GitLab refers to GitLab's integrated code review capabilities, primarily centered around Merge Requests (MRs), which facilitate collaborative peer reviews of code changes to enhance quality, security, and maintainability before merging. It brings together conversations, files, tools, and people into a single interface where development work actually gets done. Many IT, operations, and internal support teams use GitLab not just for code review — but for managing workflows, automating quality checks, and keeping development processes organized across the entire software development lifecycle.
What Is GitLab?
GitLab is a comprehensive code review and collaboration platform designed to centralize all aspects of the development workflow. Users create Merge Requests (MRs) for code changes, enabling team members to communicate via inline comments, threaded discussions, automated pipeline results, and approval workflows. Originally built to replace fragmented review processes, GitLab now supports AI-powered assistance, security scanning, and real-time decision-making directly within the review interface. Its user base ranges from solo developers to global enterprises, with strong adoption among IT, DevOps, and internal support teams that need to move fast while maintaining high quality standards and security compliance.
What is GitLab used for?
Common use cases for GitLab include:
- Cross-Departmental Code Quality Assurance - MRs consolidate code changes, automated tests, security scans, and approval workflows in one location, enabling technical and non-technical stakeholders to collaborate effectively
- DevSecOps Integration - Native security scanning (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning) embedded directly in reviews ensures vulnerabilities are caught and addressed before code reaches production
- Automated Workflow Orchestration - AI-powered agents and CI/CD pipelines automatically handle routine checks, routing, and notifications, reducing manual coordination overhead
- Compliance and Audit Trails - Built-in approval rules, policy enforcement, and comprehensive audit logging support regulated industries and enterprise governance requirements
- Review Apps and Live Testing - Temporary environments automatically deployed for each MR allow reviewers to test changes interactively without local setup, bridging design-to-development gaps
- Knowledge Management and Learning - Threaded discussions, AI-generated summaries, and searchable review history create an accessible knowledge base that accelerates team onboarding and decision-making
Key Features of GitLab
The platform's core functionality includes:
Merge Requests as Central Hub serve as the single source of truth for all code changes, discussions, approvals, and automated checks, eliminating context switching between tools.
AI-Powered Review Assistance via GitLab Duo provides automated summaries, suggested reviewers, code explanations, and vulnerability analysis, reducing review time while improving quality.
Integrated CI/CD Pipelines automatically trigger tests, security scans, and quality checks on every MR, with results displayed inline to inform review decisions and block unsafe merges.
Advanced Approval Workflows support customizable rules requiring specific reviewers, multiple approvals, and policy compliance, with automated routing based on code ownership and expertise.
Security and Compliance Scanning embeds SAST, DAST, container scanning, and dependency analysis directly into the review process, ensuring security issues are addressed before merge.
Review Apps and Preview Environments automatically deploy temporary, live environments for each MR, enabling interactive testing and validation of changes in production-like conditions.
Cross-System Integration connects with identity management (Okta), device management (Jamf), HR systems (BambooHR), and project management tools, unifying development workflows with broader business operations.
GitLab Pros & Cons
GitLab excels at providing an all-in-one development platform that unifies review processes with the complete software development lifecycle.
GitLab Pros
- Unified platform eliminates context switching between separate tools for code hosting, review, CI/CD, and security scanning
- Native AI assistance reduces review time through automated summaries, suggested reviewers, and vulnerability explanations
- Deep security integration catches issues early with embedded SAST, DAST, and dependency scanning in the review workflow
- Enterprise-grade compliance features support regulated industries with audit trails, approval policies, and governance controls
- Review apps enable live testing of changes without local environment setup
- Scales from individual developers to Fortune 100 enterprises with flexible pricing tiers
GitLab Cons
- Steeper learning curve compared to simpler alternatives due to comprehensive feature set and enterprise capabilities
- Advanced features require Premium or Ultimate tiers, potentially costly for smaller teams
- UI complexity can overwhelm users who frequently switch between different tools and platforms
- Performance issues reported in some environments, particularly with large repositories or high concurrent usage
GitLab Pricing
GitLab capabilities are included across GitLab's tiered pricing structure rather than sold as a standalone product.
Additional costs may include GitLab Duo AI features ($19/user/month add-on), extra CI/CD minutes ($10 per 1,000 minutes), and additional storage ($5/month per 10 GiB).
When GitLab Isn't Enough: Meet Siit
While GitLab excels at code review and development workflows, modern organizations need more than just development tools — they need comprehensive service management that bridges the gap between technical teams and business operations. That's where Siit comes in.
Siit is a smart service management platform that automates cross-departmental workflows and internal operations. For organizations using GitLab, Siit provides the complementary layer that handles what GitLab wasn't designed to do:
- Cross-Departmental Request Management - Engineers and internal teams can manage support tickets, IT requests, and operational workflows through a unified platform that coordinates approvals across IT, HR, and Finance teams.
- AI-Powered Service Automation - Siit's AI agents handle cross-departmental coordination that traditionally requires manual handoffs, automatically routing requests and updating systems across departments.
- Unified Internal Operations - While GitLab manages your development lifecycle, Siit manages everything else — from employee onboarding to access requests, equipment provisioning, and compliance workflows.
- Automated Compliance and Audit Trails - Siit provides comprehensive audit visibility across all internal operations, ensuring changes meet business compliance standards with complete tracking.
- Seamless Business Process Orchestration - Siit coordinates the broader business impact of operational changes — updating HR systems, managing device access, coordinating with Finance for license management — all through intelligent automation.
Try It With Siit
GitLab's powerful development workflows combined with Siit's business process orchestration eliminate the manual coordination overhead between development and operations teams. Experience seamless automation from code review to cross-departmental execution.
GitLab Alternatives
For teams evaluating options beyond GitLab's integrated approach, several alternatives offer different strengths. All tools listed below can integrate with Siit, preventing data silos during transitions.
- GitHub provides pull request reviews with strong community integration and AI-powered development tools, ideal for open-source projects and Microsoft ecosystem users
- Bitbucket integrates seamlessly with Atlassian tools like Jira, offering streamlined reviews optimized for incremental changes and small development teams
- Azure DevOps delivers enterprise-scale pull request workflows with deep Microsoft Azure integration, suited for cloud-native organizations with existing Azure infrastructure
- Gerrit specializes in change-based reviews with strict quality controls, perfect for high-volume development teams prioritizing code quality over UI polish
- Review Board offers advanced code review capabilities with multi-line comments and attachment support, integrating with GitLab repositories via command-line tools
