Gitea vs GitHub: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Gitea and GitHub? Both are popular version control & code review tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
Quick verdict
Both Gitea and GitHub are strong version control & code review choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences. In our catalog, GitHub rates slightly higher (4.8 vs 4.1 out of 5).
Gitea vs GitHub — Side by Side
| Gitea | GitHub | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Version Control & Code Review | Version Control & Code Review |
| Pricing | Free | Free · paid from $4/mo |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.1 | 4.8 |
| Best for | Version Control & Code Review — git, self-hosted | Version Control & Code Review — git, code-review |
Pros & Cons
- No licence cost at any team size
- Runs on tiny hardware
- Familiar pull-request workflow
- Your code never leaves your network
- You own uptime, backups and upgrades
- No contributor network
- Ecosystem and integrations are thin
- The network effect — everyone is already here
- Actions covers CI without another vendor
- Best-in-class ecosystem and integrations
- Cheap Team tier
- Actions minutes and storage bill separately
- Enterprise pricing is a big jump
- Issues stay basic next to a real tracker
Key Features Compared
Gitea
- Unlimited users and repos
- Pull requests and issues
- Actions-compatible CI
- Package registry
GitHub
- Protected branches and rulesets
- Required reviewers and code owners
- Draft pull requests
- 3,000 Actions minutes / month
Choose Gitea if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- No licence cost at any team size
- Runs on tiny hardware
- Familiar pull-request workflow
Choose GitHub if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- The network effect — everyone is already here
- Actions covers CI without another vendor
- Best-in-class ecosystem and integrations
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gitea better than GitHub?⌄
Both Gitea and GitHub are strong version control & code review choices. The right pick comes down to your specific feature needs, existing stack, and team preferences. In our catalog, GitHub rates slightly higher (4.8 vs 4.1 out of 5).
What is the difference between Gitea and GitHub?⌄
Gitea — A lightweight self-hosted Git service that runs from a single binary — the whole forge on hardware you control. GitHub — Where the code, the pull requests and most of the people who might contribute to them already are. Both are version control & code review tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Gitea vs GitHub: which is cheaper?⌄
Gitea pricing: Free. GitHub pricing: Free · paid from $4/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Gitea or GitHub?⌄
In our catalog, Gitea rates 4.1 out of 5 and GitHub rates 4.8 out of 5, so GitHub has a slight edge on reviews.
See more options in our guide to the best version control & code review tools for startups.
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