Credit for young startups. Free minutes for open source.
Two programs, each with its terms written out in full below — what you get, what we ask in return, and what still bills. No small print beyond what is on this page.
Startup program: $1,000 of account credit
For a company that has raised under $5M and is under 2 years old.
- What you get: a one-off $1,000 promotional credit on your runners.io account.
- Who qualifies: companies that have raised under $5M in total and were founded under 2 years ago.
- How it is used: the credit is drawn down before your card on each invoice, until it is used up. A card is still required to run jobs.
- How to apply: a short form — company, website, funding and founding date. A person reviews every application and emails you the decision.
Open-source program: free minutes, for a badge
For public GitHub repositories with at least 500 stars.
- What you get: the repository’s jobs run free — unlimited minutes, up to 4 concurrent jobs per repository.
- What we ask: a runners.io badge, with its link, placed prominently in the repository’s README — before its second heading, within the first 40 lines.
- How we check: we read the README once a day. If the badge is missing, we email you and allow 7 days’ grace; after that the repository bills at the normal rate until the badge returns. Jobs never stop.
- What still bills: a card is required. Private repositories, and any period a repository is billing because its badge is missing, are charged at the normal rate.
- Who leaves: a repository that goes private, or drops below 500 stars, leaves the program.
- How to apply: from Settings → Runners, under Open-source program. The badge snippet is shown there too.
Questions
Do I still need a card?
Yes, for both programs. The startup credit is drawn down before your card on each invoice until it is used up; it does not replace the card. The open-source program makes an enrolled repository's minutes free, and everything else on the account — private repositories, and any repository whose badge has been missing past the grace period — bills at the normal rate.
Who decides a startup application?
A person on our side reads every application and emails the decision to the address you give. If the answers do not fit the terms, we say which one.
Can I get the startup credit more than once?
No. It is a one-off $1,000 credit per organisation. If an application is not approved, you can apply again once something has changed.
Which open-source repositories qualify?
Public GitHub repositories with at least 500 stars. A repository that goes private, or drops below 500 stars, leaves the program and bills at the normal rate from then on.
What happens if the badge comes out of the README?
We check the README once a day. If the badge is missing, we email you and allow 7 days' grace. After that, that repository bills at the normal rate until the badge is back. Jobs never stop either way.
Where does the badge have to go?
Somewhere prominent: before the README's second heading, and within its first 40 lines. It must link to runners.io — the snippet above does both.
Is there a limit on minutes?
No limit on minutes. Each enrolled repository runs up to 4 jobs at once.