AppBreakup
Submit an app

GitLab alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave GitLab: dense interface with many features, and key features locked to expensive tiers. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces GitLab, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. GitHub currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1GitHub logoGitHubFree plan + paidNoWeb, Windows, macOS +34 of 466.5
2Forgejo logoForgejoOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web, Linux4 of 462.6
3Gitea logoGiteaOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web, Linux +24 of 459.6
4OneDev logoOneDevOpen sourceYesSelf-hosted, Web4 of 457.2
5Bitbucket logoBitbucketFree plan + paidNoWeb3 of 355.3
6Azure DevOps logoAzure DevOpsFree plan + paidNoWeb, Self-hosted4 of 453.6
  1. GitHub logo

    1. GitHubTop pick

    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

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from GitLab

    Bigger community and ecosystem, with cheaper per-user paid plans.

    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 Compare with GitLabDetails 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 GitHub a good GitLab 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)
  2. Forgejo logo

    2. Forgejo

    Best for: Self-hosters who want a light forge run by a non-profit community rather than a company

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web, Linux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from GitLab

    Much lighter self-hosted forge with built-in Actions CI.

    Pros

    • Community governance under a non-profit
    • Light to run with built-in Actions CI
    • Copyleft licence guards against proprietary forks

    Cons

    • Smaller ecosystem than GitHub or GitLab
    • No official paid support from the project
    • Federation features are still in progress
    Visit Forgejo 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 Forgejo a good GitLab alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL v3+ (from v9.0)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026forgejo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Stewardship
    Non-profit Codeberg e.V.
    Checked Oct 25, 2026forgejo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026forgejo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Free software
    Always
    Checked Oct 25, 2026forgejo.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Gitea logo

    3. Gitea

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

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

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from GitLab

    Simple self-hosted Git service that runs on modest hardware.

    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 ×0.377
    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 Gitea a good GitLab 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)
  4. OneDev logo

    4. OneDev

    Best for: Teams wanting self-hosted Git plus strong built-in CI/CD without GitLab's weight

    Open sourceSelf-hostableSelf-hosted, Web

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from GitLab

    Self-hosted Git server with built-in CI/CD and a free community edition.

    Pros

    • GUI-built CI/CD jobs, runnable locally
    • Language-aware code search and navigation
    • Free MIT-licensed community edition

    Cons

    • Small community and ecosystem
    • Java-based server needs more memory than Gitea
    • Some features only in the paid edition
    Visit OneDev Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    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 OneDev a good GitLab alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise price
    $6 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onedev.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Community Edition
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onedev.io(opens source in a new tab)
    CI/CD
    Built-in, no YAML required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026onedev.io(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Bitbucket logo

    5. Bitbucket

    Best for: Teams that run their work in Jira and want code and CI tightly linked to it

    Free plan + paidWeb

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from GitLab

    Atlassian-integrated hosting with Pipelines at a lower per-user price.

    Pros

    • Deep Jira and Confluence integration
    • Built-in Pipelines CI/CD
    • Low per-user price

    Cons

    • Smaller ecosystem and community than GitHub
    • Build minutes run out quickly on lower plans
    • Self-managed edition has an end date
    Visit Bitbucket 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 Bitbucket a good GitLab alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Up to 5 users
    Checked Oct 25, 2026atlassian.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Standard plan
    $3.65 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026atlassian.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium plan
    $8 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026atlassian.com(opens source in a new tab)
  6. Azure DevOps logo

    6. Azure DevOps

    Best for: Microsoft-centric enterprises that want planning, repos and pipelines in one suite

    Free plan + paidSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    53.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from GitLab

    Full ALM suite with generous free tiers for small teams.

    Pros

    • Five free users and a free CI/CD job
    • Flexible Pipelines that work with GitHub too
    • On-premises Server edition

    Cons

    • Slower development as Microsoft focuses on GitHub
    • Corporate, dated interface
    • Extra parallel jobs add cost quickly
    Visit Azure DevOps Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    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 Azure DevOps a good GitLab alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free users
    First 5 Basic users
    Checked Oct 25, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free CI/CD
    1 hosted job with 1,800 minutes/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Extra hosted parallel job
    $40/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Test Plans
    $52 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026azure.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best GitLab alternative for…

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

GitHub logo

Best GitLab alternative for most people

GitHub

Bigger community and ecosystem, with cheaper per-user paid plans.

Forgejo logo

Best GitLab alternative for a free option

Forgejo

Much lighter self-hosted forge with built-in Actions CI.

Bitbucket logo

Best GitLab alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Bitbucket

Atlassian-integrated hosting with Pipelines at a lower per-user price.

Gitea logo

Best GitLab alternative for open source

Gitea

Simple self-hosted Git service that runs on modest hardware.

OneDev logo

Best GitLab alternative for self-hosting

OneDev

Self-hosted Git server with built-in CI/CD and a free community edition.

GitHub logo

Best GitLab alternative for Mac

GitHub

Bigger community and ecosystem, with cheaper per-user paid plans.

GitHub logo

Best GitLab alternative for Windows

GitHub

Bigger community and ecosystem, with cheaper per-user paid plans.

Forgejo logo

Best GitLab alternative for Linux

Forgejo

Much lighter self-hosted forge with built-in Actions CI.

GitHub logo

Best GitLab alternative for iPhone and Android

GitHub

Bigger community and ecosystem, with cheaper per-user paid plans.

Azure DevOps logo

Best GitLab alternative for working in the browser

Azure DevOps

Full ALM suite with generous free tiers for small teams.

GitLab alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to GitLab?

GitHub ranks first right now. Bigger community and ecosystem, with cheaper per-user paid plans. Forgejo and Gitea follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to GitLab?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to GitLab?

Yes: Forgejo, Gitea and OneDev. Forgejo, Gitea and OneDev can also be self-hosted.

Which GitLab alternatives work on Linux?

Forgejo and Gitea run on Linux.

Why do people switch from GitLab?

The complaints we hear most: dense interface with many features; key features locked to expensive tiers; free hosted tier is limited to 5 users per group.

How is this list ranked?

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