What are the best alternatives to GitHub for code hosting?
Asked by
SillyPenguin42
I'm looking to transition our engineering organization away from GitHub. The main reasons for this shift are high costs, reliability issues, and a desire for more control over our code hosting environment. For teams that have already made this move, I'd love to hear your experiences. What platforms did you consider? Which one did you ultimately choose—GitLab, Gitea, Bitbucket, or something else? Were there any significant challenges or surprises during your migration? I'm seeking practical advice based on real experiences before we make any decisions.
Answers
If you're concerned about the high GitHub costs, especially from actions and runners, consider using self-hosted runners on platforms like Runs-on to save a lot of money and reduce setup time. However, if you’re worried about the monthly fee per user and costing is a primary concern, you might not find anything cheaper that matches GitHub's features and reliability. GitLab tends to be pricier, starting at $29/user/month for self-hosting, which is worth considering based on your needs.
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We've been self-hosting GitLab since 2019 on Kubernetes, and while it took a day to set up and a bit longer to troubleshoot, the benefits have been huge—especially with CI/CD features that outshine GitHub. Upgrading is straightforward, and I've never had to deal with emergencies. It also comes loaded with useful features, so I prefer it over GitHub anytime!
TechNerd321: That sounds promising! Have you run into any significant issues while self-hosting?
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If you're considering self-hosted options, Gitea is a great free alternative to GitHub; I've heard good things about it! However, it requires some maintenance. Just a heads up—it can be challenging if you need robust support or advanced features.
GitSamurai: That’s what I’ve heard too! It’s a decent option if maintaining flexibility is key.
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We switched to Bitbucket earlier this year because it integrates seamlessly with Jira. It works fine for us, although I haven't dived deep into the CI/CD setup yet. But I’ve heard mixed things about Bitbucket's functionalities compared to GitLab and GitHub.
UnconventionalCoder: Seems like there are a lot of mixed opinions on Bitbucket.
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Anyone in DevOps would recommend GitLab—most users rave about how well it manages pipelines, so check it out if you haven't already. However, I'd be curious to hear if anyone had difficulties after switching to GitLab.
CodeNinja: A lot of my peers have proposed GitLab. I just want to know if there are any major downsides.
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CodeGuru88: Yeah, I've also found GitLab can have issues with versioning and libraries in their runners. Getting the right versions of tools can be a hassle compared to setting up your own with GitHub.
RunnerMagic: Honestly, Runs-on is a game changer for reducing costs!