Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

CloudShell VS RunsOn

Compare CloudShell VS RunsOn and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

CloudShell logo CloudShell

Cloud Shell is a free admin machine with browser-based command-line access for managing your infrastructure and applications on Google Cloud Platform.

RunsOn logo RunsOn

Access the fastest and cheapest self-hosted runners on the market with a one-line change. Easily installable in your own AWS account. x64 and arm64 architectures supported.
  • CloudShell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-12
  • RunsOn 10x cheaper GitHub Action runners
    10x cheaper GitHub Action runners //
    2024-01-23
  • RunsOn Cheaper AND faster than BuildJet / Warpbuild / GitHub
    Cheaper AND faster than BuildJet / Warpbuild / GitHub //
    2024-01-23

Cheap runners are just one part of the equation: nobody likes slow runs, even if it's cheap.

RunsOn gives you access to some of the fastest machines on the market, thanks to AWS extensive hardware selection.

Which makes RunsOn the fastest provider of self-hosted, fully ephemeral runners on the market.

We automatically build and publish copies of the official runner images at most 24h after their official release, so that you can be certain that your workflows will always work on either GitHub runners, or your own RunsOn runners.

CloudShell

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Platforms
-
Release Date
-

RunsOn

$ Details
freemium โ‚ฌ300.0 / Annually
Platforms
AWS GitHub
Release Date
2024 January

CloudShell features and specs

  • Integrated Environment
    CloudShell provides a fully integrated development environment directly within your browser, including access to Google Cloud resources, pre-installed Google Cloud SDK, and other useful tools.
  • Convenience
    Because it's browser-based, there is no need to install or configure anything locally, which can save considerable setup time and eliminate environment inconsistencies.
  • Security
    Operating within Google's infrastructure can add layers of security, including secure connection to cloud resources and less risk of exposing local machines to vulnerabilities.
  • Access to Project Resources
    Directly connects to Google Cloud resources associated with your account, making it easy to manage and deploy applications within your cloud environment.
  • Scalability
    Seamlessly scalable environment that can handle different workloads without performance degradation.
  • Persistent Storage
    CloudShell offers persistent storage, allowing users to save their work and configurations, which are available in future sessions.
  • Pre-installed Tools
    Includes a range of pre-installed tools, such as git, gcloud SDK, and language libraries, enabling efficient development and deployment workflows.

Possible disadvantages of CloudShell

  • Resource Limits
    CloudShell has usage limits, including limited disk space and CPU, which may not be sufficient for all types of workloads, particularly resource-intensive tasks.
  • Inactive Use Timeouts
    Sessions that are inactive for a period of time may be automatically terminated, which can disrupt ongoing work.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Being a cloud-based solution, a stable internet connection is required. Any disruption in connectivity can hamper development and deployment processes.
  • Latency Issues
    Depending on your geographical location, there may be latency issues which can affect performance and response times.
  • Limited Customization
    While CloudShell provides many pre-installed tools, users have limited control over the environment compared to a locally managed development setup.
  • Paid Subscription Needed for Extensive Use
    Beyond the free tier, extensive usage of CloudShell resources may incur additional costs, which can add up depending on the scale and nature of the tasks.
  • Learning Curve
    New users who are not familiar with Google Cloud's ecosystem may face an initial learning curve to fully leverage CloudShell's capabilities.

RunsOn features and specs

  • Ephemeral self-hosted runners
  • Autoscaling
  • Pricing
    10x cheaper than competition

Analysis of CloudShell

Overall verdict

  • Yes, CloudShell is a good tool, especially for those who are actively using Google Cloud Platform. It provides a user-friendly interface and a comprehensive set of tools to manage cloud resources effectively. Its convenience, combined with the power of GCP, makes it a valuable asset for cloud-based development and operations.

Why this product is good

  • CloudShell is a versatile tool offered by Google Cloud Platform (GCP) that provides a command-line environment directly in your web browser. It is particularly beneficial for developers and system administrators because it allows them to manage GCP resources easily without needing to install additional software on their local machines. CloudShell includes the Google Cloud SDK, along with other essential tools, making it a convenient and efficient option for cloud management tasks. Additionally, it offers persistent storage, allowing users to save their scripts and data between sessions. The integration with other GCP services enhances productivity by providing seamless access and control.

Recommended for

  • Developers who frequently work with Google Cloud Platform
  • System administrators managing GCP resources
  • New users of Google Cloud who need an easy introduction to command-line tools
  • Teams collaborating on GCP projects, as it supports session sharing

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CloudShell and RunsOn)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Development
100 100%
0% 0
GitHub
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing CloudShell and RunsOn.

