Depot
GitHub
| Feature | Depot | GitHub |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $20/mo | Free / from $4/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 |
| Best For | engineering-teams, ci-cd-pipelines, monorepo-teams, docker-heavy-teams | developers, open-source-teams, engineering-teams, startups |
| Founded | 2022 | 2008 |
| Fast Builds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Remote Caching | ✓ | ✗ |
| Github Actions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Platform Builds | ✓ | ✗ |
| Buildkit Compatible | ✓ | ✗ |
| Build Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Repositories | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pull Requests | ✗ | ✓ |
| Actions Ci Cd | ✗ | ✓ |
| Copilot | ✗ | ✓ |
| Issues | ✗ | ✓ |
| Projects | ✗ | ✓ |
| Codespaces | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Depot Pros
- Dramatically faster Docker builds
- Drop-in replacement for docker build
- Native layer caching
- GitHub Actions integration
✗ Depot Cons
- Only for container builds
- Costs scale with usage
- Newer platform
✓ GitHub Pros
- Industry standard for open-source
- GitHub Actions CI/CD included free
- Copilot AI integration
- Massive developer community
✗ GitHub Cons
- Free private repos limited on some features
- Actions minutes limited on free tier
- Can be complex for non-developers
The Verdict
Depot is built for engineering teams and ci cd pipelines, with a focus on fast-builds and remote-caching. GitHub targets developers and open source teams and leads with repositories and pull-requests.
On pricing, GitHub is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $4/mo compared to $20/mo for Depot. That $16/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, GitHub offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Depot takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for engineering teams — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: GitHub has a slight overall edge — but if dramatically faster docker builds matters most to you, Depot may still be the right call.
