# 12 Best GetMac Alternatives for GitHub Actions Runners GetMac specializes in macOS runners with modern M4 Apple Silicon hardware and excellent debugging tools, **but macOS-only support means separate runners for Linux and Windows workloads**, plan-based pricing can become expensive at high volumes, and 60-minute session limits constrain debugging workflows. Finding the right alternative depends on whether you need cross-platform support, prefer per-minute pricing, or want runners that handle multiple operating systems. This guide examines 12 GetMac alternatives so you can find a runner solution that matches your platform requirements and workflow diversity. ## What makes a good GetMac alternative? GetMac excels at iOS and macOS CI/CD with cutting-edge M4 hardware, VNC debugging, and pre-configured tooling like Xcode and Fastlane. An alternative should deliver comparable macOS performance, similar debugging capabilities, or address GetMac's single-platform limitation while maintaining the simplicity and developer experience that makes GetMac valuable. ## 12 Best GetMac Alternatives GetMac provides drop-in compatibility with GitHub Actions requiring only label changes. Look for alternatives with similar ease of migration that won't force workflow rewrites or introduce compatibility issues. | Alternative | Best for | Starting price | macOS | Windows | Notable feature | | -------------- | --------------------------------- | -------------------- | ----- | ------- | ---------------------------- | | Depot | Multi-platform teams | $0.004/min | Yes | Yes | Memory-backed Ultra Runners | | Cirrus Runners | High-volume macOS/GPU workloads | $150/month flat | Yes | No | Unlimited minutes per runner | | Namespace | Developer experience focused | From $100/month | Yes | Yes | Built-in SSH/VNC debugging | | RunsOn | AWS infrastructure users | €300/year + AWS | Yes | Yes | Unlimited S3 caching | | Buildkite | Teams leaving GitHub Actions | From $30/user/month | Yes | Yes | Full CI/CD platform | | Cirun | Multi-cloud infrastructure teams | From $29/month + cloud | Yes | No | Runs on your cloud accounts | | BuildJet | High-performance Linux builds | Free 3K mins, then pay | No | No | Gaming-grade CPUs | | Ubicloud | Budget-conscious teams | $0.0008/min | No | No | 3-10x cheaper than GitHub | | Blacksmith | Teams prioritizing observability | Free 3K mins, then pay | No | No | Colocated cache layer | | Actuated | Security-conscious self-hosters | From $250/month | No | No | Firecracker microVM isolation| | runmyjob.io | Teams with variable workloads | €0 + usage | No | Coming | Load-based billing model | | DevZero | Kubernetes-native organizations | $7/CPU/month | Depends | Depends | K8s cost optimization | ## 1. Depot ![Screenshot of Depot UI](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/ddf38475-7770-45ff-b222-41f3b6168700/md1x =2560x1429) [Depot](https://depot.dev/) provides managed GitHub Actions runners spanning Linux, Windows, and macOS with exceptional performance through fast compute and intelligent caching. It accelerates both standard workflows and Docker builds without infrastructure management. ### 🌟 Key features - Managed runners for Linux, Windows, and macOS M2 - Multi-platform support addressing GetMac's macOS-only limitation - Ultra Runners with memory-backed storage for I/O-heavy workloads - Integrated caching across regular Actions and Docker layers - Per-second billing vs GetMac's plan-based pricing - Intel and ARM architecture support - Self-hosting option available for AWS deployment ### ➕ Pros - Covers all major platforms GetMac doesn't support - Ultra Runners with provisioned I/O for maximum throughput - Integrated high-speed GitHub Actions cache - Ephemeral VMs maintaining clean state per job - Repository-scoped persistent cache volumes - Optional egress filtering for security compliance - Native Docker registry and build cache integration ### ➖ Cons - Managed service pricing runs higher than some alternatives - macOS runner capacity can occasionally cause queue delays ### 💲 Pricing Developer tier costs $20 monthly, including 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Actions minutes, and 25 GB cache storage for one user. Startup tier runs $200 monthly with unlimited users, 5,000 Docker minutes, 20,000 Actions minutes, and 250 GB cache, plus $0.004/min overage charges for Actions. Business tier provides dedicated infrastructure and custom runner pools. All runner time bills per second. ## 2. Cirrus Runners ![Screenshot of Cirrus Runners](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/7ea72c34-07a8-4f81-2226-4bb7042a1600/public =1200x630) [Cirrus Runners](https://cirrus-runners.app/) implements flat-rate pricing by charging per concurrent runner with