Billing and cost
Do I pay for both the runner and the remote Docker builder?
Quick answer
Yes, but the builder is billed only for the seconds it is actively building.
The detail that matters
The runner is usually small in this pattern — it orchestrates while the builder does the work — so the combined cost is typically below running the build on one large runner.
Your next build could be twice as fast, at half the price
Start free. Migrating away is the same one line, and we publish that diff too.
Related
Am I billed when a GitHub Actions job fails?Yes. You are billed for the minutes consumed up to the point of failure, not for a successful outcome.Are GitHub Actions free for open source?Yes, on GitHub-hosted standard runners for public repositories, with no minute charge.Are GitHub Actions free for private repositories?No. Private repositories get a monthly included-minutes allowance by plan, then bill per minute.Do I pay a seat fee for managed runners?On runnerhut, no. Billing is per compute minute with no per-developer charge.