GitLab Runner VPS — Unlimited Minutes — Docker Cache

GitLab Runner VPS — Unlimited GitLab CI
on Your Own Hardware

Register a Host4Fun VPS as a GitLab CI self-hosted runner. Unlimited pipeline minutes, Docker layer caching on NVMe SSD, private network access, and no per-minute billing for self-hosted runners.

Deploy Now — From $5/mo View All Plans
Unlimited
Pipeline Minutes
NVMe
Docker Cache
$0
Per Minute
$5
Starting /mo
AMD Ryzen CPU
DDR5 RAM
NVMe SSD Storage
10 Gbps Network
DDoS Protected
35+ Locations

Why Run a Self-Hosted GitLab Runner?

GitLab.com: 400 free CI minutes/month then $10/1000 minutes. A self-hosted runner on a $5/mo VPS runs unlimited GitLab CI pipelines — the most popular way to escape per-minute billing.

Unlimited Pipeline Minutes

GitLab.com shared runners: 400/mo free then paid. A $5/mo VPS runner: unlimited pipelines, unlimited minutes at flat cost. 5,000 min/mo? $40 vs $50 on GitLab shared.

Docker Layer Cache on NVMe

Large base images (node:20, python:3.11) cached locally on NVMe SSD. Subsequent builds reuse cache — CI pipelines start in seconds instead of pulling GB of Docker layers.

Private GitLab Instance Compatible

Self-hosted GitLab CE runners connect to your self-hosted GitLab — same VPS network, no external internet required. Fully airgapped GitLab CI/CD.

Faster Than Shared Runners

GitLab.com shared runners saturate during peak hours. Dedicated VPS runner processes jobs immediately — consistent fast CI feedback loops.

The Full Stack

Everything you need — installed and configured on your VPS in minutes.

GitLab Runner AgentCI job execution
Docker executorContainerized builds
NVMe cacheLayer persistence
Private networkInternal access
.gitlab-ci.ymlPipeline config
MetricsRunner monitoring
GitLab notificationsJob alerts
Artifact storageBuild artifacts

Deploy in Minutes

SSH in and follow these commands. Your stack will be live in under 10 minutes.

root@vps:~
# Install GitLab Runner (Ubuntu 22.04)
[root@vps ~]# curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh && curl -L "https://gitlab-runner-downloads.s3.amazonaws.com/latest/binaries/gitlab-runner-linux-amd64" -o /usr/local/bin/gitlab-runner && chmod +x /usr/local/bin/gitlab-runner && gitlab-runner install && gitlab-runner start
[OK] GitLab Runner service running

# Register runner with your GitLab instance
[root@vps ~]# gitlab-runner register --url https://gitlab.com --registration-token YOUR_TOKEN --executor docker --docker-image ubuntu:22.04 --non-interactive --name "vps-runner"
[OK] Runner registered — visible in GitLab Runners settings

# Use in .gitlab-ci.yml to target self-hosted runner
build-job:
  tags: [vps-runner] # targets your self-hosted runner
  script: [npm ci, npm test, npm run build]
[OK] Runs on VPS — unlimited minutes, NVMe Docker cache
[root@vps ~]#

Why Host4Fun VPS?

AMD Ryzen CPUs, DDR5 RAM, NVMe SSD, and 10 Gbps network — the infrastructure your workload deserves.

Unlimited CI Minutes

No per-minute billing. All pipeline execution on your VPS — test suites, Docker builds, deployments without consuming GitLab.com minute quotas.

Persistent Docker Cache

Docker executor caches layers on NVMe SSD. node:20-alpine pulled once, reused every run — dramatically faster builds vs cloud runners that start fresh.

GitLab.com and Self-Hosted

Register with GitLab.com (cloud GitLab) or your own GitLab CE instance. Same runner agent, same config — works with both.

Private Network Access

Pipelines access private DBs, internal APIs, and non-internet services. Essential for integration tests against private infrastructure.

Dedicated CPU No Queue

Dedicated AMD Ryzen vCPUs process jobs immediately. No shared runner queue during peak hours.

