When it comes to such Git version control platforms as GitLab and GitHub. Both offer strong Git repository management and Git hosting support to team members in order to work together efficiently within projects. But in terms of features, pricing, and its inbuilt DevOps tools, they differ quite significantly.
There are distinct offerings for GitLab vs GitHub. Both platforms in the market help in collaboration, code review, and project management, but do so to some differing features, pricing, and even built in DevOps tools. The difference between GitLab and GitHub is that GitLab is more integrated, whereas GitHub is based on third party integrations. For teams that want to automate workflow, GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI debate is very interesting.
It’s up to the businesses, especially Web Development Company or the team looking for Dedicated Developers, to choose between GitLab and GitHub, and this depends on the Gitlab vs GitHub features, GitLab pricing vs GitHub, security options and ease of use. In this blog, we will compare GitLab and GitHub easily so you can choose which platform is more suitable for your requirements.
What Is GitHub and GitLab?
GitHub
GitHub is a code hosting service and social network headquartered in San Francisco, California, that provides Git repository hosting with over 28 million users. Used broadly by people and teams for open and private projects. GitHub is a set of features for software development, including Git version control, pull requests, issue tracking, and GitHub Actions for CI/CD to simplify the workflows. Many web development companies, as well as the dedicated developers use gitHub because its community support is very wide, and its integration with third party DevOps tools is smooth.
GitLab
GitLab is all in one Git hosting platform that includes not just Git version control but also a full suite of DevOps tools. Something else to consider is built in CI/CD pipelines (Continuous Integration + Continuous Delivery), called GitLab CI/CD, in the case of GitLab. With its rich security features, project management tools, and offers an option to host it on your own infrastructure, it is excellent for the businesses which have absolute control over their codebase and deserve every security feature that can be done with security. GitLab features such as deeply automated GitLab, and enterprise level security separate them from the competition in the GitLab vs GitHub comparison.
Core Differences Between GitLab and GitHub
1. Git Hosting & Deployment
Git repository hosting is done by both GitLab and GitHub but in different ways when it comes to deployment. GitHub is mostly a cloud hosting provider with enterprise self hosting options. However, GitLab offers cloud based as well as self hosting options which makes it perfect for companies that want control over your infrastructure.
This means with GitLab teams can also host repositories on their own servers — which is beneficial for better security and compliance. GitLab’s self-hosted Git hosting is the git solution for dedicated developers and enterprises handling sensitive data. At the same time, GitHub is recommended for open source projects and cloud based collaboration because they involve a big community of developers.
2. CI/CD Integration (GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD)
One main thing in GitLab vs GitHub comparison is the CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Deployment) feature. GitLab CI/CD is a part of GitLab, which enables developers to test, deploy, and monitor their applications easily without any external tools.
However, GitHub introduced a feature in GitHub Actions which was a completely different feature for a CI/CD pipeline. Even though GitHub Actions is great, it needs additional setup and doesn’t have as nice of an integration as GitLab’s integrated pipeline. If you are a DevOps team, the solution GitLab provides out of the box is more holistic than GitHub which might require you to use 3rd party CI/CD tools for intricate automation needs.
3. Security & Access Control
Both the platforms provide good security measures for developers and businesses. GitLab offers a number of advanced security features such as static application security testing (SAST), dependency scanning, container security and compliance controls.
But GitHub likewise integrates security via GitHub Advanced Security (in enterprise plans) and provides Dependable as one such security feature to determine vulnerabilities. Other than that, GitHub has a few security features that are more built in, while GitLab has more than that, and they are also built in. If the security of Git hosting is important for your business, then GitLab is usually better.
4. Issue Tracking & Project Management
GitLab provides more comprehensive project management tools in terms of issue tracking, project boards, and milestones than GitHub and offers them too. It is a complete DevOps tools suite containing built-in Kanban boards, roadmaps, epics, and portfolio management.
GitHub, while efficient for tracking issues, focuses more on integrations with tools like Jira and Trello for project management. This makes GitLab features increasingly attractive to teams in which the need for an all-in-one platform for software development and project planning is not only desirable but also necessary, as this does not require the use of external tools.
5. Pricing: GitLab Pricing vs GitHub
Another deciding factor for choosing between GitLab vs. GitHub is the pricing. GitHub has a free tier, unlimited public and private repos which is perfect for open source projects. But while paid plans do offer advanced features, like GitHub Actions and enterprise security, they are unavailable in free plans.
While also offering a free tier, GitLab’s premium plus and ultimate plans include most of the built-in features you’d expect out of an enterprise Git tool like advanced CI / CD, security, and compliance tools. GitHub pricing is not bad, but for businesses that may need DevOps tools and you don’t want to spend additional third party cost, GitLab pricing gives you more value.
