# CircleCI

Official pricing: https://circleci.com/pricing/price-list/  
Category: macos · Isolation: vm

## Pricing regimes (raw)

- **macOS M4 Pro, credits per minute** (sizes): m4pro.medium (6 CPU / 28 GB, 200 cr/min) 6 vCPU/28 GiB $7.2/h; m4pro.large (12 CPU / 56 GB, 400 cr/min) 12 vCPU/56 GiB $14.4/h
- **Windows VM, credits per minute** (sizes): windows.medium (4 CPU / 16 GB, 40 cr/min) 4 vCPU/16 GiB $1.44/h; windows.large (8 CPU / 32 GB, 120 cr/min) 8 vCPU/32 GiB $4.32/h; windows.xlarge (16 CPU / 64 GB, 210 cr/min) 16 vCPU/64 GiB $7.56/h; windows.2xlarge (32 CPU / 128 GB, 500 cr/min) 32 vCPU/128 GiB $18/h
- **Linux VM (machine) executor (x86), credits per minute** (sizes): machine medium (2 CPU / 7.5 GB, 10 cr/min) 2 vCPU/7.5 GiB $0.36/h; machine large (4 CPU / 15 GB, 20 cr/min) 4 vCPU/15 GiB $0.72/h; machine xlarge (8 CPU / 32 GB, 100 cr/min) 8 vCPU/32 GiB $3.6/h; machine 2xlarge (16 CPU / 64 GB, 200 cr/min) 16 vCPU/64 GiB $7.2/h; machine 2xlarge+ (32 CPU / 64 GB, 300 cr/min) 32 vCPU/64 GiB $10.8/h
- **Linux Docker executor (x86), credits per minute** (sizes): docker small (1 CPU / 2 GB, 5 cr/min) 1 vCPU/2 GiB $0.18/h; docker medium (2 CPU / 4 GB, 10 cr/min) 2 vCPU/4 GiB $0.36/h; docker medium+ (3 CPU / 6 GB, 15 cr/min) 3 vCPU/6 GiB $0.54/h; docker large (4 CPU / 8 GB, 20 cr/min) 4 vCPU/8 GiB $0.72/h; docker xlarge (8 CPU / 16 GB, 40 cr/min) 8 vCPU/16 GiB $1.44/h; docker 2xlarge (16 CPU / 32 GB, 80 cr/min) 16 vCPU/32 GiB $2.88/h
- **Arm Linux VM, credits per minute** (sizes): arm medium (2 CPU / 8 GB, 10 cr/min) 2 vCPU/8 GiB $0.36/h; arm large (4 CPU / 16 GB, 20 cr/min) 4 vCPU/16 GiB $0.72/h; arm xlarge (8 CPU / 32 GB, 100 cr/min) 8 vCPU/32 GiB $3.6/h; arm 2xlarge (16 CPU / 64 GB, 200 cr/min) 16 vCPU/64 GiB $7.2/h
- **Linux Docker executor Gen 2 (x86), credits per minute** (sizes): docker small.gen2 (1 CPU / 2 GB, 6 cr/min) 1 vCPU/2 GiB $0.216/h; docker medium.gen2 (2 CPU / 4 GB, 12 cr/min) 2 vCPU/4 GiB $0.432/h; docker medium+.gen2 (3 CPU / 6 GB, 18 cr/min) 3 vCPU/6 GiB $0.648/h; docker large.gen2 (4 CPU / 8 GB, 24 cr/min) 4 vCPU/8 GiB $0.864/h; docker xlarge.gen2 (8 CPU / 16 GB, 48 cr/min) 8 vCPU/16 GiB $1.728/h; docker 2xlarge.gen2 (16 CPU / 32 GB, 96 cr/min) 16 vCPU/32 GiB $3.456/h
- **Arm Docker executor, credits per minute** (sizes): arm docker medium (2 CPU / 8 GB, 13 cr/min) 2 vCPU/8 GiB $0.468/h; arm docker large (4 CPU / 16 GB, 26 cr/min) 4 vCPU/16 GiB $0.936/h; arm docker xlarge (8 CPU / 32 GB, 52 cr/min) 8 vCPU/32 GiB $1.872/h; arm docker 2xlarge (16 CPU / 64 GB, 104 cr/min) 16 vCPU/64 GiB $3.744/h
- **Linux VM (machine) executor Gen 2 (x86), credits per minute** (sizes): machine medium.gen2 (2 CPU / 8 GB, 18 cr/min) 2 vCPU/8 GiB $0.648/h; machine large.gen2 (4 CPU / 16 GB, 36 cr/min) 4 vCPU/16 GiB $1.296/h; machine xlarge.gen2 (8 CPU / 32 GB, 72 cr/min) 8 vCPU/32 GiB $2.592/h; machine 2xlarge.gen2 (16 CPU / 64 GB, 144 cr/min) 16 vCPU/64 GiB $5.184/h; machine 2xlarge+.gen2 (32 CPU / 128 GB, 288 cr/min) 32 vCPU/128 GiB $10.368/h