unlimited minutes. It specializes in macOS M4 Pro runners alongside Linux and GPU options. ### 🌟 Key features - macOS M4 Pro runners matching GetMac's modern hardware - Flat monthly rate per concurrent runner with unlimited minutes - No 60-minute debugging session limits like GetMac - Linux x86, arm64, and GPU runner options - Performance 2-3x faster than GitHub runners - Predictable costs regardless of usage volume - 10 GB cache allocation per runner ### ➕ Pros - Fixed $150 monthly price per concurrent runner with unlimited minutes - macOS M4 Pro runners with 4 vCPUs, 16 GB RAM, and GPU access - Linux x86 runners providing 16 vCPUs and 48 GB RAM with KVM - Linux arm64 runners with 8 vCPUs and 24 GB RAM - Linux GPU runners featuring 8 vCPUs, 24 GB RAM, and Nvidia GPU - Flexible resource classes selected via image name suffixes - Cirrus cache action for optimized restore and save operations ### ➖ Cons - Flat pricing can become expensive for teams with sporadic usage - Cache storage caps at 10 GB per runner ### 💲 Pricing Each concurrent runner costs $150 monthly with truly unlimited minute usage. All runner types carry the same flat rate. Annual commitment provides 15% discount. Nonprofit discount cuts pricing by 50% for qualifying non-revenue projects. Effective per-minute cost drops significantly with heavy usage, reaching approximately $0.003/min for high-volume teams. ## 3. Namespace ![Screenshot of Namespace job summary](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/edaaad7b-b84b-48c2-7002-b5d768a1f800/lg2x =1920x1489) [Namespace](https://namespace.so/) prioritizes both performance and debuggability for GitHub Actions workflows. It wraps runners with developer-focused tooling including persistent cache volumes, remote Docker builders, and interactive debugging. ### 🌟 Key features - Managed runners for Linux, macOS, and Windows - Interactive debugging with breakpoints and SSH/VNC/RDP access - No 60-minute session limits for debugging workflows - Cache Volumes persisting data locally across runs - Native integrations with Bazel, Turborepo, Pants, and Moon - Granular job observability tracking per-step performance - AMD EPYC, Ampere, and Apple M-series hardware options ### ➕ Pros - Multi-platform support beyond GetMac's macOS-only focus - Runner profiles configuring OS, architecture, and machine specifications - Container image acceleration through intelligent layer caching - Git checkout caching optimized for large monorepos - Interactive debugging with workflow breakpoints - Crash and OOM detection with automatic dump capture - Detailed per-step metrics ### ➖ Cons - Unit minute and VM credit pricing system adds complexity - Bundling compute and caching with single vendor creates potential lock-in ### 💲 Pricing VM credits price at $0.015 each. Developer plan operates pay-as-you-go at roughly $0.0015/min in unit minutes with no base fee. Team plan costs $100 monthly, including 100,000 minutes and 1,000 Docker builds. Business plan runs $250 monthly with 250,000 minutes and 2,500 builds. Enterprise tier offers custom runner pools and very high concurrency limits. ## 4. RunsOn ![Screenshot of RunsOn](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/4504b58e-03d4-4486-8f44-f58df7dc5200/md1x =2466x1170) [RunsOn](https://runs-on.com/) provides GitHub Actions runners running entirely inside your AWS account. It manages EC2 instance lifecycles automatically, spinning up fresh machines for jobs and terminating them afterward. ### 🌟 Key features - Self-hosted runners in your AWS account - macOS support through AWS EC2 Mac instances - Linux and Windows support addressing GetMac's limitation - Unlimited S3-based caching vs GetMac's standard cache - Aggressive spot instance usage for cost savings - Static egress IPs through NAT gateway configuration - CloudFormation deployment completing in roughly 10 minutes ### ➕ Pros - Multi-platform support including macOS, Linux, Windows, and GPU instances - Complete workflow compatibility with GitHub-hosted runners - Fresh ephemeral VMs providing clean state per job - S3 Magic Cache with unlimited storage capacity - Integrated cost reporting and usage metrics - Partly open source with sponsorship licensing available - Can reduce costs up to 90% vs GitHub runners ### ➖ Cons - Requires AWS account and familiarity with AWS services - Total cost combines RunsOn license with AWS infrastructure charges ### 💲 Pricing Commercial license runs €300 annually with unlimited job execution and email support. Sponsorship license costs €1,500 yearly, adding priority support, private Slack access, and full source code. AWS charges bill per second at spot pricing rates, typically delivering 7-17x cost reduction versus GitHub runners. Non-profit organizations