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Forgejo alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Forgejo: smaller ecosystem than GitHub or GitLab, and no official paid support from the project. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Forgejo, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Gitea currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Gitea logoGiteaOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web, Linux +24 of 466.5
2Codeberg logoCodebergFreeNoWeb4 of 462.6
3GitLab logoGitLabFree plan + paidYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 459.6
4GitHub logoGitHubFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +34 of 455.3
  1. Gitea logo

    1. GiteaTop pick

    Best for: Teams and individuals who want a GitHub-like forge on their own modest hardware

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web, Linux, macOS, Windows

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Forgejo

    The upstream project, with paid cloud and enterprise options.

    Pros

    • Single binary that runs on very little hardware
    • Actions CI compatible with many GitHub workflows
    • Free with unlimited users

    Cons

    • Smaller ecosystem than GitHub or GitLab
    • Company-led governance split the community
    • Some enterprise features are paid
    Visit Gitea Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Gitea a good Forgejo alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open-source edition
    Free, unlimited users and repos
    Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitea.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Managed hosting
    Gitea Cloud
    Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitea.com(opens source in a new tab)
    CI/CD
    Gitea Actions
    Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitea.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Codeberg logo

    2. Codeberg

    Best for: Open-source maintainers who want free, non-commercial hosting outside big tech platforms

    FreeWeb

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Forgejo

    Use Forgejo without running it yourself on a non-profit host.

    Pros

    • Run by a non-profit with no ads or tracking
    • Familiar Forgejo interface with Pages and CI
    • Free with no paid upsell

    Cons

    • Intended for free and open-source projects only
    • Limited CI capacity
    • Smaller community and fewer integrations than GitHub
    Visit Codeberg Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Codeberg a good Forgejo alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Operator
    Codeberg e.V., Berlin non-profit
    Checked Oct 25, 2026codeberg.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Software
    Forgejo
    Checked Oct 25, 2026codeberg.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Services
    Git hosting, Pages, CI/CD, Weblate
    Checked Oct 25, 2026codeberg.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Quotas
    No quota for valid use cases
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.codeberg.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. GitLab logo

    3. GitLab

    Best for: Organisations wanting code, CI/CD and security in one tool, often self-managed

    Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Forgejo

    Much more complete platform if you can afford the resources.

    Pros

    • Very capable built-in CI/CD
    • Free self-managed Community Edition
    • One product covering most of the delivery lifecycle

    Cons

    • Dense interface with many features
    • Key features locked to expensive tiers
    • Free hosted tier is limited to 5 users per group
    Visit GitLab Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is GitLab a good Forgejo alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    $0, 5 users per group
    Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitlab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free compute minutes
    400/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitlab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium plan
    $29 per user/month (billed annually)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitlab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium compute minutes
    10,000/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitlab.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. GitHub logo

    4. GitHub

    Best for: Most teams and open-source projects that want the default Git platform with the biggest ecosystem

    Free plan + paidSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Forgejo

    Hosted option with the largest community.

    Pros

    • Largest developer community and integration ecosystem
    • Free private repositories with built-in CI minutes
    • Strong code review and security tooling

    Cons

    • Advanced security and AI features cost extra
    • Self-hosted Enterprise Server is expensive
    • Owned by Microsoft, which some open-source projects avoid
    Visit GitHub Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is GitHub a good Forgejo alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Unlimited public and private repositories
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Team plan
    $4 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise plan
    From $21 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free CI/CD minutes
    2,000/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Forgejo alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Gitea logo

Best Forgejo alternative for most people

Gitea

The upstream project, with paid cloud and enterprise options.

Codeberg logo

Best Forgejo alternative for a free option

Codeberg

Use Forgejo without running it yourself on a non-profit host.

GitLab logo

Best Forgejo alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

GitLab

Much more complete platform if you can afford the resources.

SourceHut logo

Best Forgejo alternative for open source

SourceHut

Minimalist, email-driven forge with built-in build service.

GitHub logo

Best Forgejo alternative for self-hosting

GitHub

Hosted option with the largest community.

Gitea logo

Best Forgejo alternative for Mac

Gitea

The upstream project, with paid cloud and enterprise options.

Gitea logo

Best Forgejo alternative for Windows

Gitea

The upstream project, with paid cloud and enterprise options.

Gitea logo

Best Forgejo alternative for Linux

Gitea

The upstream project, with paid cloud and enterprise options.

GitHub logo

Best Forgejo alternative for iPhone and Android

GitHub

Hosted option with the largest community.

Gitea logo

Best Forgejo alternative for working in the browser

Gitea

The upstream project, with paid cloud and enterprise options.

Forgejo alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Forgejo?

Gitea ranks first right now. The upstream project, with paid cloud and enterprise options. Codeberg and GitLab follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Forgejo?

Yes. Gitea (open source), Codeberg (free), GitLab (free plan + paid) and GitHub (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Forgejo?

Yes: Gitea, GitLab and SourceHut. Gitea, GitLab and SourceHut can also be self-hosted.

Which Forgejo alternatives work on Linux?

Gitea runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from Forgejo?

The complaints we hear most: smaller ecosystem than GitHub or GitLab; no official paid support from the project; federation features are still in progress.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Forgejo, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.