What makes your product unique?

RunsOn's answer:

10x cheaper than GitHub official runners. Runs in your own AWS account. More secure than sharing your secrets with other third-party tools like BuildJet or Warpbuild.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

RunsOn's answer:

Cheap, fast, on-premise alternative to maintaining self-hosted runners.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

RunsOn's answer:

CTO / Senior developers

What's the story behind your product?

RunsOn's answer:

Built a similar product for one of my clients, reduced CI build cost by 10 times, and improve build speed from 1h to 20min.

User comments

Share your experience with using CloudShell and RunsOn. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

CloudShell might be a bit more popular than RunsOn. We know about 13 links to it since March 2021 and only 11 links to RunsOn. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

CloudShell mentions (13)

  • GCP Fundamentals: Cloud Shell API
    The Google Cloud Shell API empowers organizations to automate cloud operations, accelerate software delivery, and improve efficiency. By providing a programmatic interface for managing Cloud Shell environments, the API unlocks new possibilities for developers, SREs, and data teams. Explore the official documentation and try the hands-on lab to experience the benefits of the Cloud Shell API firsthand. ... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Intro to the YouTube APIs: searching for videos
    Command-line (gcloud) -- Those who prefer working in a terminal can enable APIs with a single command in the Cloud Shell or locally on your computer if you installed the Cloud SDK which includes the gcloud command-line tool (CLI) and initialized its use. If this is you, issue this command to enable the API: gcloud services enable youtube.googleapis.com Confirm all the APIs you've enabled with this command:... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Explore the world with Google Maps APIs
    Gcloud/command-line - Finally, for those more inclined to using the command-line, you can enable APIs with a single command in the Cloud Shell or locally on your computer if you installed the Cloud SDK (which includes the gcloud command-line tool [CLI]) and initialized its use. If this is you, issue the following command to enable all three APIs: gcloud services enable geocoding-backend.googleapis.com... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Getting started with the Google Cloud CLI interactive shell for serverless developers
    While you might find that using the Google Cloud online console or Cloud Shell environment meets your occasional needs, for maximum developer efficiency you will want to install the Google Cloud CLI (gcloud) on your own system where you already have your favorite editor or IDE and git set up. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Cloud desktops aren't as good as you'd think
    Here is the product https://cloud.google.com/shell It has a quick start guide and docs. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
View more

RunsOn mentions (11)

  • Surprise Pay $1000
    If you want a 'fixed' cost option for GitHub self hosted runners on your AWS I can't recommend https://runs-on.com/ enough. - Source: Hacker News / 26 days ago
  • GitHub Actions down again today
    There are a couple and have very good reputation - though I've never used them https://www.blacksmith.sh/ They also say that they're much cheaper than github. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • GitHub Actions is the weakest link
    My team has been using https://runs-on.com/ for AWS instance runners, had a few glitches but largely been great for using AWS instances for runners. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • GitHub Actions Is Slowly Killing Your Engineering Team
    > You know how I know GitHubโ€™s runners are bad? Because thereโ€™s an entire cottage industry of companies whose sole product is โ€œGitHub Actions, but the runners donโ€™t suck.โ€ Namespace, Blacksmith, Actuated, Runs-on, BuildJet He's not wrong. Buildjet just announced they were shutting down though, citing recent improvements to the GitHub Actions platform. For the record I maintain the Runs-on [1] he's talking about,... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Pricing Changes for GitHub Actions
    I am developing a self-hosted solution for this [1]. Itโ€™s true that itโ€™s somewhat of a pain but JIT runners allow a lot of flexibility that we donโ€™t find elsewhere. [1] https://runs-on.com. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing CloudShell and RunsOn, you can also consider the following products

GitHub Codespaces - GItHub Codespaces is a hosted remote coding environment by GitHub based on Visual Studio Codespaces integrated directly for GitHub.

Forgejo - Forgejo is a self-hosted lightweight software forge. Easy to install and low maintenance, it just does the job.

CodeTasty - CodeTasty is a programming platform for developers in the cloud.

Netlify - Build, deploy and host your static site or app with a drag and drop interface and automatic delpoys from GitHub or Bitbucket

Glitch - Glitch is the friendly community where everyone builds the web. Simple, powerful interface for creating web apps.

GitHub - Originally founded as a project to simplify sharing code, GitHub has grown into an application used by over a million people to store over two million code repositories, making GitHub the largest code host in the world.