can request free licensing. ## 5. Buildkite ![Screenshot of Buildkite](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/87a556b8-d631-49dc-3cdb-f6481e733500/lg2x =1200x630) [Buildkite](https://buildkite.com/) operates as a complete CI/CD platform that integrates with GitHub, GitLab, or other Git providers. You maintain source control in GitHub while Buildkite handles pipeline execution, build orchestration, and test analytics. ### 🌟 Key features - Complete CI/CD platform beyond just runners - Cross-platform agents supporting macOS, Linux, and Windows - Self-hosted agents or managed hosted agents - Test Engine for large test suite optimization - Advanced pipeline capabilities exceeding GitHub Actions - Native integration with multiple Git providers - Enterprise security features (SSO, SCIM, audit logs) ### ➕ Pros - Full platform migration with more CI/CD control - Buildkite Test Engine for large test suite optimization - Buildkite Package Registries for artifact management - Insights features including retry analysis and queue control - Support for multiple Git providers beyond GitHub - Mac M4 hosted agents available - Can run self-hosted agents for cost control ### ➖ Cons - Requires rewriting workflows from GitHub Actions syntax to Buildkite pipelines - Platform pricing model differs from simple per-minute alternatives ### 💲 Pricing Personal plan is free, including 3 concurrent jobs, 1 user, 50,000 test executions, 1 GB Package Registries storage, and 500 minutes Linux small. Pro plan costs $30 per user monthly with 10 self-hosted agents, unlimited test executions (then $0.10/managed test), 20 GB registries storage, 2,000 minutes Linux small, and SSO support. Enterprise provides custom pricing. Hosted agents: Linux small $0.013/min, medium $0.026/min, large $0.052/min. Mac M4 medium $0.18/min, large $0.36/min. ## 6. Cirun ![Screenshot of Cirun](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/d2aaa9b9-c458-4ed6-527d-c3b76f1ab300/lg1x =2230x1326) [Cirun](https://cirun.io/) orchestrates self-hosted GitHub Actions runners across AWS, GCP, Azure, Oracle Cloud, and on-premise infrastructure. It provisions ephemeral VMs per job based on labels you define in `.cirun.yml`. ### 🌟 Key features - Self-hosted runners in your cloud accounts - Multi-cloud support including AWS, GCP, Azure, Oracle Cloud - macOS support on AWS addressing GetMac's single-platform focus - ARM and GPU instance support across clouds - GitHub App integration for straightforward setup - Free tier for public open source repositories - One-line workflow changes switching to Cirun labels ### ➕ Pros - Multi-platform support beyond macOS - Repository-specific configuration through `.cirun.yml` files - Runner provisioning triggered automatically per job - On-demand runner provisioning per job - Preemptible and spot instance optimization - Free for open source projects - Direct cloud provider billing without markup ### ➖ Cons - Private repository pricing scales with repository count - You remain responsible for cloud account management and networking ### 💲 Pricing Open Source plan is free with unlimited public repositories, unlimited runners, and full ARM/GPU support across all clouds. Startup plan costs $29 monthly for up to 3 private repositories with Slack and email support. Business plan runs $79 monthly supporting up to 10 private repositories. Enterprise provides custom pricing for unlimited private repositories with premium support. Actual compute bills directly from your chosen cloud provider. ## 7. BuildJet ![Screenshot of BuildJet UI](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/415972b4-6b23-44e0-b661-e9b342df0900/md2x =1200x630) [BuildJet](https://buildjet.com/for-github-actions) provides managed GitHub Actions runners powered by gaming-grade CPUs delivering approximately 2x performance improvements over GitHub's default runners. It focuses exclusively on Linux workloads. ### 🌟 Key features - Gaming-grade CPUs delivering 2x performance - Linux support across AMD and ARM architectures - Simple per-minute billing with transparent pricing - 20 GB cache per repository refreshed weekly - Fully managed service with zero infrastructure overhead - Instant scaling without capacity constraints - Simple migration requiring only runner label changes ### ➕ Pros - Approximately 2x performance versus GitHub-hosted runners - Per-minute billing with transparent pricing - No infrastructure to provision or maintain - Instant scaling without capacity constraints - Free tier includes 3,000 minutes monthly - Simple migration by swapping runner labels - Strong single-core performance ### ➖ Cons - Linux-only support excludes macOS and Windows workloads - Per-minute pricing can become expensive for high-volume