It’s launched in the year 2014, since then Gitlab has become a very popular and most commonly used software hosting solution and also the popular collaborative community solution for people and corporations.
Its reputation is because of several features it holds, that enable developers to cooperate and develop efficiently. The software platform promotes online code storage, problem tracking, and also project management for short and huge development teams.
GitLab has special features like built-in Continuous Integration and Delivery services that are particularly favored since they save lots of time and ensure quality and trust more efficiently.
Because of this, over 30 million users are registered with the web-based DevOps tool, with popular companies like Siemens, Nvidia, and Goldman Sachs with outstanding ones.
It can also be the fact that it is open and available for people, delivering it a go-to option for seeking developers and single-member developing projects.
However, GitLab cannot be considered perfect. It holds some of the identified defects such as the fact its huge array of features has a knowledge curve. Or that all the people registered with free subscriptions just have access to 400 CI/CD minutes per month.
Because of all these, there is a strict requirement for GitLab alternatives. In the article below, there are some reliable choices.
Best Gitlab Alternatives: Our Top Pick 👌👌
Before exploring more about them, you may acknowledge that although few are, not each GitLab alternative on this list is absolutely free. If you want some more up-to-date information, go and visit the software’s website.
1. GitHub
One of the biggest and rival competitors of Gitlab is Github and it is not only since they hold an identical name. The very first alternative on this list is the popular development platform that has converted into the de facto haven of developers globally. Although it is originally practiced for reference code management.
The user-friendly GitHub can be considered as an all-in-one software development platform. All project managers and developers alike can practice it for work on a project from scratch, from framing to deployment.
Moreover, you can make an enormous head start on the thing you want or on which you are working by exploring through the genuine tools above 200 million repositories.
Besides, GitHub also has a feature of Pull requests that notify the subscribers when they are allowed to make changes in their repository.
In this, you can fix who has access and readily receive any suggested changes without negotiating the complete integrity of the code.
Github also gives you a proficient solution for Continuous Integration/Delivery. It is one of the best features and is mostly liked by GitLab’s users. GitHub proposes something related to Actions.
Using it, you can automate all things and also enhance the quality of your DevOps using the code, community members, or the Actions Marketplace. Luckily, you can easily run them in your preferred language or on any operating system.
Ultimately, GitHub is a budget-friendly platform. Some of the essential features like unlimited public and private repositories and package storage are available and open for people and businesses.
One of the recommended software hosting services also contains some native apps for mobile devices, i.e. iOS and Android. It contains apps for Windows and Mac devices too.
This feature makes the code deployment task process easy and faster with an anywhere and anytime affair. If you want some extra and added features, the most expensive paid plan subscription price is 21 USD for each user.
Well, ambitious developers can make use of the additional features for a portion of the expense with GitHub’s Student Discounts offers.
2. RhodeCode
RhodeCode was created some years ago before Sizov and Zaporozhets introduced GitLab. Marcin Kuzminski designed it in 2010. RhodeCode is a very safe and effective source code management program for big businesses.
Due to this, Rhodecode’s hosting service is organization-focused. Well, it doesn’t indicate that it cannot be beneficial for people looking for GitLab alternatives. It has a feature of Community Edition that is available and open-source for all, providing numerous features.
The enterprise edition of RhodeCode named Enterprise Edition gives the same features. It gives technical support and enterprise authentication features for users.
Rhodecode gives assistance for Subversion, Mercurial, and Git repositories as a repository management program. Using it, project supervisors can allow accessing every repository in their organization from a single location.
It also gives workflow automation with tools that support the integration of the current code base with the latest tools. With this, you can build and address projects on time without negotiating on fixed best practices.
Rhodecode also gives you an administrator-centralized user management feature. It will give and deny permission to people or groups. It is able to fix various types of permissions, such as editing or read-only access.
Anything more, this SCM tool gives a great level of code protection. Rhodecode comes with an upper-level permission system that confines user access to a repository with IP limitations.
Besides this, also the RhodeCode Community Edition is free and open-source for all, users can build confined environments for their codes by introducing the software on their own machines.
The approach barrier to seek RhodeCode is quite low too. So, it is good if people and small businesses can seek out the community version, that is free for users. When you admire it, you can access added features at only $75 for each user.
