Blacksmith vs Code Airlock

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool

Blacksmith

🔴Developer

developer-tools

High-performance managed runner platform for accelerating GitHub Actions workloads on purpose-built infrastructure.

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Starting Price

$0.004/minute
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Code Airlock

🔴Developer

developer-tools

A thin CLI wrapper around Docker Sandboxes that runs Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode in a disposable microVM against a clone of your repo, then brings the work back as ordinary git commits for review.

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Starting Price

$0 (self-hosted)
Full ReviewVisit Site

Feature Comparison

Scroll horizontally to compare details.

FeatureBlacksmithCode Airlock
Categorydeveloper-toolsdeveloper-tools
Pricing Plans4 listed plans1 listed plan
Starting Price$0.004/minute$0 (self-hosted)
Key Features
  • • Drop-in managed runners for existing GitHub Actions workflows
  • • Ubuntu x64, Ubuntu ARM, Windows x64, and macOS M4 compute
  • • Vendor-stated 4x faster cache downloads and 2x faster hardware
  • • Runs coding agents in disposable Docker Sandbox microVMs, a boundary below the agent process rather than inside it
  • • Clone mode by default: the agent works in a private clone while your host repo stays read-only
  • • One-command task runs (code-airlock run "...") using each agent's non-interactive mode

Blacksmith - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Uses existing GitHub Actions workflow files and pull-request controls
  • ✓Transparent per-minute rates and 3,000 free minutes support measurable pilots
  • ✓ARM and Apple Silicon runners cover workloads unavailable on many basic CI services

Cons

  • ✗Focused on GitHub Actions rather than heterogeneous CI environments
  • ✗Advertised percentage savings depend on workload-specific speedups
  • ✗Storage add-ons, static IPs, and enterprise concurrency can raise total cost

Code Airlock - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Real security boundary at the microVM level — not just agent-side prompts
  • ✓Host repo stays read-only; every change comes back as a reviewable git commit
  • ✓Multi-agent: swap between Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode with one flag
  • ✓Sandbox never needs GitHub creds — PRs push from the host
  • ✓MIT licensed with npm/Homebrew/curl installs and preflight `doctor` diagnostics

Cons

  • ✗Requires Docker Sandboxes and KVM/virtualization on the host
  • ✗No MCP integration — wraps agents but doesn't extend their tool surface
  • ✗Extra latency vs. running the agent directly on the host
  • ✗Small project (thin wrapper) — you're also depending on the underlying sbx CLI
  • ✗Adds cognitive load: another layer between you and the agent

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Review BlacksmithReview Code Airlock