GitLab vs GitHub

by Gralio Feb 27, 2025

GitLab and GitHub are leading platforms for software development, but they cater to different needs. GitLab offers an all-in-one integrated suite ideal for teams seeking a single solution for their entire development lifecycle. GitHub focuses on collaboration and community, offering a wider range of integrations and a larger user base, making it better suited for open-source projects and teams prioritizing community engagement.

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This comparison was created by analysing 6339 reviews and 60 websites, saving 1 day, 11 hours, 43 minutes of reading.

GitLab

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GitHub

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About

GitLab is an all-in-one platform designed to help software development teams work together and build software faster. It streamlines the entire process, from planning and coding to testing, security checks, and deployment. This means your teams can focus on building great software without juggling multiple tools. GitLab is flexible and can be used in your own data center or in the cloud, making it adaptable to your company's needs.

GitHub is a website and cloud-based service that helps developers store and manage their code. It's like Google Docs for software development, where teams can work together on projects, track changes, and prevent errors. GitHub is known for its user-friendly interface and is used by companies of all sizes to build and maintain software.

Summary

Main difference

GitLab is a comprehensive, integrated DevSecOps platform ideal for teams wanting a single application for the entire software development lifecycle. GitHub is a more flexible and collaborative platform with a larger community and wider adoption, better suited for open-source projects and teams prioritizing community support.

Relative strengths of GitLab (compared to GitHub)

Offers a single application for the entire DevSecOps lifecycle, including built-in CI/CD, which streamlines development workflows.
Provides flexible deployment options (cloud and self-hosted) to suit various infrastructure needs.
Includes robust access controls and security features for enhanced project security.

Relative weaknesses of GitLab (compared to GitHub)

Can have a steeper learning curve for new users due to its complex UI and extensive features.
May experience occasional performance issues, especially with large projects or concurrent users.
Limited community support compared to GitHub, which can hinder troubleshooting and knowledge sharing.

What companies are using GitLab and GitHub?

Who should use GitLab VS. GitHub

GitLab is a comprehensive DevSecOps platform streamlining software development. Users praise its integrated CI/CD pipelines and flexible deployment but note occasional crashes and a complex UI. Ideal for teams seeking an all-in-one solution, from planning and coding to security and deployment.

GitHub is a powerful platform ideal for developers and teams of all sizes. It excels at version control and collaboration, enabling efficient code management. Users praise its user-friendly interface and extensive open-source community but note a steep learning curve. Consider GitHub if your team needs robust version control and collaboration tools, especially if you're already familiar with Git.

Ideal for software teams of all sizes embracing DevOps, from startups to enterprises.
Best fit for software, IT, and telecommunications companies; suitable for education.

Ideal for teams of all sizes, from individual developers to large organizations.
Best suited for software development teams but offers collaborative features beneficial to any team working with code.

GitLab and GitHub features

Supported

Partially supported

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Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Static website hosting

Supported

GitLab supports static website hosting via GitLab Pages.

Supported

GitHub Pages allows hosting static websites directly from repositories.
AI-powered DevSecOps Platform

Supported

GitLab offers an AI-powered DevSecOps platform streamlining the SDLC.

Supported

GitHub offers AI-powered DevSecOps features like code scanning and autofix.
AI Pair Programmer

Supported

GitLab offers AI pair programming features through its GitLab Duo suite.

Supported

GitHub offers AI pair programming through its GitHub Copilot tool.
Version control integration

Supported

GitLab natively supports Git for version control.

Supported

GitHub fully supports Git version control.
Git Integration

Supported

GitLab uses Git for version control and collaboration features.

Supported

GitHub is built on top of Git, providing robust version control and collaboration features.
GitHub integration

Partially supported

GitLab integrates with GitHub for CI/CD, but automated scanning and reporting is not explicitly mentioned.

Supported

GitHub supports automated scanning and reporting via Code Scanning and Actions.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

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Customer Service

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Ease of Use

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Reliability and Performance

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Ease of Implementation

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Scalability

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GitLab and GitHub Pricing

GitLab offers a range of pricing plans for individual users to large enterprises, with options for both cloud-based and self-managed deployments. They provide additional add-ons for enhanced functionality, such as AI-powered features through GitLab Duo and increased compute resources. While specific pricing details for some plans and add-ons are available, others require contacting sales for custom quotes.

Plans

See full Pricing page

GitHub offers a tiered pricing model based on features and usage for individuals and organizations. Three main plans are available: Free, Team, and Enterprise. Add-ons like GitHub Copilot, Codespaces, Large File Storage, and GitHub Advanced Security offer enhanced capabilities.

Plans

See full Pricing page

GitLab and GitHub review insights

Users love

User-friendly interface for basic Git operations and repository management.
Integrated CI/CD pipelines streamline development and deployment.
Flexible deployment options (cloud and self-hosted) cater to various needs.
Robust access controls and security features.
Detailed documentation and version control capabilities.

Excellent version control system.
Great for collaboration.
Useful GitHub Actions for CI/CD.
Extensive open-source community.
User-friendly interface (once learned).

Users dislike

Occasional crashes and downtime disrupt workflows.
Complex UI can be overwhelming for new users, especially with limited community support.
Limited customization for specific jobs and workflows.
Steep learning curve for advanced features and pipeline configuration.
Sluggish performance, especially with large projects or concurrent users.