3. Bitbucket – Gitlab alternatives for teams using Jira
Apart from RhodeCode, Bitbucket is essentially a Git source code repository hosting service, and among the popular gitlab alternatives. It was introduced by Jesper Noehr, composed in Python language, and launched in 2008.
Bitbucket gives business and free subscriptions for all sorts of users. Its free subscription evolves with unlimited private repositories for people and organizations with less than five members.
Simply like several software hosting services mentioned on the list, Bitbucket is extra than only a code management platform. It further encourages collaboration among software development teams for developing, examining, and deploying projects.
Bitcode comes with an awesome issue-tracking solution. The code control service has a combined issue/tickets management system.
The added features introduce integrated CI/CD that allows teams to work quickly and more efficiently together. This service likewise has third-party integration with Jira and Trello, enabling users to build Bitbucket branches from inside these apps.
This appropriate integration with different Atlassian project management tools is famous among huge businesses that practice the software company’s products. Users can further obtain integration with tools like Bitbucket Connect and Bitbucket webhooks.
Anything more, Bitbucket has the feature of introducing existing repositories from different code hosting services. Users are enabled to import manually by picking the service from a dropdown menu or automatically through the URL.
If any users are new to Git, GitLab alternatives give educational support to encourage users to create authentic and efficient workflows.
You can also learn to practice a free Git GUI or a collection of interactive tutorials. Additionally, Bitbucket is more economical than GitLab.
The Standard plan subscription of Bitbucket costs 3 USD per user, and the Premium plan fetches 6 USD per user for a maximum of up to 100 users. The service’s bonus features are too free to use for developing teams serving on open source projects and for non-profit organizations.
4. Gitea
Several of the source code management services give cloud storage features. On-premises structures, though, tend to be kept for business users because they are somewhat more costly.
Think about the routine developer who desires to self-host their code repository? Write and enter Gitea. It is an open-source and free, community-managed GitLab alternative, and it launched in October 2016 after a crowd of users forked Gogs, which is an earlier self-hosted Git service.
The service now occupies an MIT OSS license and is maintained by the community. The web-based tool is composed in Go, and users are enabled to host it on every Go-supported platform. It includes macOS, Windows, and Linux operating systems.
Though, it is greatly practiced as a most lightweight Git server. Because it uses less memory, working absolutely fine on 512MB and CPU power.
Also, a low-priced idea to familiarize yourself well with the Git environment, whether as a person or as a team. However, there is a load to acquire with Gitea.
Instead of its non-commercial type, it contains precious features when it arrives in collaborative software development control.
This involves several highlights like code analysis, bug tracking, wikis, and also pulling requests. Gitea too supports various code maintainers, reaching a significant need for collaborative development.
If users require additional features, then Gitea also holds webhooks. Furthermore, it is a community-managed platform so, glitches can be resolved immediately, executing it as a good tool. Moreover, it is absolutely free.
The development of Gitea is financed by contributions from organizations like Equinix, DigitalOcean, and Open Collective.
5. SourceForge
SourceForge is a free and open-source project and it attracts several developers. However, if you are working on projects with no investment taxation, funding for access for each user might be costly on subscription-based SCM assistance.
Resolving this dilemma is such a different traffic point that addresses SourceForge as one of the most reliable gitlab alternatives. Sourceforge is a web service that is totally free for open-source projects, also giving free hosting and access to developer appliances.
Because of this, its kindness has brought more than 502,000 projects and over 3.7 million registered users. When you wish to switch, you can be a member of a huge and building community.
After all, taking service for free is only better if it is beneficial to you, and SourceForge is pretty much. SourceForge not only maintains Git repositories well, but the users can practice editing control practices like CVS, SVN, Bazaar, and Mercurial.
Getting the jerk from GitLab is not difficult either. This floor gives free and easy tools to introduce complete or picked repositories into new or enduring SourceForge projects.
An added advantage of practicing SourceForge as the GitLab alternatives is that it is an excellent spot to learn and find new software for companies and people.
Sourceforge possesses an inherent ranking system for all developers to discover several trending projects in multiple niches to subscribe to. The one who is looking for business software can also identify, review, and purchase software on the platform.
