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GitHub Actions Schedule

Schedulers 4.1/10 Jun 16, 2026

Run repository workflows on a cron schedule for technical/internal automation.

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GitHub Actions Schedule scores 4.1/10 for free value in Schedulers. The main constraint: Free minutes are available for public repositories and limited private-repo usage depending on account.

Category Schedulers Kind CI scheduled workflow Caveats Not an always-on service or precise product scheduler. Scheduled workflow timing can be delayed. Renewal monthly Card required No Eligibility anyone

Free value score

4.1 / 10
Show the math
Overall 4.1/10
value = 4.1/100
weighted_components_v1
Run value 1/10
value = 0 $/mo
fixed_log_v1
Reliability 6.5/10
value = 6.5/100
policy_score_v1
Workflow fit 8.3/10
value = 8.3/100
policy_score_v1

Key metrics

1/mo Run quota Uses stated run/message/execution quota when present; otherwise a conservative floor.
6.0/hr Granularity/reliability Derived from minimum interval with conservative reliability adjustment.
6 Workflow/runtime cron, history, logs, timeout, workflow, workflows
∞ Cron jobs
5 min Min interval
∞ Executions capped by 2,000 runner min/mo on private repos
90 logs Run history
6 hr Job timeout 360 min

What you get

Cron via workflow schedule event

Easy for repo-owned automation

Secrets and logs in GitHub Actions

Gotchas

  • 2,000 free minutes/month (private repos, Free plan)

    GitHub Free accounts get 2,000 GitHub-hosted runner minutes per month for private repositories; resets at the start of each billing cycle.

  • Unlimited minutes only for public repos

    Standard GitHub-hosted runner minutes are completely free and unlimited only for public repositories; private repos are subject to the monthly quota.

  • 500 MB artifact storage (Free plan)

    GitHub Free plans include 500 MB of artifact and cache storage shared across Actions and GitHub Packages, resetting each billing cycle.

  • 10 GB cache storage per repository

    Each repository gets 10 GB of Actions cache storage included; usage beyond that accrues charges if a payment method is on file.

  • Scheduled workflow timing can be delayed

    GitHub does not guarantee that scheduled workflows fire at the exact cron time; delays of minutes to hours are common under high load, making it unsuitable for precision scheduling.

  • Larger runners always billed

    Only standard (2-core) GitHub-hosted runners are covered by the free quota; larger runners incur charges even on public repositories.

  • Windows/macOS minutes multiply faster

    Windows runners consume minutes at ~1.7× and macOS at ~10× the Linux rate against the free quota, making the 2,000-minute allowance much smaller for non-Linux jobs.

  • Not a dedicated scheduler platform

    GitHub Actions schedule lacks retry logic, observability dashboards, and per-run parameterization that purpose-built schedulers provide.

  • Requires a GitHub repository

    Every scheduled job must live inside a GitHub repository; there is no standalone scheduling without source-code hosting.

Sources

ci cron github automation internal
Open service Source ← All Schedulers

Alternatives

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Metered
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