GitHub Actions alternative with EU-hosted runners
GitHub Actions hosted runners execute outside the EU. Even with EU data residency enabled, CI jobs still run on runners outside the EU. Your code leaves the EU on every build.
Codebahn uses GitHub Actions workflow syntax on EU-hosted runners. Your .github/workflows/ directory works without renaming. The runners are in Paris (Scaleway), every CI job stays in the EU, and common GitHub Actions are pre-mirrored locally so build traffic does not leave EU infrastructure either.
GitHub Actions is a broad platform: reusable workflows, a marketplace of 20,000+ actions, macOS and Windows runners, OIDC federation. If your pipelines depend on that ecosystem, it is the right choice. If you need CI that runs in the EU with predictable, per-seat pricing, Codebahn covers that.
When to stay on GitHub Actions
- Your pipelines depend on the GitHub Marketplace or community actions that call the GitHub API.
- You need macOS or Windows hosted runners. Codebahn runs Linux only.
- You need OIDC tokens for cloud provider authentication. Codebahn does not currently support OIDC token federation.
- You use matrix builds with more than 60 concurrent jobs. Codebahn concurrency depends on your plan.
- You need GitHub-specific features like branch protection rules tied to required status checks from external services.
Side by side
| Codebahn | GitHub Actions | |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow syntax | GitHub Actions workflow syntax. Reads .github/workflows/ | Native |
| Runner location | EU only (Scaleway, Paris) | Outside the EU. No EU hosted runners available |
| Runner isolation | Per-tenant ephemeral VM. Cross-org jobs never share a VM | Shared pool, ephemeral |
| Cold start | ~40 seconds (warm: ~2 seconds with Docker cache) | 15-45 seconds typical |
| CI minutes (team plan) | 1,000 per seat, per month | 3,000 shared across the org |
| Minute scaling | Minutes grow with team size. 10 seats = 10,000 min | Fixed pool regardless of team size |
| Overage | €9 per 1,000 minutes | $0.006/min (Linux) |
| Pre-cached tools | Go 1.25/1.26, Node 22/24/26 resolve offline | Full ubuntu-latest image (~30 GB) |
| Action mirrors | Common actions pre-mirrored in EU | Native (GitHub.com) |
| Container registry | Built-in, private, auto-authenticated in CI | GitHub Packages (GHCR) |
| Runner sizes | 3 sizes (3-4 vCPU, 4-12 GB). Specs | Standard + larger runners (2-64 vCPU) |
| BYO runners | Yes. Jobs on own runners use no minutes | Yes. Self-hosted runner support |
| Egress | HTTPS and DNS only. Cloud metadata blocked | Unrestricted |
| Pricing (5 people) | €55/mo, CI included | $20/mo + overage if pool exhausted |
Per-seat minutes vs shared pools
GitHub Actions gives a fixed pool of minutes to the org: 3,000 on Team, regardless of how many people push. A team of five splits 3,000 minutes. A team of twenty-five splits the same 3,000 minutes.
Codebahn allocates 1,000 minutes per seat. A team of five gets 5,000 minutes. Twenty-five gets 25,000. Minutes scale with the team, not against it. If you run out, top-ups add 1,000 minutes for €9.
What changes when you move
Your .github/workflows/ directory works without renaming. runs-on: ubuntu-latest routes to EU runners. Common actions (actions/checkout, actions/setup-go, actions/setup-node) are pre-mirrored.
Default runner memory is 3 GB usable (GitHub: 8 GB on private repos). Use codebahn-medium for 7 GB or codebahn-large for 11 GB. Runner specs.
Actions that call the GitHub API (creating GitHub releases, commenting on GitHub PRs) need rewriting to use the Forgejo API. Actions that are pure build steps (compile, test, lint, deploy) work without changes. CI setup guide.
Use it for 14 days. If it's not right, one email and I refund it. Simon, founder
Looking at the full platform, not just CI? See Codebahn vs GitHub. Comparing other options? See Codebahn vs GitLab or Codebahn vs self-hosting.
GitHub and GitHub Actions are trademarks of GitHub, Inc. This is an independent comparison, not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft or GitHub. Competitor data verified 2026-09-17. Sources: GitHub pricing, GitHub-hosted runners, EU data residency.