GitHub vs GitLab Comparison
Compare GitHub vs GitLab features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
GitHub
6.9/10
GitHub is a code hosting and collaboration platform that also offers issue tracking and GitHub Projects boards, tables and roadmaps for software teams.
GitLab
6.8/10
GitLab is a DevSecOps platform that combines source code, CI/CD, security, and agile planning with issues, boards, and epics for software teams.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.9/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Analytics | 3/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 9/10 | 4/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Integration | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $4/user/mo Team | $29/user/mo Premium |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Docs | ||
| Spreadsheet interface | Not listed | |
| File sharing | ||
| App integrations | ||
| Task lists | ||
| Timeline view | ||
| Task management | ||
| Time tracking | ||
| Workflow automation | ||
| Kanban boards | ||
| Collaboration tools | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Knowledge base | ||
GitHub vs GitLab cost by team size
GitHub and GitLab cost the same up to 5 users.
| Team size | GitHub | GitLab |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 5 users | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 10 users | FreeFree | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | FreeFree | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | FreeFree | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose GitHub
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Integration score (9/10 vs 8/10)
- Better fit for small business (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for startups (9/10 vs 7/10)
Why choose GitLab
- Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Customization score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Includes Time tracking, which GitHub lacks
Pros & Cons
GitHub
Pros
- Projects sits next to issues, pull requests and commits, and items can move to Done automatically when linked pull requests merge.
- Projects is included in every plan, and paid plans start at 4 USD per user per month.
- Table, board and roadmap layouts, with custom and iteration fields, cover basic sprint planning.
- One project can pull issues from multiple repositories.
- The GraphQL API, GitHub Actions and the Marketplace make it highly extensible.
Cons
- There are no built-in burndown, velocity, cumulative flow or cycle-time reports.
- Boards have no WIP limits, and there is no workload or capacity planning.
- Reviewers say it has a steep learning curve and is unfriendly for non-technical stakeholders.
- Projects is limited to 50 fields, and the roadmap view does not handle dependencies or critical paths.
GitLab
Pros
- Planning, code, CI/CD, and security live in one tool, so issues link directly to merge requests and pipelines.
- Time tracking with estimates and logged time is included on every tier, including Free.
- It can be self-managed or run as single-tenant Dedicated, which suits regulated enterprises.
- Reviewers on G2 and Capterra rate it about 4.5 out of 5 and praise its robust CI/CD and version control.
Cons
- Users who don't write code face a lot of complexity, and reviewers complain about frequent interface changes.
- Ultimate pricing isn't public, and Premium is listed only with annual billing.
- OKRs require Ultimate and are still not ready for production; the global time tracking report is also experimental.
- Users have long complained that epics exist only at the group level.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
GitHub scores higher on our AI Software criteria: 6.9/10 against 6.8/10 for GitLab. The largest gap is in Cost: 9/10 for GitHub and 4/10 for GitLab.
Yes, both GitHub and GitLab have a free plan.
GitLab is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for GitHub.
GitLab has Time tracking, which GitHub lacks.
