Best Github Alternatives for 2026: Top 5 Tools Compared

GitHub's Enterprise pricing starts at $21/user/month, and Microsoft's acquisition has made vendor lock-in a real concern for teams that want control over their code hosting infrastructure.

These five alternatives take different paths: integrated DevOps lifecycle, affordable all-in-one platforms, Atlassian ecosystem integration, lightweight self-hosting, and Microsoft-native enterprise tooling.

Here's how they compare and when each makes sense.

Top Alternatives to GitHub

Alternative #1—GitLab

GitLab stands as the most comprehensive GitHub alternative, offering an integrated DevOps platform that handles the complete software development lifecycle from planning through monitoring. Unlike GitHub, which also provides native project management and CI/CD features through GitHub Projects and GitHub Actions, GitLab bundles these capabilities into a single, integrated DevSecOps platform. Teams can manage issues, merge requests, CI/CD pipelines, container registries, and security scanning without switching between platforms. This all-in-one approach particularly appeals to enterprises seeking to eliminate tool sprawl and reduce coordination overhead between development and operations teams.

What Does GitLab Do

GitLab provides Git repository hosting with advanced project management, built-in CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, and container registries. Its core strength lies in offering the entire DevOps toolchain in one platform, from agile planning with epics and roadmaps to automated deployment pipelines and infrastructure monitoring.

GitLab Differentiators

• Complete DevOps lifecycle management without external tool integrations
• Superior self-hosting capabilities with identical cloud and on-premise feature sets
• Built-in security scanning (SAST/DAST) and compliance features for regulated industries
• Open-source foundation ensuring transparency and community contribution
• Advanced project management with Kanban boards, epics, and value stream analytics

GitLab Pros

• Eliminates tool sprawl by providing integrated planning, coding, testing, and deployment
• Strong enterprise features including SAML SSO, audit logs, and compliance reporting
• Predictable pricing with included CI/CD minutes per tier; additional CI/CD usage is billed per 1,000 minutes, similar in concept to GitHub Actions' per‑minute charges
• Excellent for teams migrating from GitHub seeking more integrated workflows
• Robust self-managed deployment options for data sovereignty requirements

GitLab Pricing

• Free: Unlimited public/private repos, 400 CI/CD minutes monthly, 5GB storage
• Premium: $29/user/month (billed annually) with 10,000 CI/CD minutes and advanced security
• Ultimate: Custom pricing with 50,000 CI/CD minutes, compliance, and advanced security scanning
• Self-managed: Free Community Edition; paid licenses for Premium and Ultimate features

How GitLab Works with Siit

GitLab handles your code and pipelines. Siit handles the access requests and approvals around them. When a developer needs repo access, a security policy exception, or a new CI/CD runner, the request comes in through Slack, Siit routes it to the right approver, and access gets provisioned through Okta or Google Workspace once approved. The developer gets an update in the same Slack thread instead of chasing IT across channels.

Alternative #2—GForge

GForge positions itself as an affordable all-in-one DevOps platform specifically designed to replace GitHub's fragmented ecosystem with predictable pricing and comprehensive project management capabilities. Built on Gitea's foundation, GForge adds enterprise-grade project management, unlimited CI/CD, team collaboration features, and customer-facing service desk functionality—all for a flat $6/user/month regardless of feature usage. This makes it particularly attractive for teams frustrated with GitHub Enterprise's $21/user pricing cliff or the complexity of coordinating multiple tools for complete development workflows.

What Does GForge Do

GForge provides Git repository hosting, pull requests, and issue tracking alongside comprehensive Agile/Scrum/Kanban project management, unlimited CI/CD pipelines, team chat, wikis, and service desk capabilities. It supports both Git and Subversion for legacy migrations, with Docker/Podman deployment for easy self-hosting in air-gapped environments.