Difficult to manage merge conflicts in the UI.
Limited project management features.
Steep learning curve for new users.
High cost for private repositories.
Occasional slow performance.

GitLab and GitHub Ratings

G2

4.5/5

(815)
Capterra

4.6/5

(1023)
Glassdoor

4.0/5

(556)

G2

4.7/5

(2116)
Capterra

4.8/5

(2385)
Glassdoor

3.8/5

(392)

Company health

Employee growth

18% increase in the last year

21% increase in the last year

Web traffic

6% decrease in the last quarter

5% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

June 2019 - $414M

August 2015 - $350M

How do GitLab's integrated CI/CD compare to GitHub Actions for my team's workflow?

GitLab's CI/CD is tightly integrated within the platform itself, offering a seamless experience for developers who can manage everything from code repositories to pipelines in one place. This can simplify administration and reduce context switching. GitHub Actions, while powerful and flexible, exists as a separate service within GitHub. While this allows for greater flexibility and extensibility through third-party actions, it can also introduce a slightly steeper learning curve and potentially more complex management overhead. Choosing between the two depends on your team's existing workflow and priorities. If a single, unified platform is highly valued, GitLab's integrated approach is generally preferred. If flexibility and the potential for extensive customization are more critical, GitHub Actions might be a better fit.

Which product's UI is easier to learn for developers new to version control?

GitHub is generally considered easier to learn for developers new to version control due to its more intuitive user interface and extensive documentation and tutorials geared towards beginners. While both platforms offer similar core functionality, GitLab's interface can be overwhelming for new users, as noted in user reviews. GitHub's popularity also contributes to a larger and more readily available support community.

What are the advantages of GitLab?

GitLab's advantage lies in its all-in-one DevSecOps platform, streamlining the entire software development lifecycle within a single application. This contrasts with GitHub, which primarily focuses on version control and collaboration, often requiring integration with other tools for CI/CD, security, and other DevOps functionalities. GitLab's integrated approach simplifies workflows and reduces the need for managing multiple tools, potentially leading to increased efficiency and reduced overhead. Additionally, GitLab offers flexible deployment options, including self-hosting, catering to organizations with specific compliance or infrastructure requirements.

What are the disadvantages of GitLab?

GitLab's complex UI can be overwhelming for new users, especially given the limited community support. Users have reported occasional crashes and downtime, disrupting workflows. Furthermore, some find GitLab's performance sluggish with large projects or concurrent users, and advanced features and pipeline configuration have a steep learning curve. Limited customization options for specific jobs and workflows is another cited disadvantage.

Is GitLab cheaper than GitHub?

GitLab and GitHub both offer free plans. Comparing paid plans, GitLab's Premium plan is $29/user/month while GitHub's Team plan is $4/user/month and the Enterprise plan is $21/user/month. Therefore, GitLab's Premium plan is more expensive than both of GitHub's paid plans mentioned here. This does not include other potential costs like add-ons for either platform which would need to be considered for a complete cost comparison.

Alternatives to GitLab and GitHub

Travis CI

Travis CI is a cloud-based platform that helps software developers test and deploy their code automatically. It works with projects of all sizes and integrates with popular cloud platforms. Using simple instructions, developers can set up automatic testing in multiple environments. Travis CI is known for its ease of use, speed, and trusted reputation among developers. It's particularly helpful for catching errors early in the development process and speeding up software releases.

Bitbucket

Bitbucket is a tool that helps software development teams manage their code and work together better. It allows teams to track changes to code, review each other's work, and identify and fix bugs early on. Bitbucket also integrates with other tools, such as Jira, to streamline the development process from start to finish. While especially useful for software teams, its collaborative features can benefit any team working with code, regardless of company size.

AWS Developer Tools

AWS Developer Tools is a collection of services designed to help developers build, test, and deploy software applications on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform. It offers a wide array of tools including code editors, continuous integration and delivery services, infrastructure automation, and monitoring tools. AWS Developer Tools focuses on making the software development process faster and more efficient regardless of company size or industry. Its promise is to provide a comprehensive suite of services that support the entire software development lifecycle.

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is a comprehensive software solution designed to automate IT tasks and processes within your company. It excels in automating repetitive tasks like software installation, server configuration, and cybersecurity updates, freeing up your IT team for more strategic work. It's particularly useful for managing complex IT environments, ensuring consistency and reducing the risk of human error. While built on open-source technology, Red Hat provides a commercially supported version with additional features, security, and support crucial for businesses.

Rally UXR

Rally UXR is a user research platform designed to help product and research teams manage their research participants and processes. It offers tools for recruiting participants, conducting studies, sending incentives, and analyzing data, all within a single platform. Rally aims to streamline the user research process, making it easier for companies to gather customer feedback and make informed decisions about their products. Its focus is on improving the efficiency of user research operations, particularly for growing teams.

Azure DevOps Server

Azure DevOps Server is a comprehensive, on-premises toolset designed to streamline software development. It enables your teams to manage code, track work progress, and automate software releases. With built-in features for version control, code reviews, continuous integration, and continuous delivery, it offers a centralized platform for managing your entire software development lifecycle. Geared towards enterprise-level needs, it seamlessly integrates with popular development tools.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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