GitHub vs GitLab

Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

GitHub

The largest Git hosting platform, with pull requests, Actions CI/CD, packages and security tools.

Free plan + paidSelf-hostable

Visit GitHub GitHub profile

GitLab

A single DevSecOps application for Git hosting, CI/CD, security scanning and planning.

Free plan + paidOpen sourceSelf-hostable

Visit GitLab GitLab profile

The short answer

Pick GitHub if you want the largest developer community, cheap per-seat plans and the widest integration ecosystem. Pick GitLab if you want one product that covers source control, CI/CD, registries and security scanning, or if you must self-host on a free open-source edition. The biggest difference is philosophy: GitHub is a hub with a huge ecosystem around it, while GitLab tries to be the whole delivery platform itself.

GitHub or GitLab: our take

Both host Git repositories with code review, issues and CI/CD, but they grew from different ideas. GitHub is where most open-source projects live, and its network effect is its main strength: contributors already have accounts, and almost every developer tool integrates with it first. Around the repository it adds Actions for CI/CD, a package registry, Codespaces, Pages and security tools such as Dependabot. GitLab packs more of the delivery lifecycle into one product, including merge requests, pipelines, a container registry, security scanning, environments and deployment tracking. Its CI/CD is one of its strongest parts, with parent-child pipelines, merge trains and review apps built in.

Pricing favours GitHub for most teams. GitHub's free plan includes unlimited public and private repositories and 2,000 CI/CD minutes a month; Team costs $4 per user/month and Enterprise starts at $21 per user/month. GitLab's free hosted tier is limited to 5 users per group with 400 compute minutes a month, and Premium costs $29 per user/month billed annually, with 10,000 compute minutes. Many of GitLab's most useful features sit in its paid tiers, and on GitHub advanced security and AI features also cost extra.

Self-hosting is where GitLab stands out. Its open-core Community Edition is free to run on your own servers, which is why it is popular with companies and public bodies that must keep code in-house. GitHub offers Enterprise Server for self-hosting, but it is expensive. GitHub is owned by Microsoft, which some open-source projects prefer to avoid; GitLab's interface, meanwhile, is denser and takes longer to learn.

For open-source work, small teams and anyone who values reach and integrations, GitHub is the simpler choice. For organisations that want a single platform from commit to deployment, or that need a free self-managed install, GitLab is the stronger fit.

Choose GitHub if…

Most teams and open-source projects that want the default Git platform with the biggest ecosystem
You need Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, which GitLab doesn't list
Largest developer community and integration ecosystem
Free private repositories with built-in CI minutes

Choose GitLab if…

Organisations wanting code, CI/CD and security in one tool, often self-managed
You want open-source software
Very capable built-in CI/CD
Free self-managed Community Edition

What is GitHub?

GitHub is where most open-source projects and a large share of companies host their Git repositories. Around the repository it adds pull requests and code review, issues and project boards, wikis, discussions, GitHub Actions for CI/CD, a package registry, Codespaces cloud dev environments, Pages for static sites, and security features such as Dependabot, code scanning and secret protection. Its network effect is the main reason people stay: contributors, integrations and hiring all assume GitHub. Microsoft owns it, and AI features, led by Copilot, are increasingly woven through the product. The free plan covers unlimited public and private repositories with a monthly allowance of Actions minutes; Team and Enterprise plans are billed per user and add protected branches on private repos, required reviewers, SSO, audit logs and more. Enterprise Server is available for self-hosting. It runs in the browser, with a desktop app, CLI and mobile apps.

What is GitLab?

