Semaphore vs AdminForth
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. AdminForth is completely free, while Semaphore is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- CI pipelines and deployments
- MCP server for coding agents
- Monorepo support
- Test reports and metrics
- Self-hosted agents
- macOS and Linux machines
- Declarative admin panel config
- Agent-ready project files
- MCP Server plugin
- Postgres, MySQL, SQLite and Mongo
- Per-agent revocable secrets
- Audit log and roles
| Feature | Semaphore | AdminForth |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open source CI/CD service that coding agents can set up and run | Open-source admin panel framework built for coding agents and admin agents |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | See pricing page | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Semaphore | AdminForth |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
AdminForth is completely free, while Semaphore is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free credits
Free
- $15 of credits per month
- 20 concurrent jobs
- 20 GB artifact egress
Ubuntu x64
$0.0075 / min (2 vCPU)
- Pay per build minute
- Larger machines cost more
macOS
$0.09 / min
- Pay per build minute
- For iOS and Mac builds
Self-hosted
$0.0025 / min
- Any machine you run
- Flat per-minute rate
Prices in USD, checked Oct 29, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Semaphore
- Agents can configure CI from plain requests
- Free monthly credits for small projects
- Open source edition for self-hosting
- macOS minutes cost far more than Linux
- Fast support and SLAs are paid add-ons
- Cache server and registry cost $400/mo each
AdminForth
- MIT license and self-hosted
- Works well with coding agents
- Agents respect user permissions
- Requires developers to set up
- You host and maintain it yourself
- Smaller ecosystem than older admin tools
Which one should you choose?
Choose Semaphore if you want:
- Agents can configure CI from plain requests
- Free monthly credits for small projects
- Open source edition for self-hosting
Watch out: macos minutes cost far more than linux.
Choose AdminForth if you want:
- MIT license and self-hosted
- Works well with coding agents
- Agents respect user permissions
Watch out: requires developers to set up.
Semaphore vs AdminForth FAQ
What is the difference between Semaphore and AdminForth?
Semaphore: Open source CI/CD service that coding agents can set up and run. AdminForth: Open-source admin panel framework built for coding agents and admin agents. Both are coding tools.
Is Semaphore or AdminForth cheaper?
AdminForth is completely free, while Semaphore is freemium.
Do Semaphore and AdminForth have free plans?
Semaphore: Yes. AdminForth: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Semaphore?
Semaphore is made by Semaphore.
Who makes AdminForth?
AdminForth is made by AdminForth.
Which should I choose, Semaphore or AdminForth?
Choose Semaphore if you value agents can configure ci from plain requests and free monthly credits for small projects. Choose AdminForth if you value mit license and self-hosted and works well with coding agents.