In January 2026, GitHub updated their Actions runner pricing. Most teams didn't notice. Here's exactly what changed and how to calculate your new bill.
2026 Pricing Table
- Ubuntu: $0.006/min (was $0.008 — 25% cheaper)
- Windows: $0.010/min (was $0.016 — 37.5% cheaper)
- macOS: $0.048/min (was $0.080 — 40% cheaper)
Good news — prices dropped.
Bad news — macOS still costs 8× more than Ubuntu. Most teams don't realize this until month-end.
The macOS Trap
- 10-minute macOS job: $0.048 × 10 = $0.48 per run
- 10-minute Ubuntu job: $0.006 × 10 = $0.06 per run
20 pushes/day:
- macOS → $9.60/day → $288/month
- Ubuntu → $1.20/day → $36/month
Same test output. $252/month difference.
5 Ways to Reduce Your Bill
- Switch lint/typecheck jobs to Ubuntu — identical output, 8× cheaper
- Use path filters — skip CI on docs-only commits
- Cache node_modules, pip packages aggressively
- Run tests in matrix parallel — same cost, faster
- Only use macOS when you genuinely need Apple frameworks
Free Calculator
Paste your YAML → see exact monthly cost:
githubactionscost.online/github-actions-cost-calculator
No signup. Runs in browser. 2026 pricing.
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