Figment vs Datasource: Mac Hosting Compared

Quick verdict

If you want a low-cost Intel Mac for CI or background jobs, request Figment's i3 Mac at $49/month or try the virtual Intel macOS VM at $29/month (2 vCPU, 8 GiB RAM, 80 GiB disk) today. Datasource's entry plan — the Mac Mini 1 at CHF 60/month — is older Intel hardware with 4 GB RAM and a 500 GB spinning disk, which is tight for Xcode work. For Apple silicon, Datasource does not publish an option; Figment's M-series plans start at $95/month with the exact chip, RAM and storage confirmed in the quote. Start at /mac-hosting/start.

What Datasource actually publishes

Datasource is a Swiss hoster operating out of Hünenberg. Its Apple page (datasource.ch/dedicated-server/apple.aspx) lists only Intel Mac Minis and older Mac Pros:

Datasource states the plans include unlimited traffic, a 1 Gbit/s port, two IP addresses, 24/7 trouble reporting and remote hands, and "guaranteed availability". No specific uptime percentage, setup fee or minimum term is published on that page — confirm those in writing before ordering. Taxes and any Swiss VAT are as stated in Datasource's actual offer.

CHF and USD are close to parity in late 2026, but rates move; price the exact CHF figure at your card's rate at order time rather than a baked-in dollar number.

Price comparison that matches hardware class

The only sensible like-for-like is physical Intel on both sides. Datasource's cheapest physical Intel Mac is CHF 60/month; Figment's cheapest physical Intel Mac is the i3 at $49/month. At any CHF/USD rate within a few percent of parity, Figment's physical Intel entry is lower in both absolute price and much better in storage (SSD-class spec confirmed at quote vs. a 500 GB HDD).

Figment's M-series offer starts at $95/month. The reviewed Datasource catalog lists Intel models, so ask Datasource for an Apple-silicon quote before calculating an M-series saving. Figment's exact chip, RAM and disk are confirmed in the quote. The i3 $49 and physical M-series tiers at Figment currently collect requests until stock is confirmed, so treat them as request-based, not click-to-buy. The $29 VM is a virtual Intel macOS instance running on Linux/KVM with no GPU acceleration and no audio; it is reached through a browser console and can run compatible Intel Mac toolchains.

Hardware, toolchain and residency fit

Xcode on Intel. The reviewed Datasource catalog lists Intel models. Per Apple's Xcode system requirements, Xcode 26.0 through 26.3 require macOS Sequoia 15.6 as the minimum; Xcode 26.4 requires macOS Tahoe 26.2 or later; newer releases have their own requirements, and Xcode 27 requires macOS Tahoe 26.6. Check the exact Xcode/macOS pair for the version you need. For ARM-only execution, visionOS or Xcode 27, request Apple silicon. Figment offers an M-series tier; ask Datasource whether an off-catalog configuration is available.

Storage reality. Datasource's three Mac Mini tiers all use HDD (or Fusion Drive). An HDD-backed Xcode derived-data directory is materially slower than SSD for incremental builds and simulator work. If your job is CI, this matters.

Swiss data residency. Datasource's advantage is clear: hardware in Hünenberg. If your contract requires Swiss or EU-adjacent residency, confirm Figment's location in your quote before switching. If residency is not a hard requirement, the cost and hardware comparison stands.

Worked cost worksheet (do this before signing)

Take your actual plan and term. For Datasource Mac Mini 2 at CHF 80/month on a 12-month run:

• Year one, headline: 12 × CHF 80 = CHF 960.
• Convert to your card currency at the rate of the day; add any card FX fee (typically 1–2%) and any Swiss VAT shown on the Datasource invoice. Example at CHF/USD = 1.10: CHF 960 ≈ $1,056 before fees.

For Figment i3 at $49/month over the same 12 months: 12 × $49 = $588. Difference at parity = CHF 372 / roughly $370–$470 per year, depending on FX and fees, for comparable physical Intel hardware (and faster disk on the Figment side; confirm exact spec in the quote).

For Figment's $29 Intel VM: 12 × $29 = $348. That is the right line only if a VM fits your workload — no GPU, no audio, browser console access.

If you are considering the Figment Managed Build Mac at $249/month ($2,988/year), compare it to Datasource plus your own CI build-out cost (engineer time to install the runner, wire up backups, write monitoring, handle on-call). Managed Build Mac includes exactly: one M-series Mac, CI setup, backups, monitoring and 30 minutes of monthly support. Nothing else is bundled.

Migration checklist: Datasource to Figment

1. Confirm the current Datasource machine. Ask Datasource in writing for the exact macOS version, storage type and any notice period on your contract.
2. Request a Figment quote. State whether you need Intel (i3 or $29 VM) or Apple silicon (M-series). Confirm chip, RAM and storage in the quote.
3. Push every repo to your remote VCS and clone fresh on the new Mac.
4. Export signing identities from Keychain as encrypted .p12 files (private key included). Store the .p12 in your secret manager, never in a plaintext file or committed env.
5. Collect provisioning profiles as .mobileprovision files from the Apple Developer portal — these are files from Apple, not Keychain exports.
6. Record secret names used by CI. Restore values through your CI platform's secret manager on the new host. Do not dump the shell environment to disk.
7. Install the CI runner you already use (GitHub Actions self-hosted, GitLab, Buildkite, etc.) on the Figment Mac.
8. Update allowlists in your own artifact store, VCS and CI service to include the Figment host's egress IP where you maintain allowlists.
9. Run one real build end-to-end on the new host. Do not time a failed build as a success — require the artifact to be produced and uploaded before you consider the migration done.
10. Run parallel for one cycle, verify artifact parity, then cancel Datasource after whatever notice period they confirm.

Choose the Figment plan

Start a Figment configuration · Mac hosting overview · Figment vs DedicatedMac · Figment vs FELDHOST · Shared or private Mac?