{"data":{"slug":"act","name":"act","tagline":"MIT run GitHub Actions locally in Docker","category":"devops","categoryName":"DevOps","url":"https://nektosact.com","github":"https://github.com/nektos/act","pricing":"open-source","hook":"act is GitHub Actions on your laptop when the feedback loop of push→wait-for-GHA is the tax, not the YAML.","whatsGood":"MIT. nektos/act. Reads `.github/workflows`, pulls/builds images, runs jobs via Docker with GHA-shaped env/filesystem. Fast local iteration and a Makefile-shaped task runner that reuses the same workflows. Homepage nektosact.com; source github.com/nektos/act.","theCatch":"Vs hosted GitHub Actions and Woodpecker (self-host container CI): act is a *local emulator*, not a forge runner fleet and not a replacement for GitHub-hosted minutes. Event payload fidelity is incomplete; secrets, service containers, and some actions still surprise. Needs a Docker engine.","verdict":"MIT local Actions runner. Free forever; debug the workflow before you burn a push.","addedAt":"2026-09-13","featured":false,"domain":"DevOps","subSpecialty":"CI/CD","subcategory":"CI/CD","tags":["self-host","permissive","containers","active"],"capabilities":["ci","github-actions","local"],"surfaces":["Self-host"],"ecosystem":["Go","Multi-platform"],"licenseModel":"OSS/MIT","githubStars":72373,"starsPerWeek":178,"access":"free","archived":false,"repo":{"createdAt":"2019-01-02","pushedAt":"2026-08-09","license":"MIT","archived":false,"checkedAt":"2026-10-19"}},"related":[{"slug":"github-actions","name":"GitHub Actions","tagline":"CI/CD that lives where your code does"},{"slug":"docker","name":"Docker","tagline":"Container runtime that changed deployment"},{"slug":"kubernetes","name":"Kubernetes","tagline":"Container orchestration at scale"},{"slug":"pulumi","name":"Pulumi","tagline":"Infrastructure as code in real languages"},{"slug":"fly-io","name":"Fly.io","tagline":"Deploy apps to VMs close to your users"}],"links":{"self":"/api/gems/act","html":"/gems/act","markdown":"/gems/act.md","category":"/api/gems?category=devops","categoryPage":"/stacks/devops"}}