GitHub Actions Runner Cost Comparison by Size (2026)
The same job, the same vCPU - very different per-minute price. Here is the gap, size by size.
Runner cost scales with size, but not at the same rate across providers. This table compares GitHub-hosted Linux list prices with Latchkey managed runners at matching vCPU counts.
Per-minute price by size
| Runner size | GitHub-hosted | Latchkey | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 vCPU | $0.008/min | $0.0025/min | ~69% |
| 4 vCPU | $0.016/min | $0.005/min | ~69% |
| 8 vCPU | $0.032/min | $0.01/min | ~69% |
What 20,000 minutes/month costs
| Runner size | GitHub-hosted | Latchkey (incl. free min) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 vCPU | $160/mo | $45/mo |
| 4 vCPU | $320/mo | $90/mo |
| 8 vCPU | $640/mo | $180/mo |
Key takeaways
- Latchkey is roughly 69% cheaper per minute at matching vCPU.
- The gap widens as you scale to larger runners.
- Self-healing removes the re-run minutes you would otherwise pay twice.
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