kitio.aiSemaphore vs ContextMCP
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. ContextMCP 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
- Scheduled re-indexing
- AST-aware chunking
- Multi-repository sources
- YAML configuration
- Cloudflare Workers hosting
| Feature | Semaphore | ContextMCP |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open source CI/CD service that coding agents can set up and run | Self-hosted MCP server that keeps AI agents fed with current docs |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | See pricing page | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Semaphore | Dodo Payments |
| Based in | – | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
ContextMCP 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 Nov 5, 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
ContextMCP
- Free and open source
- Keeps code examples intact in chunks
- You own and host the index
- Requires self-hosting and setup
- Small project with limited docs
- No managed hosted version listed
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 ContextMCP if you want:
- Free and open source
- Keeps code examples intact in chunks
- You own and host the index
Watch out: requires self-hosting and setup.
Semaphore vs ContextMCP FAQ
What is the difference between Semaphore and ContextMCP?
Semaphore: Open source CI/CD service that coding agents can set up and run. ContextMCP: Self-hosted MCP server that keeps AI agents fed with current docs. Both are coding tools.
Is Semaphore or ContextMCP cheaper?
ContextMCP is completely free, while Semaphore is freemium.
Do Semaphore and ContextMCP have free plans?
Semaphore: Yes. ContextMCP: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Semaphore?
Semaphore is made by Semaphore.
Who makes ContextMCP?
ContextMCP is made by Dodo Payments.
Which should I choose, Semaphore or ContextMCP?
Choose Semaphore if you value agents can configure ci from plain requests and free monthly credits for small projects. Choose ContextMCP if you value free and open source and keeps code examples intact in chunks.