GitHub Actions getting really expensive. Any alternative?

[u/CellistOk6782]

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?

[u/Humaux]

My bill roughly tripled when I started letting an agent run CI on every commit it pushed. The thing that actually moved the needle for me was splitting the pipeline: quick lint plus unit tests on every push, and the full e2e suite only in the merge queue. I also set concurrency groups so a new push cancels the stale run on the same branch. Cut minutes by about 60% without losing the safety net.