6. Gogs
If you are not a fan of Gitea? Then go for Gogs. It is a free and open-source project that birthed the self-hosted Git service to users. Moreover, you can develop with Go, it is an easy, steady Git service that you can introduce on all devices, also on a Raspberry Pi.
Users are able to run it on all operating systems, including Mac, Windows, ARM, and Linux. Rather than the OS assistance for Go compilation, it also has memory demands as quiet as 512MB.
Gogs is completely open-source and free of cost. The source code can easily be accessible on GitHub, and its service is introduced to the people following the MIT license.
If a user is new to Git and desires a self-hosted code management service, then Gogs is very simple to set up. Simply you have to run a binary file or send it in Docker or Vagrant surroundings.
Gogs don’t appear with built-in Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery highlights. But still, it is suitable for collaborative development. It holds Repository Pull Mirroring, which makes it effortless for users to accomplish local forks and track replicas.
Gogs further promote code evaluation and bug tracking. An additional important feature is a third-party authentication by references like PAM, LDAP, PAM, and SMTP.
7. Azure DevOps – Gitlab alternatives To Plan smarter
GitLab alternatives list is incomplete without featuring Azure DevOps, which is Microsoft’s resolution for collaborative software development. It is heretofore recognized as Visual Studio and yet to be called that in various quarters.
It is a sturdy tool that appears in two different forms. The primary one is Azure DevOps Server. This one is a version restraint system that is open as an on-premise and online contribution. One who wants to manage their code and data on their system can opt for the on-premise version.
Another one is Azure DevOps Services. This service is totally online, and this one is a secure hosted service for repositories with global scalability. Still, both the services are beneficial for software management solutions, Services give extra highlights like simplified server management.
Talking of features, Azure DevOps contains numerous of them. By its Pipeline tool, users can execute CI/CD for all platforms or practice its Repos service for efficient code inspections and can access unlimited open repositories.
Azure DevOps also contains Azure Test Plans for standard and exploratory trials and Azure Artifacts for the entire package repository. Users can unite and deal with packages like NuGet, Maven, Python, and npm from every kind of source with team members.
Further, Azure DevOps can be considered as the best alternative to GitLab when users operate with Microsoft products due to its ecosystem.
A genuine example of the product’s broad range union is Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel. Uniting with the previous assistant’s storyboard development, and the latter allows huge updates, entry, and shipping of work items.
8. Quire
Indeed Quire is still in its beta stage, it already has tongues wagging as a task administration and collaboration tool. Quire can be recognized as an all-in-one project management software.
It is created to support small and medium-sized companies so that they can build and control their to-do lists.
This likewise supports collaboration between teams and big thanks to Quire for lots of facilitating features. These amazing features involve file sharing, document management, and milestone tracking. It appears with a Kanban board for assignment prioritization and workflow visualization.
Quire application programming interface (API) combines with third-party applications like Outlook Calendar, iCal, and Slack. Just put, when you want software that handles code management and different kinds of task management enterprises, Quire is worth glancing at.
It implies that it is not only useful for organizations either. Several freelancers working on various projects or assignments can also practice it to structure and follow work items.
Because of its expanded skills, Quire has a user-friendly interface along with an automatic design with no learning arch. Simply you have to sign up and Quire will hold up and be available to make your team more productive.
Though, users should be aware that there is no pricing open still for this software because Quire is yet in its beta stage. Now, all the users can easily enjoy it for free.
9. Buddy.Works
As you know, GitLab can do multi-dimensional functions that traverse project management and software deployment for users. When users are looking for an option that primarily discusses the latter, then visit and check out Buddy.Works.
Buddy.Works is a web-based connected integration and delivery software. All the Git developers can practice it to develop, analyze, and deploy applications and websites practicing their code or code from software hosting tools like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.
It is created with a focus on Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery, self-regulation is the chief traffic point for Buddy.Works. Users can practice it to automate different operations in the workflow by building pipelines, reducing the ease of deployment.
Buddy.Works arrives with more than 100 built-in actions that users can unite with the tick of a button to advance things up in the pipeline. All users can practice these moves to create static sites, develop websites, and access RPM tools.
Just for usability purposes, it is simple for users to choose Buddy as a portion of their software development stack. Buddy.Works have a GUI, and it is automatic.
