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GitHub vs GitLab vs Gitblit: What are the differences?
Introduction
Git is a distributed version control system that allows multiple people to collaborate on a project simultaneously. GitHub, GitLab, and Gitblit are three popular web-based platforms that provide hosting and management services for Git repositories. In this Markdown code, we will explore the key differences between GitHub, GitLab, and Gitblit.
Repository hosting: GitHub is primarily used for hosting open-source projects and has a large community of developers. GitLab, on the other hand, offers both hosted and self-hosted solutions, allowing organizations to have more control over their repositories. Gitblit is a lightweight Git web server that is often used in smaller organizations or teams.
Pricing and licensing: GitHub offers free hosting for public repositories, but charges fees for private repositories and additional features. GitLab, on the other hand, provides a free community edition that can be self-hosted, as well as premium options with additional features. Gitblit is entirely open-source and free to use.
Built-in continuous integration: GitLab has a built-in continuous integration and deployment system, allowing developers to automatically build, test, and deploy their code. GitHub offers a similar service called GitHub Actions, while Gitblit does not have this feature built-in.
Issue tracking and project management: GitLab and GitHub offer advanced issue tracking and project management tools, such as the ability to create and assign tasks, track progress, and automate workflows. Gitblit, being a lightweight web server, does not provide these extensive project management features.
Collaboration features: GitLab and GitHub have built-in features that allow developers to collaborate on code, such as code reviews, pull requests, and inline commenting. These features make it easier for teams to work together and ensure code quality. Gitblit does not provide these collaboration features.
Integrations and extensibility: GitHub has a wide range of integrations and plugins available, allowing developers to integrate their repositories with other tools and services. GitLab also provides a similar level of extensibility and allows integrations with popular project management tools. Gitblit, being a lightweight solution, has limited integration options.
In summary, GitHub is widely used for hosting open-source projects with a strong community, while GitLab offers more control and features for organizations with both self-hosted and hosted options. Gitblit is a lightweight Git web server suitable for smaller teams or organizations.
Pros of Gitblit
- Fast and fulfill just the features I need1
- Better user & group management1
- Free1
- Easy to setup. Runs on OSX1
- Windows authentication is supported0
- Run on Windows0
Pros of GitHub
- Open source friendly1.8K
- Easy source control1.5K
- Nice UI1.3K
- Great for team collaboration1.1K
- Easy setup867
- Issue tracker504
- Great community486
- Remote team collaboration482
- Great way to share451
- Pull request and features planning442
- Just works147
- Integrated in many tools132
- Free Public Repos121
- Github Gists116
- Github pages112
- Easy to find repos83
- Open source62
- It's free60
- Easy to find projects60
- Network effect56
- Extensive API49
- Organizations43
- Branching42
- Developer Profiles34
- Git Powered Wikis32
- Great for collaboration30
- It's fun24
- Clean interface and good integrations23
- Community SDK involvement22
- Learn from others source code20
- Because: Git16
- It integrates directly with Azure14
- Newsfeed10
- Standard in Open Source collab10
- Fast8
- It integrates directly with Hipchat8
- Beautiful user experience8
- Easy to discover new code libraries7
- Smooth integration6
- Cloud SCM6
- Nice API6
- Graphs6
- Integrations6
- It's awesome6
- Quick Onboarding5
- Remarkable uptime5
- CI Integration5
- Hands down best online Git service available5
- Reliable5
- Free HTML hosting4
- Version Control4
- Simple but powerful4
- Unlimited Public Repos at no cost4
- Security options4
- Loved by developers4
- Uses GIT4
- Easy to use and collaborate with others4
- IAM3
- Nice to use3
- Ci3
- Easy deployment via SSH3
- Good tools support2
- Leads the copycats2
- Free private repos2
- Free HTML hostings2
- Easy and efficient maintainance of the projects2
- Beautiful2
- Never dethroned2
- IAM integration2
- Very Easy to Use2
- Easy to use2
- All in one development service2
- Self Hosted2
- Issues tracker2
- Easy source control and everything is backed up2
- Profound1
Pros of GitLab
- Self hosted508
- Free430
- Has community edition339
- Easy setup242
- Familiar interface240
- Includes many features, including ci137
- Nice UI113
- Good integration with gitlabci84
- Simple setup57
- Free private repository34
- Has an official mobile app34
- Continuous Integration31
- Open source, great ui (like github)22
- Slack Integration18
- Full CI flow14
- Free and unlimited private git repos11
- User, group, and project access management is simple10
- All in one (Git, CI, Agile..)9
- Built-in CI8
- Intuitive UI8
- Both public and private Repositories6
- Full DevOps suite with Git6
- Build/pipeline definition alongside code5
- CI5
- So easy to use5
- Integrated Docker Registry5
- It's powerful source code management tool5
- Issue system4
- Dockerized4
- Unlimited free repos & collaborators4
- Security and Stable4
- On-premises4
- It's fully integrated4
- Mattermost Chat client4
- Excellent4
- Great for team collaboration3
- Built-in Docker Registry3
- Low maintenance cost due omnibus-deployment3
- I like the its runners and executors feature3
- Free private repos3
- Because is the best remote host for git repositories3
- Not Microsoft Owned3
- Opensource3
- Groups of groups2
- Powerful software planning and maintaining tools2
- Review Apps feature2
- Kubernetes integration with GitLab CI2
- It includes everything I need, all packaged with docker2
- Multilingual interface2
- HipChat intergration2
- Powerful Continuous Integration System2
- One-click install through DigitalOcean2
- The dashboard with deployed environments2
- Native CI2
- Many private repo2
- Kubernetes Integration2
- Published IP list for whitelisting (gl-infra#434)2
- Wounderful2
- Beautiful2
- Supports Radius/Ldap & Browser Code Edits1
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Cons of Gitblit
- Confusing UI2
- Squash and Merge is not supported0
- No active development0
- No code review functionality0
- No Pull Requests0
Cons of GitHub
- Owned by micrcosoft53
- Expensive for lone developers that want private repos37
- Relatively slow product/feature release cadence15
- API scoping could be better10
- Only 3 collaborators for private repos8
- Limited featureset for issue management3
- GitHub Packages does not support SNAPSHOT versions2
- Does not have a graph for showing history like git lens2
- No multilingual interface1
- Takes a long time to commit1
- Expensive1
Cons of GitLab
- Slow ui performance28
- Introduce breaking bugs every release8
- Insecure (no published IP list for whitelisting)6
- Built-in Docker Registry2
- Review Apps feature1