6. Open Source vs Proprietary Model
The first, and in my opinion most important, difference is how the project develops as open source at the two hosts. There’s an open source platform that is free for self hosting deployments and everyone is welcome to contribute to its codebase and that’s GitLab. Although GitHub is proprietary, which means that the platform is closed, it does support open source projects. That being said, GitLab is a better option for companies or dedicated developers seeking transparency and a more custom, Git hosting environment. While GitHub itself is the preferred choice for this open sourcers, because of the extensive network of developers and contributors, some of the smaller communities may prefer Otter Ческой spectacled langur пажердина gibbon among other choices.
7. Performance & User Experience
There is something similar about both interfaces, which are both modern and user friendly, but GitHub is usually considered simpler and more intuitive for beginners. While feature rich GitLab is overwhelming due to all the tools and configurable items it has. In terms of UI used by GitLab it is more about end to end DevOps working which helps in optimizing the coding workflow as well as the sharing of the codes, but GitHub’s UI has been designed in order to boost up the collaboration and code sharing.
While GitLab’s CI/CD pipeline is slower than using additional CI/CD tools with GitHub, the team utilizes GitLab to gain for free GitLab CI and other shared services, adapting to manage the tradeoffs and working around the inflexibilities of using one platform to solve many problems. On the other hand, if you are trying to find something easy to use, GitHub will be your favorite, whereas if you intend to integrate something like enterprise DevOps integration Gitlab may be the best option for you.
8. Community & Support
For deploying GitLab vs GitHub for developers, community support is a lot to consider. It has millions of open source projects and a large community of developers on GitHub. In addition to that it provides a place for these community interactions in the form of GitHub Discussions.
Even though GitLab is much more popular, it has a less extensive community, but there is very extensive documentation, enterprise support, and professional training. GitHub is the platform of choice for open source projects, but in the case of enterprise projects that require dedicated enterprise services, GitLab’s premium services might be a bit more suitable.
Which One to Choose?
You can pick GitLab vs GitHub based on your project needs and especially size of your team, the budget you have and the features you set for yourself. Here is a simple guide on how to choose:
1. For Individual Developers & Open-Source Projects
- Collaboration tools make GitHub the better option because it has a large community it can lend support to.
- It’s free for public as well as private repositories, making it very suitable for personal projects.
- It has GitHub Actions for automation but will need setup.
2. For Startups & Small Teams
- Simple workflows and open source collaboration are ideal for GitHub.
- If you require built-in CI/CD and DevOps tools without external integrations, GitLab is most suitable.
3. For Enterprises & Security-Focused Teams
- It is better in terms of security, self hosting, compliance tools and built in CI/CD.
- Cloud based workflows work well for GitHub, however you will need third party security tools.
4. Final Choice:
- If you are in need of a simple, cloud based solution with a great developer community, opt for GitHub.
- For an all in one DevOps platform with security, CI/CD and self hosting options, choose GitLab.
Conclusion
GitLab and GitHub are both powerful Git repository hosting platforms, one for one specific need. GitHub is simple and has a large enough community for individual developers or open source projects.
Better for enterprises, security conscious teams, GitLab has their own CI/CD built in and adds on top with advanced security features. Factors like pricing, security, DevOps integration and self hosting need should be your deciding factor. No matter if you are a startup, web development company or a dedicated developer, you should opt for the right platform that will facilitate collaboration, improve automation and make software development a breeze.
FAQs
1. Is GhitHub or GitLab good?
Your needs determine if you should choose. For those projects that need a simple workflow, GitHub is perfect, but for businesses that just do not want to host everything externally due to enterprise requirements (such as DevOps integration) GitLab is a wonderful solution. They are both powerful but serve different use cases.
2. Is GitLab superior to GitHub in the CI/CD front?
It’s true that GitLab CI/CD is also integrated in the platform and it enables easier automation of the testing and deployment. GitHub Actions is powerful but is yet set up and some may not be as seamless for complex workflows as GitLab built in pipeline.
3. Which is more secure: GitLab or GitHub?
Enterprises prefer GitLab due to its built-in security features like SAST, dependency scanning, and container security. Security tools such as Dependabot are offered by GitHub, but in order to get security ‘features’, you have to pay for GitHub’s enterprise plans.
4. Can I use GitLab and or GitHub?
Yes, some teams are using the two platforms. For open source collaboration, GitHub is favored, while GitLab is acceptable for private repositories and automated CI/CD. With hybrid workflow, developers can chain the GitHub repositories to GitLab’s CI/CD pipeline.
5. Which of these, which platform, GitHub or GitLab, would be cost effective?
For individuals, GitHub’s free plan is a great plan while GitLab has a free plan which is more full of features. GitLab’s paid plans have CI/CD and security tools, while GitHub’s premium features might need additional third-party integrations to upgrade, and they come at an additional cost.