GitLab combines source control, merge requests, issue tracking, CI/CD pipelines, a container and package registry, security scanning, environments and deployment tracking in one product. Its CI/CD is one of its strongest parts: pipelines are defined in a YAML file and run on shared or self-managed runners, with features like parent-child pipelines, merge trains and review apps. GitLab is available as the hosted GitLab.com service or as a self-managed install, and its open-core Community Edition is free to run yourself, which makes it popular with companies and governments that must keep code on their own servers. The breadth is also the downside: the interface is dense, many valuable features sit in the paid Premium and Ultimate tiers, and pricing per user is higher than GitHub's. The free tier on GitLab.com is limited to a small number of users per group and a modest compute minute allowance.

Side by side

Attribute	GitHub	GitLab
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	Yes
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Self-hosted	Web, Self-hosted
Best for	Most teams and open-source projects that want the default Git platform with the biggest ecosystem	Organisations wanting code, CI/CD and security in one tool, often self-managed
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	GitHub	GitLab
Free plan	Unlimited public and private repositories	$0, 5 users per group

GitHub vs GitLab pricing

GitHub: free plan + paid

Free plan: Unlimited public and private repositories source
Team plan: $4 per user/month source
Enterprise plan: From $21 per user/month source
Free CI/CD minutes: 2,000/month source

GitHub pricing page

GitLab: free plan + paid

Free plan: $0, 5 users per group source
Free compute minutes: 400/month source
Premium plan: $29 per user/month (billed annually) source

GitLab pricing page

Platforms

Platform	GitHub	GitLab
Web
Windows
macOS
iOS
Android
Self-hosted

GitHub facts

4 of 4 verified

Free plan: Unlimited public and private repositories; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “$ 0 USD per month forever Join for free Unlimited public/private repositories”
Team plan: $4 per user/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “Team Advanced collaboration for individuals and organizations $ 4 USD per user/month”
Enterprise plan: From $21 per user/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “Enterprise Security, compliance, and flexible deployment Starting at $ 21 USD per user/month”
Free CI/CD minutes: 2,000/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “2,000 CI/CD minutes/month”

GitLab facts

4 of 4 verified

Free plan: $0, 5 users per group; Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitlab.com(opens source in a new tab); “5 users per top-level group 400 compute minutes per month”
Free compute minutes: 400/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitlab.com(opens source in a new tab); “400 compute minutes per month”
Premium plan: $29 per user/month (billed annually); Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitlab.com(opens source in a new tab); “$ 29 per user/month, billed annually”
Premium compute minutes: 10,000/month; Checked Oct 25, 2026about.gitlab.com(opens source in a new tab); “* Everything from Free, plus: Unlimited licensed users 10,000 compute minutes per month”

Pros and cons of GitHub

Largest developer community and integration ecosystem
Free private repositories with built-in CI minutes
Strong code review and security tooling
Advanced security and AI features cost extra
Self-hosted Enterprise Server is expensive
Owned by Microsoft, which some open-source projects avoid

More GitHub alternatives

Pros and cons of GitLab

Very capable built-in CI/CD
Free self-managed Community Edition
One product covering most of the delivery lifecycle
Dense interface with many features
Key features locked to expensive tiers
Free hosted tier is limited to 5 users per group

More GitLab alternatives

Other apps to consider

Bitbucket
Instead of GitHub
Tighter Jira integration for teams already using Atlassian tools.
Codeberg
Instead of GitHub
Non-profit, community-run hosting for free and open-source projects.
Forgejo
Instead of GitHub
Self-host a lightweight forge with Actions-compatible CI and full control.
Gitea
Instead of GitLab
Simple self-hosted Git service that runs on modest hardware.
OneDev
Instead of GitLab
Self-hosted Git server with built-in CI/CD and a free community edition.
Azure DevOps
Instead of GitLab
Full ALM suite with generous free tiers for small teams.

GitHub vs GitLab: common questions

Is GitHub better than GitLab?

Is GitHub free?

GitHub has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.

Is GitLab free?

GitLab has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.

Is GitHub or GitLab open source?

GitLab is open source; GitHub is not.

Which platforms do GitHub and GitLab support?

GitHub: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Self-hosted. GitLab: Web and Self-hosted.