GitLab vs GitHub: Deciding Your Development Platform

What is Git?

It is an open-source distributed version control system that monitors changes in the project files. Git was designed to handle a wide range of software development projects, whether small or huge. Git works as a top-notch utility for developers that aids in performing tasks with speed and efficiency by enabling users to do their tasks together without disrupting other’s work. 

Git was initially created by Linus Torvalds in 2005. Git provides version control for many software projects, including open-source or commercial projects. 

In addition, the functionality of Git is better than Rational ClearCase, Concurrent Versions System (VCS), Apache Subversion, and Perforce. Several enterprises choose cloud-based solutions to perform their functions with a distributed, more extensive, or remote team. Platforms like GitHub or GitLab provide code repositories without storage limits, enhancing and extending Git's fundamental capabilities. 

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What is GitLab?

GitLab is a cloud-based repository hosting manager tool that was developed by GitLab Inc. by Dmitriy Zaporozhets and Valery Sizov. The tool is designed for the software development process and offers various management options. This helps in streamlining collaborative workflow to finish the software development cycle. This open-source community edition repository lets users import repositories from Bitbucket, GoogleCode, etc.

Advantages 

Here are some major advantages of GitLab for your reference.

• GitLab is an open-source platform.
• GitLab offers support for the CI/CD lifecycle.
• It offers self-hosting features on each plan.
• Easy code maintenance is possible. 
• It provides user-friendly package distribution services.
• Repositories on servers can be effortlessly maintained.
•  Robust authentication and UI features are available.
• Increased branch protection and user permissions
• Enables a wide range of tools such as issue tracker, time tracking, and so on

Disadvantages 

Despite the numerous benefits of GitLab, there are certain disadvantages you must know about.

• The interface of GitLab could be more user-friendly.
• Common issues occur frequently in repositories.
• Lack of certain enterprise-level development features of software
• Users have to tackle bugs throughout the software lifecycle.

What is GitHub?

GitHub is the largest code source in the world, with more than 40 million users. It was developed by Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, Scott Chacon, and P.J. Hyett. While GitHub is not open source, it facilitates hosting open-source and private projects. Users can have unlimited free public repositories, but the number of private repositories available for free users is limited to three.

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Advantages 

Here are the benefits of GitHub:

• GitHub enables users to generate an organized document for the project.
• It is beneficial in displaying work to the public.
• GitHub determines project labels and milestones.
• It allows syntax highlight features.
• Users are enabled for third-party API integration for cloud hosting and bug monitoring.
• Users are permitted to publish and host websites. 

Disadvantages 

Let us explore the negative factors of GitHub.

• GitHub only supports Git version control
• Users can access limited private repositories
• Repository size management and complexity 

Gitlab vs GitHub: Key Differences 

Let us discover the difference between GitHub and GitLab concerning the following factors:

Features 

Regarding GitLab vs. GitHub, both enable third-party integration, clean labeling schemes, streamlining software development tracking practices, team discussions, and project management dashboards. In addition, soft-hosted versions are available for both, but GitHub only offers an enterprise version. 

Open-Sourced

When it comes to GitLab vs. GitHub, GitLab is open-source for community edition. However, GitHub is not an open-source platform.

Navigation

In GitLab, users can navigate into the repositories. However, GitHub emphasizes usability in navigation.

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Project Analysis

GitLab enables users to view the charts of development projects. In contrast to GitLab, users are not permitted to analyze projects in GitHub. However, they can check the commit history in the GitHub.

Security

When it comes to GitLab vs. GitHub, GitLab is more secure. In GitHub, a Licence compliance and security dashboard is absent, making it less secure comparatively.  

Attachments

Other types of attachments can be saved in GitLab. In contrast, adding other types of attachments is not permitted in GitHub.

Gitlab vs GitHub Similarities

Both GitLab vs. GitHub offer certain similarities. Let us have a quick review on the same.

Interfaces

GitLab enables Git, a self-hosted version, continuous integration and delivery, preview code changes, Wiki-based documentation, issue tracker, code review, time tracking, team discussions, project management boards, and security and compliance tools. In addition, the paid version offers additional features like load performance testing, browser performance testing, multiple issue assignees, iterations and sprint planning, issue dependencies, and much more. 

In contrast, GitHub also offers the features mentioned above, where time-tracking, load performance testing, browser performance testing, iterations, and sprint planning are possible with the app. In addition, multiple issue assignees are available for public repositories on a free plan.

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Pricing

GitLab is available in three plans:

• Free: users can avail of private repositories and collaborators with no limits and 10GB of storage. 
• Premium: Start at $19 per month, where users can avail of additional features like continuous deployment pipelines, code review, issue tracking, and continuous integration. 
• Ultimate: It offers advanced features along with the prior ones, including governance, enterprise-grade security, and compliance, for just $99 per month.

When it comes to GitHub, it offers four different ranges of plans: 

• Free: With a free plan, users can get basic features such as unlimited collaborators and public repositories with 500MB storage.
• Team: Users can get additional features involving advanced tools and private repositories at just $4 per month. 
• Enterprise: Specifically designed for big organizations. Users can get advanced features like management, compliance, and security at just $21 per month. 
• GitHub One: Designed for business and offers enterprise-level solutions at just $21 monthly. 

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Open-Source 

GitLab is an open-source platform for community editions. It enables users to create public repositories and free private repositories too. In contrast, GitHub is not an open-source platform but allows users to avail free unlimited public repositories. In addition, it also permits users to avail private repositories but only with a limit of three collaborators.

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Conclusion 

Developers use Git to perform their tasks efficiently. Several features can be easily accessed through Git, including history monitoring, branching, distribution development, creating backups, supporting non-linear development, and much more. A developer must have in-depth knowledge and practical experience to land opportunities at top-notch companies.

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FAQs

1. Who created GitLab and GitHub?

GitLab was created by Ukrainian and Dutch developers Dmytro Zaporozhets and Systse Sijbrandij. In contrast, GitHub was developed by four people: Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, P.J. Hyett, and Scott Chacon.

2. Which platform is more suitable for enterprise use?

When it comes to pricing, GitHub provides cheaper plans for enterprise use. However, both offer similar features like integrations and third-party tools.

3. Do both platforms offer support for private repositories in their free plans?

GitLab offers unlimited private repositories in their free plans. However, with GitHub, users can only access private repositories with a maximum of three collaborators.

4. Which is better: GitLab or GitHub?

GitLab is considered top whenever compared with GitHub.