Comparison
GitLab vs Gitea
Overview
GitLab is an all-in-one DevSecOps platform covering the full software lifecycle in a single application — source control, built-in CI/CD, security scanning, package registry and project planning. It is available as SaaS or fully self-managed.
Gitea is a lightweight, self-hosted Git service written in Go that runs from a single binary. It offers repositories, pull requests, issues, packages and Actions CI with minimal resource usage, plus a managed Gitea Cloud option.
Which should you choose?
GitLab is a comprehensive DevSecOps platform with built-in CI/CD and security scanning, freemium up to $29/month Premium. Gitea is a free, lightweight, single-binary self-hosted forge with a much smaller resource footprint but far less built-in security/compliance tooling. Choose GitLab for depth of DevSecOps features; choose Gitea if you want the simplest, lowest-overhead self-hosted Git server.
TLDR
- —If depth of built-in DevSecOps features matters most, choose GitLab.
- —If you want the simplest, lowest-overhead self-hosted Git server, choose Gitea.
Features
- —Git repository hosting
- —Built-in CI/CD pipelines
- —Security and compliance scanning (DevSecOps)
- —Issue boards and planning
- —Container and package registry
- —Self-managed or SaaS deployment
- —Single-binary self-hosted forge
- —Pull requests and code review
- —Issues and wikis
- —Gitea Actions CI
- —Package registry
- —Low resource footprint
Pricing
GitLab
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Core source control and CI/CD. |
| Premium | $29/mo | Per user/month. |
| Ultimate | Contact sales | Advanced security and compliance. |
Gitea
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Self-hosted MIT. |
| Gitea Cloud | Contact sales | Managed hosting. |
Company Fit
GitLab
Gitea