actions cost calculator?
The formulas match the standard textbook definition shown above. Rounding is applied only for display; underlying computation uses full floating-point precision. For regulated developer & utility decisions, always confirm with a qualified professional.
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