It plays a significant role in version control, offering additional collaborative tools that enhance teamwork. Founded in 2008, GitHub has grown to be the most popular place for developers to share and contribute to coding projects globally. GitHub now offers free private repositories with limited collaboration features, while GitLab has always focused more on internal teams and enterprise use cases. GitLab offers enhanced built-in permission control, self-hosting options, and DevOps lifecycle management. If your team values security, custom permissions, or on-premise deployments, it makes sense to adopt GitLab.
Interfaces
- GitHub is a cloud service that allows you to store your Git repository remotely.
- Cloud-based applications have become a cornerstone of technological advancement.
- Git is the foundational version control system that underpins the software development process for countless projects worldwide.
- If avoiding vendor lock-in is part of your development strategy, GitLab provides you with additional tools to maintain control over your data.
With GitHub you would need to use an external platform, like AWS or Heroku and trigger your deploys there. As seen above the graphical interface is a big help when looking at differences (“diffs”) between branches and has additional features such as commenting (and emojis). GitLab is generally considered better for CI/CD because it has built-in tools for these processes.
Need a qualified team of developers?
Those who are unfamiliar with this version control software, on the other hand, must first install it and contribute some code before proceeding. GitHub isn’t the only git repository to consider if you want to work together on a development project. This can be an excellent opportunity for newer developers to obtain experience, especially those looking to build their credentials. You can maintain a record of the projects to which you have contributed by adding them to your profile on GitHub. For example, it makes it easier to troubleshoot faults and other issues that may arise during development. You can also include notes on modifications in each version to keep any team members informed about what has been completed and what remains to be done.
- In GitLab's workflow, you create multiple yet separate stable branches beyond that of the master branch for each set of changes you make.
- GitHub’s interface is clean and simple, making it easy for new users to navigate.
- GitHub tends to be more affordable, with its premium plans starting at a lower price compared to GitLab’s premium offerings.
- A developer can then create their own branch, for example if I was working on a new upload user profile image feature I might call this branch upload_user_avatar.
- As a developer or team lead, you’re responsible for simplifying the SDLC, making it more efficient, and making it available to everyone involved.
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. Whether you're a solo developer or part of a large team, Git is a must-have tool in your development arsenal. GitHub shines when working on open-source projects, thanks to its large developer community.
Scaling Engineering: How to Build and Scale a Remote Engineering Team
GitHub, GitLab and their alternatives are cloud services that provide remote hosting of Git repositories, as well as features such as task management, wikis, CI and more. Security is a top priority for both platforms, but they approach it differently. GitLab offers built-in security features such as time tracking and branch protection.
Lost in Internal Tooling? Backstage Is Your Map.
It’s vital to note that you must difference between git and github and gitlab use git to use GitHub, so brush up on your git skills before attempting to merge the two. We’ve also included some simple instructions below to help you get started. Open-source platforms, such as git and WordPress, are free to use, modify, and distribute. Fortunately, you can utilize GitHub and Git to streamline your development process once you have a firm grasp of their concepts. It also works better than its predecessors, such as Apache Subversion, Concurrent Versions System (CVS), Perforce, and Rational ClearCase.
You will then have enough of your project established to begin working on GitHub. Git saves each saved version as a snapshot instead of a list of changes made to specific files, in contrast to the majority of conventional Version Control Systems (VCSs). You can refer to past snapshots whenever necessary, and fresh snapshots are created when your project changes.
Considerations for Teams and Projects
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. If you’ve done any study or experimentation with software development, you may have come across the term’s Git or GitHub. These tools can be quite beneficial for developers, but understanding what they do and the distinctions between them can be difficult.
CI/CD Integration (GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD)
GitHub requires third-party integrations to achieve the same functionality. Choosing between GitHub and GitLab often comes down to your specific needs. If you want a simple, fast platform with a strong community, GitHub is ideal. If you need a comprehensive, integrated solution, GitLab is the way to go. GitHub’s active community and extensive features make it a powerful tool for developers of all levels.
Both GitHub and GitLab are built upon Git’s core features and offer additional tools such as issue tracking, continuous integration, and deployment. The choice between GitHub and GitLab depends on specific requirements and preferences, as each platform has its strengths. As the software development landscape continues to evolve, GitHub and GitLab will likely introduce more features to meet the changing needs of developers and development teams.
Understanding the Differences Between Git, GitHub, and GitLab
That being said, GitLab is a better option for companies or dedicated developers seeking transparency and a more custom, Git hosting environment. 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. 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.
Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. Pair it with GitHub or GitLab if you require cloud backups or want to share your work with others. Michael Kofler studied telematics at Graz University of Technology and is one of the most successful German-language IT specialist authors.