In this guide, we dissect the AWS CodePipeline cost structure, explain the Free Tier allowances, and detail associated costs for common CI/CD services.
AWS CodePipeline Free Tier
AWS offers a Free Tier for CodePipeline, allowing you to try the service at no cost:
1 active pipeline per month is free
An active pipeline has existed for > 30 days and processed at least one change
After 30 days, charges apply only if the pipeline remains active and processes changes
Only the first active pipeline is free; additional pipelines cost $1/month each
You can create multiple pipelines, but only one remains free each month. Monitor your active pipelines to stay within the Free Tier.
Pricing After the Free Tier
Active Pipelines Free Tier Monthly Charge 1 ✓ $0 2 – $1 (for the 2nd) 10 – $9 (for pipelines 2–10)
For example, if you run 10 active pipelines , you pay $9/month for pipelines #2 through #10.
Additional Service Costs in a CI/CD Workflow
A production-grade CI/CD pipeline often integrates multiple services, each with its own pricing:
Source repositories : AWS CodeCommit, GitHub, etc.
Build services : AWS CodeBuild, Jenkins
Artifact storage : Amazon S3
Deployment : AWS CodeDeploy, third-party tools
Below, find detailed pricing for the most common AWS services in a CodePipeline.
AWS CodeCommit
AWS CodeCommit is a fully managed Git repository service.
Feature Free Tier Price After Free Tier Active users 5 users/month $1 per additional active user/month Repositories Up to 1,000 (can request 2,500) Included in Free Tier Storage 50 GB/month $0.06 per GB/month API GET requests 10,000 requests/month $0.001 per GET request
An active user is any unique identity (root, IAM user/role, or federated user) that accesses CodeCommit in a month.
AWS CodeBuild
AWS CodeBuild charges based on build duration and compute type .
Build duration : billed per minute (rounded up)
Compute types : general1.small, arm1.small, and higher tiers
Metric Free Tier Price After Free Tier Build minutes 100 minutes/month Varies by compute type (0.005 – 0.005– 0.005– 0.10/min) Compute tiers general1.small, arm1.small Higher CPU/memory tiers available
Choose the smallest compute tier that meets your performance needs to optimize costs.
AWS CodeDeploy
CodeDeploy automates application deployments to EC2 instances or on-premises servers.
EC2 deployments : no additional CodeDeploy fee
On-premises : $0.02 per instance update
EC2 instances incur separate compute charges detailed in the next section.
AWS EC2 Instances
When deploying to Amazon EC2, you pay per instance based on:
Instance type & size
CPU, memory, storage, and networking profile
Sizes: micro through xlarge and beyond
Region
Regional pricing differences; always verify rates in the console
Software loaded
Stock AMIs are free; Marketplace AMIs may include licensing fees
Pricing model
Model Description Free Tier 750 hours/month on Linux/Windows micro instances (12 months) On-Demand Pay-per-hour (or per-second) with no commitment Spot Instances Up to 90% discount; can be reclaimed with a 2-minute warning Savings Plans Up to 72% discount for 1- or 3-year commitments Dedicated Hosts Single-tenant hardware for compliance or specific licensing requirements
Summary of Monthly CI/CD Costs
Service Free Tier Cost After Free Tier CodePipeline 1 active pipeline $1 per additional pipeline/month CodeCommit 5 active users, 1,000 repos, 50 GB, 10k GETs 1 / u s e r , 1/user, 1/ u ser , 0.06/GB, $0.001/GETCodeBuild 100 build minutes, small compute tiers 0.005 – 0.005– 0.005– 0.10 per build minuteCodeDeploy EC2 deployments free; on-premises $0.02/update – EC2 Instances 750 hours micro instances (12 months) Varies by type, region, pricing model
Links and References