usage ### 💲 Pricing Free tier includes 3,000 minutes monthly across all repositories. Paid usage bills per minute with rates starting around $0.004/min for standard configurations. Pricing scales with machine size and architecture. No base fees or subscription charges beyond actual minute consumption. ## 8. Ubicloud ![Screenshot of Ubicloud console](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/4100dc15-738d-475b-34a5-a9ffb5a2ef00/public =1200x630) [Ubicloud](https://ubicloud.com/) delivers GitHub Actions runners at dramatically reduced costs through partnerships with bare metal providers like Hetzner and Leaseweb. The open source platform provides managed runners without infrastructure overhead. ### 🌟 Key features - Fully managed runners with guaranteed dedicated resources - Linux x64 and arm64 architecture support - Aggressive price-performance optimization (3-10x cheaper) - Open source control plane (AGPL v3) - German data centers supporting GDPR compliance - $1 monthly credit per account covering approximately 1,250 minutes - Broader platform with VMs, PostgreSQL, and Kubernetes ### ➕ Pros - Very low per-minute pricing starting at $0.0008/min - Dedicated CPU, memory, and storage resources - GitHub Managed Runner Application integration - Multiple German data centers providing high availability - Open source control plane preventing vendor lock-in - Self-hosting option if desired - No infrastructure management required ### ➖ Cons - Linux-only support excludes macOS and Windows workloads - Runner infrastructure concentrates in Germany ### 💲 Pricing Per-minute billing at month's end. Linux x64 standard runners start at $0.0008/min for 2 vCPUs with 8 GB RAM, scaling to $0.0120/min for 30 vCPU configurations. Premium runners cost exactly double standard rates. Arm64 pricing matches standard x64 rates. Every account receives $1 monthly credit covering approximately 1,250 minutes on 2 vCPU runners. ## 9. Blacksmith ![Screenshot of Blacksmith UI](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/67a6f78b-ecd3-47e6-2aa6-87a1e29fcf00/md1x =1200x630) [Blacksmith](https://blacksmith.sh/) emphasizes raw execution speed combined with deep observability into CI performance. It runs on bare metal hardware with gaming CPUs and adds specialized tooling for understanding pipeline performance. ### 🌟 Key features - Bare metal gaming CPUs for strong performance - Colocated caching delivering 4x faster downloads - Centralized log search across all workflow executions - Test-level analytics for performance insights - Live SSH access for debugging running builds - Approximately 2x performance over GitHub runners - Docker layer reuse and public image caching ### ➕ Pros - Approximately 2x performance improvement over GitHub runners - Docker layer reuse accelerating container builds - Public image pull cache reducing registry bottlenecks - Run history with filtering and search capabilities - Test-level analytics identifying performance problems - Dedicated CI analytics dashboards - Migration wizard for straightforward onboarding ### ➖ Cons - Linux-only focus excludes macOS and Windows workloads - Docker acceleration requires using Blacksmith-specific actions ### 💲 Pricing Usage-based pricing with 3,000 free minutes monthly. Base runner rate starts around $0.004/min for 2 vCPU x64 configurations, scaling up for larger machine shapes. Docker layer caching costs approximately $0.50/GB/month as an optional add-on. Additional features include static IP addresses and priority Slack support. Enterprise tier adds white-glove onboarding, uptime SLA guarantees, and 24/7 support access. ## 10. Actuated ![Screenshot of Actuated](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/20969a91-3b29-40eb-72a3-0553ae9fe400/lg1x =1983x1084) [Actuated](https://actuated.dev/) provides a hosted control plane for self-hosted runners with maximum isolation. You provide bare metal or nested virtualization servers, install the agent, and Actuated creates Firecracker microVMs for strong security boundaries. ### 🌟 Key features - Self-hosted runners with Firecracker microVM isolation - Fixed concurrency pricing with unlimited minutes - Choose your own hardware and location - x86-64 and arm64 host support - GPU support for machine learning workloads - Fully managed control plane handling orchestration - Multi-organization dashboard for fleet management ### ➕ Pros - Firecracker microVMs starting in roughly 1-2 seconds - Centrally maintained Ubuntu guest image - Fixed concurrency model with unlimited minute usage - Build queue visibility across all jobs - Historical insights covering up to 120 days - SSH debugging support for live troubleshooting - CLI for programmatic management ### ➖ Cons - Must provide and maintain your