Docker-in-Docker Support

Enable privileged mode for Docker image builds inside CI containers. Docker:dind service for image build pipelines.

How We Compare

See how Host4Fun Cloud VPS stacks up against the alternatives.

FeatureHost4Fun VPSGitLab.com SharedGitHub ActionsCircleCI Cloud
CI Minutes Unlimited400/mo → $10/10002,000/mo → $0.008/minCredits → paid
Docker Cache NVMe fresh fresh fresh
Private Network
Monthly Cost$5/mo VPS$10/1000 min$0.008/minPer credit

Use Cases

What developers and teams are building.

Docker Image Builds

Build and push Docker images with NVMe layer cache. Turn 5-minute fresh builds into 30-second incremental runs.

Private Infrastructure Tests

Integration tests against private databases and internal APIs on the same VPS network.

High-Volume Teams

Exceeding GitLab.com free tier. $5/mo VPS runner vs $10/1000 extra minutes.

Self-Hosted GitLab CI

Pair with gitlab-vps for fully self-hosted GitLab + Runner — complete airgapped DevOps platform.

CI/CD Learning

Learn GitLab CI pipeline design and runner configuration on real infrastructure.

Monorepo CI

Large monorepos with many parallel jobs benefit from dedicated runner with NVMe cache and consistent performance.

Simple Pricing

All plans include AMD Ryzen CPU, DDR5 RAM, NVMe SSD, DDoS protection, and free SSL. No hidden fees.

Monthly
Yearly Save up to 40%

Starter

Recommended for GitLab Runner
$5/mo
Runner optimal — Docker executor + NVMe cache
  • 1 vCPU
  • 1 GB DDR5
  • 15 GB NVMe NVMe SSD
  • 1 TB Bandwidth
Get Starter

Basic

$7/mo
  • 2 vCPU
  • 2 GB DDR5
  • 30 GB NVMe NVMe SSD
  • 4 TB Bandwidth
Get Basic

Professional ★

$14/mo
  • 4 vCPU
  • 4 GB DDR5
  • 60 GB NVMe NVMe SSD
  • 8 TB Bandwidth
Get Professional

Business

$28/mo
  • 6 vCPU
  • 8 GB DDR5
  • 120 GB NVMe NVMe SSD
  • 16 TB Bandwidth
Get Business

35+ Global Locations

Deploy close to your users for the lowest possible latency.

USA & Canada (15)

Atlanta • New York • Los Angeles • Miami • Dallas • Chicago • Seattle • San Jose • Ashburn • Phoenix • Las Vegas • North Carolina • Oregon • Utah • Canada

Europe (10)

Frankfurt • London • Paris • Amsterdam • Warsaw • Oslo • Helsinki • Madrid • Milan • Bucharest

Asia-Pacific (4)

Singapore • Tokyo • Johor (Malaysia) • Sydney

Frequently Asked Questions

Do self-hosted runners consume GitLab minutes?

No — self-hosted runners are completely free of CI minute charges. Jobs tagged to your runner don't count against the 400 free minutes/month quota.

What executor should I use?

Docker executor recommended — each job in fresh container for isolation. Shell executor simpler but less isolated. Docker with privileged: true enables Docker-in-Docker.

How to enable Docker caching?

Configure runner with --docker-volumes /cache for layer caching. Add cache: paths in .gitlab-ci.yml for dependency caching. Use pull policy: if-not-present to reuse cached images.

Can I use self-hosted runner with GitLab.com?

Yes — register runner to GitLab.com groups or projects. Get GitLab.com collaboration features with your own unlimited compute.

How many parallel jobs?

Set concurrent = N in config.toml. Professional plan (4 vCPU) handles 2-4 light parallel jobs. Or register multiple runner instances.

Self-hosted runner vs Jenkins VPS?

GitLab runner uses GitLab for pipeline UI and management. Jenkins is fully self-hosted including orchestration. GitLab runner if already using GitLab; Jenkins for full independence.

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Deploy Your GitLab Runner VPS Today

Unlimited GitLab CI minutes. Docker NVMe cache. Private network. From $5/mo.

Deploy Now — From $5/mo