Users don’t require to see tutorials or view documentation to take a start. All can build pipelines quickly and automate moves in the deployment process in seconds.
As compared to expense-wise, Buddy.Works also have a low limit of approach. It gives a free plan suitable for freelancers. The paid software of Buddy.Works include extra features and it is available at 75 USD per month. On-premises plan of Buddy. Works are available at 35 USD per month per user.
10. Launchpad
One of the alternatives to gitlab on the list is Launchpad. Launchpad is a web-based software collaboration program that enables you to promote and support open-source software.
It is maintained by Canonical Ltd, Launchpad is still an open-source software hosting device with a GNU Affero General Public License. It launched in 2004 but has still to achieve broad demand like other GitLab alternatives mentioned on the list. It is often since the platform is recognized simply for ‘Ubuntu material.’
This dated interface may turn off most people, Launchpad offers up for its shortage of aesthetics by doing an efficient collaborative platform. This is the only business with this one. The service highlights a bunch of Ubuntu-targeted projects.
However, it has great support for SVN, Git, Mercurial, and Bazaar on all operating systems. You can host or send repositories in those formats on Launchpad and obtain its numerous features.
Users can also visit and check out more than 44,000 projects on the platform for influence or to subscribe to. Launchpad enables you to connect with an existing development team or design and control one yourself.
In this, it also has community support if users want answers and an interpretation site to support you limit your applications’ human languages.
Each of these is open and free to users. Users simply can register their accounts to access the platform’s collection of highlights. When the user wishes to examine it out before sending their email address, they can examine it in the launchpad sandbox environment.
The important downside, though, is its fusty interface. Still several of the alternatives on the mentioned list are simple to use with a convenient interface, this one wears a dated one.
Rather than, it additionally has a separate workflow from GitLab or attractive alternatives like GitHub. This doesn’t surely get it hard, it catches some getting used to. If users don’t regard these issues, then Launchpad can be a free and efficient alternative to GitLab.
11. Beanstalk
Beanstalk is a very strong, reliable, high-performance, and stable platform for handling source code repositories.
It is created to enhance your development workflow with special features such as code review, issue tracker, repository statistics, freeing notes, announcements, email digests, examine view, and a complete history of commits and records, and a lot more.
Within Beanstalk, safety is achieved by repository and branch level agreements, and account protection through two-step authentication, IP access records, making strong passwords, and IP access restraints.
Beanstalk maintains deployment in various environments with some system configurations. High-graded companies such as Phillips, Intel, and many others, are practicing Beanstalk.
12. Setapp
Setapp is a speedy application development software. It gives subscribers and library services that users can quickly access and download and are able to practice over Mac machines. Taking the aid of this solution, Mac users quickly find applications for different tasks and ideas.
The user simply needs to create an account and introduce the software on Mac systems. Setapp offers a user-friendly interface and also category-based searchability. It allows users to discover the best applications efficiently and quickly.
Every app proposed here is the latest version, the user never has to bother about outdated tools. This solution will not deliver you any apps or plenty of apps with in-app advances and other disturbances. You can concentrate on your work without any pop-ups.
As matched to all the different solutions, setapp is pretty easy and has a rich feature. The main feature includes 100+ apps, categorization, distraction-free app practice, growing app adoption, smart search, etc.
13. Google Cloud Source Repositories
Google Cloud Source Repositories can be considered a reliable alternative for individual repositories. Users can get begun for free with a maximum of 5 users and 50 GB storage. To begin with, the user will get a 12-months trial period.
It is worth remarking that when you continue using the Google Cloud Platform, using the free tier mode limits, you won’t be priced.
Well, when you want added resources or users for your task, you can go to update to a paid account manually. Users can visit and check out their pricing list and the free tier features for the trial when they are curious about a paid account.
14. AWS CodeCommit
AWS CodeCommit is also one of the best gitlab alternatives just like the Google Cloud Source Repositories. Similar to the Google Cloud Platform, AWS also gives a free tier that doesn’t end if the trial expires.
Thus, it is forever free when your usage is within the free tier limits as specified in their approved documentation.
It can be accessible for a maximum of 5 users and 50 GB of storage for free, to begin with. When you need to attach more users, you should do it for 1 USD per extra user for the supplies you already possess.