## Features

Yes: snapshots, idle auto-stop, custom image (Docker or snapshot), start from your own snapshot, your own Docker/OCI image, full VM (own kernel), Docker inside, nested virtualization, browser, SSH, open internet, static egress IP, self-hosting, SOC 2, SSO, GPU, arm64, Windows, macOS, Python, Node.js, webhooks, audit logs, MCP server, snapshots on demand, agent harness API, hosted agent API (their own agent), gVisor or VM (no shared kernel), firewall inside (nftables)

No: memory snapshots, fork/clone, pause/resume, persistent disk, volumes, ≥24 h sessions, systemd, desktop GUI, computer-use API, code interpreter, browser + desktop control, anti-bot stealth, CAPTCHA solving, residential IPs, preinstalled agents, public IPv4, HTTPS preview URLs, custom domains, raw TCP inbound, egress allowlist, private networking, BYOC, open source, HIPAA, GPU desktop, HTTP method/path egress rules, wake on request, live resize, live fork (no pause), memory fork, EU data residency, automatic snapshots, inbound access rules, secret proxy, secret proxy for any API, extra volumes, shared volumes

Unknown: everything else. Evidence (source + quote) per feature: https://battleships.dev/data/providers/circleci.json → feature_evidence

## Caveats

- Seat billing (not modelled beyond per_seat): since 2025-12-01 each unique unregistered contributor counts as a separate monthly active user (previously all unregistered users counted as one); Free/Performance include 5 active users, extra users at plan per-user rates. Annual committed plans moved over in April 2026 (Scale 40,000 credits/user/month, Custom 25,000 - forum-reported). Workflows triggered by many bots/outside contributors can cost more with unchanged compute rates; a 'Prevent unregistered user spend' toggle exists. Source: discuss.circleci.com/t/changes-to-unregistered-user-billing/54104 (+ /54446).
- CircleCI jobs only (pipeline executors), not a general sandbox.
- USD derived from credits at the Performance-plan list price $15/25,000 credits = $0.0006/credit (stated on circleci.com/pricing); Scale-plan credit prices are negotiated.
- Network/storage beyond plan thresholds billed at 420 credits/GB (= $0.252/GB); thresholds not captured, so egress left null.
- Per-minute billing assumed (credits are quoted per minute).
- Larger classes (2xlarge and up) are not listed for Free/Performance on the pricing page; encoded as Scale-only (sales). Pricing page 2026-09-28.
- Linux executors billed in credits per minute; per-minute rounding assumed (granularity 60 s).
- Credits also pay for active users on paid plans (not modelled beyond per_seat).
- Network/storage allowances (pricing page 2026-09-29): network 1 GB Free / 5 GB Performance / 50 GB Scale (network only counts cache/workspace transfer to self-hosted runners); storage 2 GB / 2 GB / 200 GB GB-months; overage 420 credits/GB ($0.252). Storage is charged once at save time as size x retention period. Docker Layer Caching 200 credits/job ($0.12) if enabled; IP ranges 450 credits/GB ($0.27) on Performance/Scale.
- Free plan is a hard cap: when the 30,000 monthly credits reach 0, private builds are blocked until next month (open-source builds continue). Performance auto-refills 25% of the monthly package (min 25,000 credits = $15) when credits hit 0 (overage on by default). Scale: optional Credit Auto-Refill; if declined, service is interrupted at 0.
- Scale seats cost 40,000 credits/user/month (vs 25,000 on Performance); at list $0.0006/credit that is $24/user, but Scale credit prices are negotiated. Seat charges are paid from the same credit pool as compute. Free/Performance include 5 active users.
- Open source: Free-plan orgs with public repos get up to 400,000 credits/month (~80,000 build minutes) for Linux/Arm/Docker OSS builds (+ 25,000-30,000 macOS OSS credits, docs inconsistent, max 2 concurrent macOS OSS jobs).
- Prepaid billing (Performance): bulk credits from 1M for $600; volume discounts start at 5M credits ($3,000); paid credits roll over and expire 12 months after purchase; free 30,000 monthly credits do not roll over.

