Gitea vs GitLab: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between Gitea and GitLab? 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 GitLab 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, GitLab rates slightly higher (4.4 vs 4.1 out of 5).
Gitea vs GitLab — Side by Side
| Gitea | GitLab | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Version Control & Code Review | Version Control & Code Review |
| Pricing | Free | Free · paid from $29/mo |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Free tier | ||
| Rating | 4.1 | 4.4 |
| Best for | Version Control & Code Review — git, self-hosted | Version Control & Code Review — git, ci-cd |
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
- Repos, CI, security and releases in one tool
- Self-managed edition is free
- Strong compliance and audit features
- Good fit where code cannot leave your network
- Premium is seven times GitHub Team
- Self-managing it is a real ops job
- Smaller contributor network than GitHub
Key Features Compared
Gitea
- Unlimited users and repos
- Pull requests and issues
- Actions-compatible CI
- Package registry
GitLab
- Merge request approvals
- Code quality scanning
- 10,000 CI/CD minutes
- Multi-project pipelines
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 GitLab if…
- You want a free tier to validate before paying.
- Repos, CI, security and releases in one tool
- Self-managed edition is free
- Strong compliance and audit features
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gitea better than GitLab?⌄
Both Gitea and GitLab 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, GitLab rates slightly higher (4.4 vs 4.1 out of 5).
What is the difference between Gitea and GitLab?⌄
Gitea — A lightweight self-hosted Git service that runs from a single binary — the whole forge on hardware you control. GitLab — One application for repos, CI/CD, security scanning and releases — and the only major host you can also run yourself. Both are version control & code review tools; the comparison table above breaks down pricing, free tiers, and what each is best for.
Gitea vs GitLab: which is cheaper?⌄
Gitea pricing: Free. GitLab pricing: Free · paid from $29/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
Which is rated higher, Gitea or GitLab?⌄
In our catalog, Gitea rates 4.1 out of 5 and GitLab rates 4.4 out of 5, so GitLab 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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