What it does
Depot CI is a hosted programmable CI system that runs GitHub Actions YAML workflows on Depot compute. Teams can migrate selected workflow files into a Depot directory, trigger them from GitHub events, and inspect logs and resource metrics in a dashboard or through the Depot CLI. Local runs can include uncommitted changes, which helps diagnose a workflow before pushing it.
Keep the cutover reversible
The official quick start outlines a staged migration:
- Create a Depot account, install the Depot CLI, and connect the Depot Code Access app to the GitHub repository.
- Run
depot ci migrateto check compatibility, select workflows, and copy them with local actions into the.depotdirectory. Import secrets and variables separately if the workflows need them. - Validate the migrated jobs before switching off the original GitHub triggers.
The final check matters: after the new files are merged, the quick start says workflows run in both GitHub and Depot CI. A deployment or other step with external effects can therefore run twice until the old trigger is disabled. No account, repository, or workflow was connected for this listing.
For smaller experiments, depot ci run can run a workflow against the local working tree, include uncommitted changes, and select a subset of jobs. Hosted runs expose logs, step timing, CPU and memory metrics, plus SSH access to the running sandbox. Depot CI currently uses GitHub Actions YAML as its first workflow syntax, so check the migration compatibility report before moving less common actions.
Depot CI is a paid hosted service with monthly subscriptions and included compute allowances. Additional compute is billed by usage, and sandbox minutes are shared with Depot Sandboxes and Managed Agents. No workload estimate is provided because the bill depends on usage across those products.
Strengths
- The migration wizard can move selected GitHub Actions workflows and local actions while leaving the original files available for comparison.
- Local workflow runs include uncommitted changes and can be limited to selected jobs without first pushing a commit.
- The dashboard and CLI provide run logs, job metrics, and access to the sandbox for debugging.
Watch out for
- Using Depot CI requires a Depot account and connecting its GitHub Code Access app to the repository.
- GitHub Actions YAML is the first supported workflow syntax, so other CI definitions need to be translated and compatibility should be checked.
- During migration, the same trigger can run the workflow in both GitHub and Depot CI, which can duplicate deployments or other side effects until the old trigger is disabled.
Best for
- Teams with GitHub Actions workflows that want to move execution to Depot-managed CI compute.
- Developers who need to run or diagnose GitHub Actions workflows against local, uncommitted changes.
Sources
- Depot | Software Delivery Built for Machine Scale (Oct 25, 2026)
- Depot CI | Depot CI | Depot Docs (Oct 25, 2026)
- Quickstart for Depot CI | Depot CI | Depot Docs (Oct 25, 2026)
- Pricing | Depot (Oct 25, 2026)