## How this provider charges


CircleCI bills **credits per minute** per resource class. The pricing page states the credit price for Performance-plan top-ups: **"$15 for every 25,000 credits" = $0.0006/credit**. That confirms the sweep's conversion.

## Regime table

| # | Regime | When it applies | How billed | Numbers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Free plan | Default | Up to 6,000 build minutes/month on small Docker, 5 active users, 30x concurrency. **No macOS**; Windows/Linux/Arm included | $0 | https://circleci.com/pricing/ |
| 2 | Performance plan | Paid self-serve | From $15/month with 30,000 credits included. 5 active users, then $15/seat. 80x concurrency. Extra credits $15 per 25,000 (roll over) | $15/month + usage | same |
| 3 | macOS M4 Pro | Performance+ | Credits per minute | m4pro.medium 6 CPU/28 GB **200 cr/min = $0.12/min**; m4pro.large 12/56 400 cr = $0.24/min | https://circleci.com/pricing/price-list/ |
| 4 | Windows | All plans | Credits per minute | medium 4/16 **40 cr = $0.024/min**; large 8/32 120 cr = $0.072; xlarge 16/64 210 cr = $0.126; 2xlarge 32/128 500 cr = $0.30 | same |
| 5 | Linux (reference) | All | Credits per minute | medium 2 CPU/7.5 GB 10 cr = $0.006/min | same |
| 6 | Network / storage overage | Beyond plan thresholds | 420 credits/GB | $0.252/GB (thresholds not captured) | https://circleci.com/pricing/ |
| 7 | Scale plan | Annual, sales | Custom credit price, unlimited concurrency, GPU | custom | same |

## Gotchas

1. macOS needs a paid plan. Windows costs 4x Linux medium per minute. macOS costs 20x.
2. USD values assume the list credit price. Annual/Scale contracts are negotiated.
3. Jobs only; not a general sandbox.

## Worked example

Workload: 4 vCPU / 8 GiB, 50 concurrent × 8 h/day × 22 days (8,800 h), 30% CPU, 50 GiB snapshots, 100 GiB egress. Illustrative.

| Regime | Compute | Plan | Included credits | **Monthly** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| macOS m4pro.medium ($7.20/h) | $63,360.00 | $15 | -$18 | **$63,357.00** |
| Windows medium 4/16 ($1.44/h) | $12,672.00 | $15 | -$18 | **$12,669.00** |

Network/storage overage at $0.252/GB could add up to about $25 for 100 GB if all of it counts as over-threshold (thresholds unknown). Seats beyond 5 cost $15 each.

Sources: https://circleci.com/pricing/ · https://circleci.com/pricing/price-list/