Also, when you need more resources along with the abundance of users, you can visit and check out the detailed pricing list.
15. Phabricator
Phabricator is a web-based software that gives development collaboration. It provides a complete window for integration and code formation modules so users can use its feature to change the mistakes in the code that they have integrated with the program.
Phabricator gives you a refined interface that improves all the bugs in the code that you want to get in the source code. It additionally provides you many tools so users can quickly write on the platform, check, run and view the differences in real-time only.
It is an impressive feature, and it holds an advanced interface with an intelligent user navigation mode. Each step and each block of the interface gives a separate Window for code so the user can observe what kind of code is running in the API module of the device.
It likewise comprises a differential code view tool, distribution repository browser, and it too gives monitoring tools, and a lot more.
The main feature of the platform is custom development, text editing, illustrating, collaborative review, code analysis, activity dashboard, project preparation project management, separate API module versions, operating both drag and drop interface, and a lot more.
It also arrives with the trial version so users can see what kind of system it is, and Phabricator also provides you with audit source code, a customizable task management system, chat channels, and many more.
📗 FAQ on GitLab alternatives
Is GitLab or GitHub better?
Both are good in their own way. GitLab is suitable for those of you dealing with self-hosted private entrepreneurs and is excellent for open-source projects. There is no monthly subscription fee. GitHub provides you with a massive collection of active open-source developers.
Is GitLab an alternative to GitHub?
GitLab could be the top-notch option to replace GitHub. You will be glad to know that it comes with similar features and uses. Not to mention, it is an open-source software like GitLab and has a wide range of followers globally.
Is GitLab owned by Google?
GitLab (Nasdaq: GTLB) is not owned by Google. They have an estimated 30 million registered users. Besides, 1 million of them are active, licensed users. It was founded by Dmytro Zaporozhets Sytse Sijbrandij.
Is Git different from GitLab?
Git is an open-source distributed version control system. It can help you work efficiently on both small and large projects. It is a Git-based, fully integrated platform that comes infused having immense features to enhance the workflow.
Why do people prefer GitLab?
There are no third-party intrusions in GitLab. It comes with specifications that are incredibly stunning for a wide range of users. They also provide you with private repositories even for accounts that are not paid.
Why do companies use GitLab instead of GitHub?
The main difference between GitLab and GitHub would be the built-in Continuous Integration/Delivery that is present in the former. This helps users to save time and concentrate on other important matters. Besides, it comes with its own free CI.
Why GitLab is better than Jenkins?
GitLab and Jenkins are good. They both come embedded with their own features & specifications. However, they are produced to serve different requirements. Jenkins has an extensive plugin shelf, and Gitlab can help you do your job effectively.
Which Git repository is best?
Some of the best Git hosting solutions include Bitbucket, GitLab, Perforce, and Beanstalk. You can make use of them for performing your work and managing your resources effectively. These open-source apps provide you with immense capability.
Who does GitLab compete with?
Some of the notable competitors of GitLab include SmartBear, GitHub, and Docker. For now, GitLab is the first for the CEO score for its competitors. It could be due to the fact that the features present in it are highly beneficial to consumers.
Why do companies use GitLab?
It helps you to decrease the product lifecycles and increase productivity. This helps any company to improve on their profits. The app does not need you to manage authorizations for each tool, as everybody has access to every component when the permissions are set once.
Bottom Line on Gitlab alternatives
Along with over 30 million registered users and over 3,000 developers, GitLab can be considered one of the excellent code repositories practiced by programmers throughout the world. After all, it is one of the most popular, already we have discussed, there are loads of reasons for that.
However, with insufficient customizations for issue tracking and an abundant learning curve to execute CI/CD, discovering an alternative tool is not completely out of place. Out of the 15 best gitlab alternatives reviewed so far, GitHub is the best alternative among all alternatives for GitLab.
Instead of similarities, GitHub has a broader community of users at personal and business levels. It makes the transition from GitLab more comfortable if you meet any problem, especially because they also have the same workflow.
Additionally, the huge community suggests loads of public repositories for users to create projects on, thereby reducing development and deployment time. When users want to run away from GitLab, these built-in benefits get GitHub as the ideal alternative.
