---
title: "9apes vs Depot - GitHub Actions Runner Pricing Compared"
description: "Per-minute rates, plan fees, and runner sizes compared between 9apes and Depot GitHub Actions runners."
url: https://9apes.com/compare/depot/
---

# 9apes vs Depot - GitHub Actions Runner Pricing Compared

Depot is a build-acceleration platform where managed Actions runners are one product alongside remote Docker builds. 9apes does one thing. If you want the wider toolkit or runners above 8 vCPU, Depot is the better fit; if you only need faster Linux runners, 9apes costs less per minute and has no monthly plan fee.

## Per-minute rates

Depot rates transcribed from https://depot.dev/pricing on 2026-08-25.

| Depot tier | vCPU | Depot /min | 9apes label | 9apes /min | Difference |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `depot-ubuntu-24.04` | 2 | $0.004 | `9apes-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404` | $0.0018 | 55% lower |
| `depot-ubuntu-24.04-4` | 4 | $0.008 | `9apes` | $0.0036 | 55% lower |
| `depot-ubuntu-24.04-8` | 8 | $0.016 | `9apes-8vcpu-ubuntu-2404` | $0.0072 | 55% lower |
| `depot-ubuntu-24.04-16` | 16 | $0.032 | — | — | no 9apes label at this size |
| `depot-ubuntu-24.04-32` | 32 | $0.064 | — | — | no 9apes label at this size |
| `depot-ubuntu-24.04-64` | 64 | $0.128 | — | — | no 9apes label at this size |

## Free minutes

- **9apes** — 3000 free runner minutes every month on every account, no card required.

- **Depot** — Minutes come bundled with a paid plan rather than a free tier: the $20/month Developer plan includes 2,000 minutes and the $200/month Startup plan includes 20,000.

## What each one covers

| Capability | 9apes | Depot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Linux x86_64 runners | Yes | Yes |
| Linux ARM64 runners | On demand | Yes |
| Windows runners | On demand | No |
| macOS runners | On demand | Yes |
| Usable without a monthly plan fee (Depot bundles minutes into plans starting at $20/month.) | Yes | No |
| Recurring free monthly minutes | Yes | No |
| Runners above 8 vCPU (Depot goes to 64 vCPU.) | No | Yes |
| Remote Docker build acceleration | No | Yes |
| One-line migration | Yes | Yes |
| Ephemeral Firecracker microVM per job | Yes | No |

**On demand** means the platform is not on the public 9apes label list, but the team will arrange it. Email support@9apes.com with your workflow, expected scale, and timing.

## When to choose Depot

- You want remote Docker build acceleration as well as runners. That is Depot's core product and 9apes does not offer it.

- Your builds need more than 8 vCPU. Depot publishes runners up to 64 vCPU; the largest 9apes label is 8.

- You need macOS or Linux ARM64 runners on a published label. Depot lists both; on 9apes they are arranged with the team rather than selected directly.

## Moving to 9apes

```yaml
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: 9apes
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - run: npm test
```

## Common questions

**Does 9apes charge a monthly plan fee?**

No. 9apes bills per runner minute with no seats, no minimums, and no plan fee. Depot bundles Actions minutes into plans starting at $20 per month.

**Can I use both?**

Yes. They are selected per job through the runs-on label, so a workflow can route some jobs to one provider and some to another while you evaluate.

## Related pages

- [All runner comparisons](https://9apes.com/compare/)

- [9apes pricing](https://9apes.com/pricing/) — every label and rate

- [Quick Start](https://9apes.com/docs/quick-start/) — move your first job