GitHub is changing the pricing structure for GitHub Actions, introducing a $0.002-per-minute fee on all usage. Previously, teams could use GitHub Actions control plane without paying GitHub if they ran jobs outside of GitHub-hosted runners. This new fee, effective March 1, 2026, means CI costs will now include both compute costs and this flat platform fee. This shift monetizes the Actions control plane, ensuring GitHub earns revenue regardless of where jobs are executed, effectively eliminating the cost-free option for self-hosting. The change comes after GitHub's recognition that many teams outgrow their hosted runners, which can become slow and expensive. By lowering the prices of GitHub-hosted runners while introducing the platform fee, GitHub aims to make its hosted options more appealing and create a new revenue model that prioritizes software monetization over compute. This strategy aligns GitHub’s interests with those of third-party runners like Blacksmith, positioning them as partners rather than alternatives. For teams that continue to self-host, this shift means they will incur charges on top of their existing operational costs. The focus now shifts to managing CI time effectively to control expenses. Blacksmith emphasizes solutions like faster machines and reusing work between CI runs to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Strategies such as preserving Docker layer caches and optimizing container startup times are crucial as the new fee structure ties CI performance directly to costs.