GitLab vs GitHub: Key Differences and Which to Choose

It also offers an Enterprise Cloud and Enterprise Server option for organizations looking for either a cloud-based or self-hosted solution. These plans provide additional flexibility and control over the development environment. Its interface is designed to support a holistic DevOps approach, making it a suitable choice for teams looking for a comprehensive and efficient platform to manage their entire development lifecycle. GitLab, on the other hand, offers a robust and feature-rich interface that caters to the needs of modern DevOps teams. Its design philosophy centers around efficiency and innovation, providing a comprehensive suite of tools within a single platform.

We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. Walk through installing and running Git on your local machine and learn how to collaborate with other developers through remote repositories through Google’s online course, Introduction to Git and Github. If you’re learning to use these tools for your career, you might consider going on to complete the program this course is part of, the Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate. In the spirit of dispelling misconceptions, let me clarify – no, GitLab and GitHub are not owned by the same company.

Understanding The Basics Of Git And Cloud-Based Git Repositories

Overall, its user interface prioritizes simplicity and accessibility, making it an attractive option for developers looking for an easy-to-navigate version control system. The ability to extend and customize the development environment is crucial for teams with diverse needs. Both provide marketplaces and integrations to enhance their platforms’ functionality. In 2018, Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion, a move that underscored the platform’s significance in the software development ecosystem.

  • The most effective AI systems can retrieve data in the right format and reason intelligently through it.
  • GitHub also encourages them to contribute to open source each Friday, regularly expanding the number of public resources available.
  • In the rapidly evolving landscape of software development, selecting the right version control and collaboration platform is crucial for team productivity and project success.
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There are some extra steps required here that aren’t required in GitLab. As a developer in 2025, you can’t afford to ignore tools like Git or major cloud repository providers like GitHub and GitLab. One of the crucial things that makes this happen is the automated testing tool that automatically scans code for potential security risks. GitLab CI tools let you build, stage, and deploy code automatically without relying on manual updates or clunky, custom-built integrations. These latter features are high on any enterprise priority list, but small teams and freelancers won’t miss them.

GitLab vs GitHub: Key Differences, Features, and When to Use Each

difference between gitlab and github

GitHub’s vibrant community, social coding features, and seamless collaboration capabilities make it an attractive choice for developers and teams looking to contribute to or leverage open-source software. If your project involves open-source development, GitHub can streamline your workflows and foster effective collaboration. Git is the foundational version control system that underpins the software development process for countless projects worldwide. Regardless of the project’s size or complexity, Git is an indispensable tool.

User Experience and Interface

In GitLab, users have different access levels in a particular group or project based on their respective roles. However, self-hosting is only possible with the paid enterprise version of GitHub. On the other hand, the free community edition of GitLab also allows for self-hosting.

With no more retraining, you will get live updated data anytime and anywhere. Overall, Joyland AI and its alternatives cater to users interested in exploring AI characters, interactive narratives, and chatbot interactions for entertainment, creativity, and educational purposes. Joyland AI is known for its user-friendly interface and the ability to unleash creativity by designing unique AI characters. Joyland AI is an AI-powered chatting platform that uses conversation-focused deep learning models to bring various characters to life, including real, fictional, and custom-created ones. It streamlines workflows, sets clear goals, and keeps everyone accountable. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, consider investing in a Consultant Management System.

Enhancing Decision-Making Processes

The server stability of the hosted version of GitLab is generally slightly worse than that of GitHub, which is why installation on a private server can make sense. When we look deeper at the full lifecycle of a code change in GitHub and GitLab, it becomes even clearer how similar they are in terms of workflow. GitHub advocates a speedy, feature-focused development approach to merge (include) new branches with the main branch.

Sometimes, there may be instances when you need to discard changes in your working directory and forcefully checkout a branch, overriding any local changes. This command enables developers to create an independent line of development, potentially representing a minor feature, a developmental version, or the main branch. An important turning point in GitHub’s journey was its acquisition by Microsoft in 2018.

They might be fierce competitors in the domain of Git repository management, but they originate from two entirely different entities. Despite its growth, GitLab has remained true to its open-source roots, offering a free version alongside its paid Software as a Service (SaaS) plans. In 2024, 78% of financial companies said they faced ransomware attacks. Over half of all ransomware cases affected companies with 1 to 50 employees.

  • That’s where cloud-based Git repositories like GitLab and GitHub come into play.
  • On the other hand, GitHub reserves this capability for its enterprise-level plans, making self-hosting exclusive to larger organizations or teams willing to invest in GitHub’s premium offering.
  • That said, GitLab does offer integrations with some third-party programs and platforms such as Jira, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Gmail, and numerous other apps and platforms.
  • Custom software can be built with compliance features integrated from the ground up, ensuring patient data protection and regulatory adherence without additional modifications.

What began as simple code repositories has evolved into comprehensive DevOps ecosystems that support entire software development lifecycles. Instead of offering these tools as built-in features, GitHub is designed to work with a wide range of third-party applications. You can integrate services like TravisCI, CircleCI, or others to handle tasks such as building, testing, and deploying code. This flexibility allows teams to choose the tools that best fit their specific needs or existing workflows.

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. This platform is packed with default features such as continuous integration, time tracking, and backups, providing a seamless DevOps workflow without necessitating external integrations. However, it doesn’t completely exclude external applications – it supports integrations with Asana, Jira, Microsoft Teams, difference between gitlab and github Slack, Gmail, and over 30 other platforms. GitHub promotes a fast, feature-focused development approach, swiftly merging new branches with the main branch, an ideal development workflow for smaller Agile teams and projects. The main branch is always deployment-ready, meaning in case of any issues, the previous version can be reinstated quickly, maintaining the status quo.

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