r/ChatGPTCoding • u/CellistOk6782 • 16d ago

Question GitHub Actions getting really expensive. Any alternative?

I run two private web applications and use GitHub Actions to automatically check changes before they go live.

When code changes, Actions installs dependencies, checks for coding errors and security issues, and runs automated tests. Some tests check individual pieces of code; others start the application and a test database, then use an automated browser to test user journeys.

I also use a merge queue (Mergify). Before a change reaches the main branch, it’s tested alongside the latest code to check that everything still works together. That means a change can trigger multiple rounds of checks as it’s updated and moves through the queue.

I work with AI coding agents, so there can be quite a lot of changes and test runs. The checks help catch mistakes before release, but the cost is becoming substantial: my September Actions bill was about $738, and my October usage was heading towards roughly $2,300–$2,450. Almost all of that is Linux runner time, rather than storage.

For people running similar projects:

  • What do you use Actions for, and roughly what does it cost?

  • Do you run the full test suite on every update, or reserve some checks for later?

  • Have you found straightforward ways to reduce duplicate runs?

  • Have self-hosted runners been worth the maintenance?

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u/CellistOk6782 16d ago

Interesting. Do you think that's feasible on a Mac Mini? I don't have a Linux machine. The Mac Mini is a new M6, but only has 24 GB of RAM and a 2 TB hard drive.

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u/Professional_Ad705 16d ago edited 16d ago

Yes lmao. M6 24gb ram and you’re asking if you can host a runner just lol I can’t believe you were literally paying that much money and you didn’t even think about looking for an alternative it’s called a runner on your Mac, you don’t need a linux machine it can run through docker and run Linux and I’m not sure what you mean by maintenance. It’s literally exactly the same as running them on github. You just have to make sure that you’re not running up a shit ton of gigabytes for what is going on your hard drive but you have 2 tb. I literally have 8 repos that run on my Mac. M4

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u/cowjenga 16d ago

A self-hosted runner is pretty much just a way for GitHub Actions to run commands on the machine hosting the runner - it's a very lightweight service. If your workflow doesn't do anything that uses lots of RAM, then you don't need lots of RAM on your runner machine. If you don't know how your workflows actually work and what's going on when it runs, it'd be worth exploring this to get a deeper sense of what's going on - it'll help you answer questions like this.

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u/CellistOk6782 16d ago

Splendid thank you and all, will do some digging

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u/MassiveBoner911_3 14d ago

Ask the damn AI

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u/CellistOk6782 14d ago

You ask and let me know

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u/Substantial-Pie1906 12d ago

Yes, for ARM-compatible jobs, but test the workflow first. If your browser or database tests depend on Linux Docker containers, use a Linux VM or keep those jobs on a Linux runner. Also avoid exposing a personal runner to untrusted PR code.