Moving from GitHub Actions? Software binary management for any CI/CD pipeline

Source: Dev.to

Introduction

Following GitHub’s announcement (later postponed) of charges for self‑hosted runners on GitHub Actions, many teams are evaluating alternative CI/CD orchestration options.

Buildstash Overview

Buildstash is a software binary management tool that stores and organizes built artifacts for any platform—mobile, desktop, games, XR, tools, embedded firmware, and more. It provides a unified workflow for storing binaries, sharing them with teams and testers, and signing off releases.

Integrations

GitLab CI/CD

GitLab offers free self‑hosted runners on all plans. Buildstash is available in GitLab’s CI/CD catalog, making it easy to add to your pipeline and send build artifacts directly to Buildstash.

Jenkins

Jenkins is a widely used, open‑source CI/CD platform that supports full self‑hosting. The Buildstash plugin can be found in the Jenkins Plugin Index and works with both Freestyle and Pipeline jobs to upload built binaries.

Fastlane

For mobile teams using Fastlane, the Buildstash Fastlane plugin simplifies installation and allows you to pass built .apk, .aab, or .ipa files for artifact management, regardless of the CI/CD system you use.

Azure DevOps Pipelines

Azure DevOps Pipelines supports self‑hosted runners but limits you to a single runner before incurring fees. Buildstash provides a ready‑made integration that can be installed in your organization and used in pipelines to upload build artifacts.

Unity / Game Development

Game developers using Unity can upload playable builds to Buildstash via webhooks. Since Unity Cloud Build does not support self‑hosted runners, teams may consider alternatives such as GameCI, which offers Unity build pipelines compatible with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, and CircleCI.

Other Platforms

If you are using a CI/CD platform not listed above, Buildstash’s simple API allows you to upload builds directly while we work on adding native integrations.

GitHub Marketplace

Should you decide to stay with GitHub Actions, Buildstash is also available on the GitHub Marketplace for easy installation into your workflows.