Let’s be honest—before you landed on this page, you probably searched something like “GitHub vs. GitLab for teams” or “best platform for developers.” Maybe you even tried one and felt like it just didn’t click for your team. I get it. I’ve worked with dozens of developer teams over the last 9 years, and trust me, choosing the right tool can make or break your workflow.
Now, here’s what I’ve learned: both GitLab and GitHub are solid. But they serve different vibes. And by the end of this post, you’ll know exactly which one will actually make your team more productive, less stressed, and better organized.
Quick stat for you: GitHub has over 100 million users. Impressive, right? But GitLab is the go-to for serious enterprise DevOps pipelines. So let’s not just look at the popularity—let’s talk real-world use.
First, what even are these two?
GitHub is probably the name you’ve heard first. It’s been around since 2008 and is now owned by Microsoft. Great for open-source stuff and easy to get started.
GitLab came a little later (2011) and quickly built a name for having all the DevOps stuff in one place. If you like having everything under one roof—planning, coding, testing, deploying—this one’s worth a closer look.
How Do They Handle Teams?
GitHub:
- Easy to create teams and assign roles
- Permissions like read, write, admin—straightforward
- GitHub Teams is decent but not very flexible
GitLab:
- You can create groups inside groups (great for big teams)
- Custom roles, access control, even audit logs
Winner: GitLab—It’s better when your org chart looks like a maze.
Collaboration: Who Makes It Easier?
GitHub:
- Pull requests are clean, familiar, and great for community projects
- Good review system, with comment threads and suggestions
GitLab:
- Merge requests (same idea as pull requests) but with extras
- Inline suggestions, task lists, milestone tracking
Tie—GitHub shines for open-source, GitLab feels tighter for in-house teamwork
CI/CD: Automating Stuff
GitHub:
- GitHub Actions are powerful but need some YAML wizardry
- You’ll likely need to plug in other CI/CD tools (like Jenkins)
GitLab:
- CI/CD is built right in
- Auto DevOps pipelines, Docker, Kubernetes—all native
Winner: GitLab—You get pipelines out of the box, no tinkering needed
Security: Who Keeps Your Code Safer?
GitHub:
- 2FA, dependency alerts, security advisories
GitLab:
- Static & dynamic code testing, secret detection, container scans
- Better built-in security tools for the money
Winner: GitLab—If security is a big deal for your team, it’s ahead of the curve
Hosting: Where Does It Live?
GitHub:
- Mostly cloud-based
- You can get GitHub Enterprise Server if you need private hosting
GitLab:
- Cloud or self-hosted—your choice
Winner: GitLab—especially if you want control over your infrastructure
Price Talk: What’s the Damage?
TL;DR – Quick Side-by-Side
| Feature | GitHub | GitLab |
| Team Permissions | Simple | Granular |
| Collaboration Tools | Friendly | Feature-rich |
| CI/CD Integration | External | Built-in |
| Security | Decent | Advanced |
| Hosting | Cloud | Cloud & Self-host |
| Pricing | Lower | Higher |
So… which one should you use?
Here’s how I explain it when teams ask me:
- Go with GitHub if you’re doing open source, want to keep costs low, or already love GitHub’s interface.
- Go with GitLab if your team is growing, you need security and automation out of the box, or you want everything under one login.
Simple as that. There’s no wrong answer—just the right fit for your goals.
Final Thought
Picking a tool isn’t about features—it’s about flow. GitHub and GitLab both let your devs write code, review changes, and ship faster. But only one will actually feel natural for your team.
Still can’t decide? Drop your team size and use case in the comments, and we’ll help you figure it out.
And hey—if this helped, check out more dev tool comparisons and tutorials right here on Technical Dudes.