Latchkey for Open Source
Latchkey, free for open source.
Open source runs the software the rest of us build on, and keeping it green is mostly unpaid work. This is how we give back: the full Latchkey platform, free for open source projects. No monthly fee, ever. Self-healing runners that fix flaky CI on community PRs, thousands of free build minutes across every runner size, and per-minute rates a fraction of GitHub.
One thing we give. The rest, Latchkey already does.
We are honest about this: the open source benefit is simple, no subscription, ever. That alone is a free Scale plan (normally $49/mo). Everything below is just how Latchkey compares to GitHub-hosted runners, and it happens to be a great fit for a public project.
The numbers
Cheaper on every size. Free minutes on every size.
Per-minute runner rates, Latchkey vs GitHub-hosted (Linux). Your 6,000 free minutes/month apply to all of these, then it is pay-as-you-go at these rates.
| Runner | vCPU / RAM | GitHub / min | Latchkey / min | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-core | 2 / 8 GB | $0.006 | $0.0025 | ~58% |
| 4-core | 4 / 16 GB | $0.012 | $0.0050 | ~58% |
| 8-core | 8 / 32 GB | $0.022 | $0.0100 | ~55% |
| 16-core | 16 / 64 GB | $0.042 | $0.0200 | ~52% |
Fair print: GitHub standard 2-core runners are free for public repos, so on tiny CI you will not spend a cent either way. The real money shows up the moment you need bigger runners, GitHub bills public repos full price for those and gives zero free minutes, while your Latchkey plan includes 6,000 free minutes that work on every size, then half-price after.
Who it is for
If it is open source, you qualify.
We mean any of it. A public repo under an open source license, in any language, at any size. Libraries, frameworks, CLI tools, apps, developer tooling, plugins, docs sites, even that weekend project you keep meaning to promote. Solo maintainer or a foundation with hundreds of contributors, it is the same open door.
We do not gate on stars, downloads, or how long you have been around. We read every application by hand, and we are only checking one thing: that it is genuinely open source. If your project is public and openly licensed, you are exactly who this program is for. Not sure whether you count? You almost certainly do. Apply and we will take it from there.
How it works
From application to green builds in a few days.
Questions
FAQ.
What exactly is free?
The subscription. You get a free Scale plan (normally $49/mo) with 6,000 included runner minutes every month, usable on any runner size. Past 6,000 minutes, runners bill at our rates, which are roughly half of GitHub.
Do I need a credit card?
Not to start. The plan and your 6,000 monthly minutes need no card. You would only add billing if you go past the free minutes, at the discounted rate.
GitHub is already free for my public repo. Why switch?
GitHub free 2-core is genuinely fine for light CI. Latchkey earns its place three ways: self-heal fixes flaky failures GitHub leaves red, the bigger runners you actually need cost about half, and you get cost and reliability insight GitHub does not offer, all with no subscription.
What about my private repos?
This program covers your public, open source repos. Private work runs on our standard plans, and plenty of maintainers bring Latchkey to their day jobs later.
Why are you doing this?
Open source runs the software the rest of us build on, and keeping it green is mostly unpaid work. This is how we give back, and self-heal shines brightest exactly where flaky CI on community PRs is a daily tax.