GForge Differentiators

• Predictable flat-rate pricing without tier jumps or feature gates
• True air-gapped deployment capability for classified and regulated projects
• Built-in project management eliminating need for separate Jira subscriptions
• Unlimited CI/CD included without per-minute charges or quotas
• Subversion support for organizations with legacy version control requirements

GForge Pros

• Significantly lower cost than GitHub Enterprise while including more features
• Simple Docker deployment process for rapid self-hosting setup
• Comprehensive feature set eliminates "duct-taping" multiple tools together
• Security-approved for defense and government use cases
• No vendor lock-in concerns with Microsoft ecosystem dependencies

GForge Pricing

• Free: First 5 users on SaaS and on-premise with full features
• Self-hosted: Same $6/user/month pricing via Docker deployment
• SaaS: Starting at $6/user/month; most teams $10–15/user, depending on size and support
• On-premise: Free edition for up to 5 users; Enterprise licensing for larger teams (contact sales)
• No additional charges for CI/CD minutes, storage, or advanced features

How GForge Works with Siit

GForge's unified platform approach aligns well with Siit's cross-departmental workflow orchestration. While GForge handles development project management and code workflows, Siit extends service desk capabilities into Slack and Teams for IT, HR, and operations requests. Together, they create a comprehensive internal operations platform where development tickets flow through GForge while employee support requests are automated through Siit's AI agents, all with consistent tracking and reporting across both platforms.

Alternative #3—Bitbucket

Bitbucket serves as Atlassian's Git repository solution, excelling in environments where teams already rely on Jira for project management and Confluence for documentation. Its primary strength lies in native integration with the Atlassian ecosystem, allowing seamless workflow transitions from code commits to project tickets to team knowledge bases. Unlike GitHub's basic project management capabilities, Bitbucket connects directly with sophisticated Jira workflows, making it ideal for teams that need robust issue tracking and project management alongside their code repositories.

What Does Bitbucket Do

Bitbucket provides Git repository hosting with pull requests, branch permissions, and integrated Pipelines for CI/CD. Its standout feature is deep Atlassian integration, allowing code changes to automatically update Jira issues and deployment status to flow into project management dashboards seamlessly.

Bitbucket Differentiators

• Native Jira integration for seamless code-to-project traceability
• Support for both Git and Mercurial version control systems
• Built-in Pipelines CI/CD without separate service setup
• Comprehensive Atlassian ecosystem connectivity (Confluence, Slack, etc.)
• Code-aware search and deployment tracking capabilities

Bitbucket Pros

• Lowest per-user cost among major alternatives at $3/user for Standard plan
• Unlimited private repositories included in all paid tiers
• Strong enterprise features like IP allowlisting and advanced merge checks
• Excellent for teams already invested in Atlassian tool ecosystem
• Reliable Pipelines CI/CD with reasonable usage quotas

Bitbucket Pricing

• Free: Up to 5 users, unlimited private repos, 50 build minutes monthly
• Standard: $3.30/user/month ($16.50/month minimum for 1–5 users) with 2,500 build minutes
• Premium: $6/user/month with advanced access controls and merge checks
• Data Center: Tiered annual pricing for self-hosted deployment (e.g., USD 2,300 for 1–25 users)

How Bitbucket Works with Siit

Teams running Bitbucket alongside Jira and Confluence already have a tight dev workflow. Siit adds the operational layer around it: when a developer needs access to a new repo, a Jira project, or an Atlassian license, Siit picks up the request in Slack, routes approval to IT or the team lead, and provisions access through your identity provider. No more side-pinging IT in a Slack thread and hoping someone sees it.

Alternative #4—Gitea

Gitea represents the lightweight, self-hosted approach to Git repository management, offering a GitHub-like experience without cloud dependencies or vendor lock-in. As a fully open-source solution written in Go, Gitea can run on minimal hardware—even a Raspberry Pi—making it perfect for teams wanting complete control over their code hosting infrastructure. Its simplicity and resource efficiency appeal to developers who prefer straightforward functionality over feature-heavy platforms, while still providing essential collaboration tools like pull requests, issues, and basic project management.

What Does Gitea Do

Gitea provides self-hosted Git repositories with a web interface closely resembling GitHub's user experience. It includes pull requests, issue tracking, wikis, user management, and basic CI/CD through Gitea Actions, all while maintaining a minimal resource footprint and simple deployment process.

