# act

> MIT run GitHub Actions locally in Docker

**Category:** DevOps  
**Pricing:** open-source  
**URL:** https://nektosact.com  
**GitHub:** https://github.com/nektos/act  
**Added:** 2026-09-13

---

## The Hook

act is GitHub Actions on your laptop when the feedback loop of push→wait-for-GHA is the tax, not the YAML.

## What's Good

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.

## The Catch

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.