own bare metal servers - Linux-only support excludes macOS and Windows workloads ### 💲 Pricing Basic plan costs $250 monthly, including 5 concurrent jobs, unmetered minutes, up to 1 VM host, single GitHub organization support, reports, SSH debugging, and Slack support during UK business hours. At 30,000 minutes monthly usage, this works out to approximately $0.008/min. Additional tiers available for 10, 15, 20, 35, and 50+ concurrent jobs. Custom plans available for larger runner fleets. ## 11. runmyjob.io ![Screenshot of runmyjob.io](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/5a1c4675-0f6a-4764-707a-07214387e900/lg2x =2400x1260) [runmyjob.io](https://runmyjob.io/) (also called Puzl Cloud) implements a load-based billing model where you pay only for CPU and memory resources your jobs actually consume. Each job executes in an isolated KVM-based microVM. ### 🌟 Key features - Load-based billing charging only for actual resource consumption - Pay only for active CPU and memory use vs idle time - Resource limits up to 48 vCPUs and 96 GB RAM - KVM-based microVMs with near bare-metal performance - GitHub Actions and GitLab CI support - EU-based infrastructure - Declarative API for programmatic runner management ### ➕ Pros - Load-based billing eliminating waste from idle capacity - KVM-based Spike Instances providing strong per-job isolation - Ephemeral filesystem per job defaulting to 150 GB - Interactive Web Terminal for GitLab pipeline debugging - Up to 48 vCPUs and 96 GB RAM per individual job - Job cache on Business tier and above - Complete GitHub Actions environment compatibility ### ➖ Cons - Load-based billing requires understanding different pricing structure - Currently Linux-only with Windows and ARM on roadmap ### 💲 Pricing Free plan at €0 monthly includes 1 integration, 10 concurrent jobs, up to 12 vCPUs and 32 GB RAM per job, 400 vCPU-minutes and 800 GB-minutes included monthly, then €0.00002 per vCPU-second and €0.000001 per GB-second beyond limits. Business plan costs €50 monthly with 3 integrations, unlimited concurrent jobs, 48 vCPUs and 96 GB RAM per job, 2,000 vCPU-minutes and 4,000 GB-minutes included, plus 10 GB persistent storage and job caching. ## 12. DevZero ![Screenshot of DevZero screenshot](https://imagedelivery.net/xZXo0QFi-1_4Zimer-T0XQ/10e4b105-2cbe-49fc-d908-e07f82225c00/orig =1200x776) [DevZero](https://devzero.io/) targets Kubernetes cost and resource optimization, treating GitHub Actions runners as one workload type among many. It connects to your clusters and applies automated policy-based optimizations. ### 🌟 Key features - Kubernetes cost and resource optimization platform - Consolidates CI with application workloads - GitHub Actions integration via Actions Runner Controller - Automated rightsizing for pods and nodes - Support for EKS, GKE, AKS, and on-premise clusters - Pod live migration and spot instance management - Savings insights with before and after projections ### ➕ Pros - Kubernetes cost and resource monitoring across clusters - Automated optimization through balance operator - Pod live migration support for workload shifting - Spot instance management and optimization - Runner scale sets with DevZero-specific labels - Audit logging and cost export capabilities - Works with existing Kubernetes infrastructure ### ➖ Cons - Overkill if sole concern is GitHub Actions minutes - Requires running operators in clusters adding complexity ### 💲 Pricing Free tier includes up to 2 clusters for 45 days with monitoring and attribution. Scaling and Optimization plan costs $7 per CPU monthly, supporting up to 2,000 CPUs with workload optimization, spot management, and Slack support. Enterprise tier offers custom pricing with SSO, GPU optimization, and dedicated support channels. ## Final thoughts GetMac excels for iOS and macOS development with M4 hardware and excellent debugging tools, but the macOS-only focus and plan-based pricing don't suit every team. **Multi-platform support** comes from Depot, Namespace, and RunsOn, which handle macOS, Windows, and Linux in a single service. **Similar macOS focus** arrives through Cirrus Runners, which offers M4 Pro hardware with unlimited minutes for flat monthly pricing. **Better debugging capabilities** appear in Namespace with no 60-minute session limits, interactive breakpoints, and SSH/VNC/RDP access. **Cost flexibility** comes from Depot and BuildJet with per-minute billing, or Cirrus Runners with flat-rate unlimited usage. **Linux-focused alternatives** like BuildJet, Ubicloud, and Blacksmith excel at non-macOS workloads with strong performance and low costs. **Self-hosted options** through RunsOn, Cirun, and Actuated provide infrastructure control for teams wanting to manage their own runners.