Gitea Differentiators

• Completely open-source with no vendor restrictions or licensing concerns
• Minimal resource requirements enabling deployment on low-cost infrastructure
• Simple Docker-based installation process taking minutes to deploy
• No data sovereignty concerns since everything runs on your infrastructure
• Active community development with regular updates and security patches

Gitea Pros

• Zero ongoing licensing costs for unlimited users and repositories
• Complete control over data, backups, and security configurations
• Lightweight enough for small teams while scalable for larger organizations
• GitHub-familiar interface reducing learning curve for team adoption
• Strong community support and extensive documentation

Gitea Pricing

• Free: Complete open-source solution with all features included
• Enterprise: $9.50/user/month (annual commitment) with SAML SSO, audit logs, priority support, and Kubernetes autoscaling runners
• Self-hosting costs: Only infrastructure expenses (VPS, domain, maintenance)
• No per-user, per-repository, or feature-based charges
• Optional paid commercial support is available directly from Gitea for Enterprise and cloud plans.

How Gitea Works with Siit

Self-hosted Gitea means your IT team owns the infrastructure, which means more IT requests: new user accounts, repo creation, server access, backup configuration. Siit automates that coordination. Requests come in through Slack, get routed to the right admin, and the requester gets status updates without filing a ticket in a separate system. For small teams running Gitea without a dedicated IT staff, that's one less thing to manage manually.

Alternative #5—Azure DevOps

Azure DevOps provides Microsoft's comprehensive application lifecycle management platform, offering Git repositories alongside advanced project management, build pipelines, test management, and artifact repositories. While technically a Microsoft product like GitHub (post-acquisition), Azure DevOps takes a different approach with stronger enterprise project management capabilities and deeper integration with Microsoft's broader ecosystem, including Active Directory, Office 365, and Azure cloud services. It particularly excels in organizations already committed to Microsoft technologies and needing sophisticated project tracking beyond GitHub's capabilities.

What Does Azure DevOps Do

Azure DevOps combines Git repositories (Azure Repos) with work item tracking (Azure Boards), CI/CD pipelines (Azure Pipelines), test management (Azure Test Plans), and artifact storage (Azure Artifacts). It provides enterprise-grade project management with customizable work item types, advanced reporting, and integration across Microsoft's business application suite.

Azure DevOps Differentiators

• Advanced work item tracking with customizable types and workflows
• Truly free self-hosted CI/CD without platform fees (unlike GitHub's upcoming charges)
• Deep Microsoft ecosystem integration including Active Directory and Office 365
• Sophisticated project reporting and analytics capabilities
• Enterprise-scale permissions and security management

Azure DevOps Pros

• More generous free tier for small teams (up to 5 users with full features)
• Superior project management capabilities compared to GitHub Projects
• Strong enterprise security and compliance features built-in
• Flexible deployment options (cloud, on-premises, or hybrid)
• No additional platform fees for self-hosted build agents

Azure DevOps Pricing

• Free: Up to 5 users with unlimited private repos, 1,800 build minutes monthly
• Basic: $6/user/month beyond the first 5 users
• Self-hosted: Free build agents with no platform charges
• Enterprise: Volume licensing available for large organizations

How Azure DevOps Works with Siit

Azure DevOps fits teams already deep in the Microsoft ecosystem, and Siit connects the operational side of that stack. When a developer needs access to an Azure DevOps project, a pipeline permission change, or a new license, Siit routes the request through Slack or Teams, pulls employee context from your HRIS, and coordinates approval with IT. For organizations on Microsoft 365, Siit can automate provisioning as part of the same workflow.

How Siit Supports All These Tools

Your Git platform handles code. Siit handles the operational requests that surround it: developer onboarding, repo access approvals, software license provisioning, and hardware coordination.

Siit doesn't plug into these Git platforms directly. It connects to the systems around them, like Okta, Google Workspace, JumpCloud, Jira, Jamf, and your HRIS, and automates the cross-departmental workflows that slow down developer productivity. Requests come in through Slack or Teams, approvals route to the right people, and access gets provisioned without manual handoffs.

Book a demo to see how Siit fits into your dev team's workflow.