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Build Quota

How We Compare

There are several ways to monitor CI usage. Here's how Build Quota stacks up against the alternatives for GitHub Actions, Bitrise, and CircleCI.

Feature Comparison

FeatureBuild QuotaOctolenseDatadog CIGitHub AlertsDIY (Grafana)
Multi-provider support
GitHub + Bitrise + CircleCI
3 providersGitHub onlyMultipleGitHub onlyDIY
Predictive analytics
Know when you'll run out
Cost optimization tips
Actionable recommendations
Custom alert thresholds
Set alerts at any percentage
5-95%75/90/100%
Free tier available
No credit card required
100% Free$8/userIncludedSelf-host
Free account support
Works without billing API
Jobs API
Paid only
Slack & Discord alerts
Team chat notifications
Usage history
Track trends over time
365 days30 days15 monthsCustom
Real-time updates
Webhook-based live data
Export data
Download as CSV/JSON
Setup complexity
Time to get started
2 min5 min30+ minBuilt-inHours
No CI minutes consumed
Doesn't use your quota

Octolense

A GitHub Actions analytics dashboard with real-time webhook updates and organization-wide views.

Real-time webhook updates
Organization-first dashboard
Cost & usage insights
GitHub Actions only (no Bitrise/CircleCI)
No predictive analytics
30-day history limit

Datadog CI Visibility

Enterprise-grade CI/CD observability platform with full APM integration and advanced analytics.

Enterprise-grade observability
Multiple CI providers supported
Real-time distributed traces
Expensive ($8/committer/month)
Complex setup (30+ minutes)
No cost optimization recommendations

GitHub Built-in Alerts

GitHub sends email notifications at 75%, 90%, and 100% of your included minutes. Available in billing settings for paid accounts.

No setup required for paid accounts
Custom email recipients supported
Fixed thresholds only (75/90/100%)
No predictions or analytics
Not available for free accounts

DIY (Grafana + Prometheus)

Build your own observability stack using OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, and Grafana.

Complete customization
Free (self-hosted)
Unlimited data retention
Requires significant engineering effort
Infrastructure maintenance required
No built-in predictions or recommendations

Build Quota

A dedicated web app for monitoring GitHub Actions, Bitrise, and CircleCI usage with predictive analytics and multi-channel alerts via email, Slack, and Discord.

Multi-provider: GitHub + Bitrise + CircleCI
Real-time webhooks for instant updates
Predictive exhaustion dates
Cost optimization recommendations
Custom thresholds (5-95%)
Email, Slack & Discord notifications
Works with free accounts (Jobs API)
Visual dashboard with trends chart
365 days of usage history
Export data as CSV or JSON
100% free, no credit card required

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just use GitHub's built-in alerts?

GitHub's alerts are limited to fixed thresholds (75%, 90%, 100%) and don't provide predictions. If you want to know when you'll run out based on your usage patterns, or set a custom threshold like 50%, Build Quota fills that gap. Plus, it works for free accounts where GitHub's billing alerts aren't available.

How does the Jobs API fallback work?

For free accounts without billing API access, Build Quota analyzes your workflow job durations to estimate usage. Jobs in "waiting" state for over 60 minutes are counted as 1 minute (since queued jobs don't consume compute). This provides ~95% accuracy compared to the official billing data.

Does Build Quota use my CI minutes?

No. Unlike marketplace actions that run as scheduled workflows, Build Quota is a standalone web app that queries the GitHub API directly. It doesn't consume any of your Actions minutes.

Is my GitHub token secure?

Yes. Tokens are encrypted with AES-256-CBC before storage and only decrypted when making API calls. We use HMAC-signed sessions, HTTPS everywhere, and follow security best practices. See our privacy policy for details.

Ready to try Build Quota?

Set up in 2 minutes. Free forever. No credit card required.

Get Started Free

External links: Octolense • Datadog CI • GitHub Billing Docs • Grafana CI/CD