GitLab is a complete DevOps platform with integrated CI/CD, issue tracking, and security scanning included in most plans, while Bitbucket is primarily a Git repository hosting solution best suited for teams already invested in the Atlassian ecosystem.
Bitbucket vs GitLab — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Atlassian's Git repository platform with native Jira integration and enterprise-focused features.
DevOps-first Git platform with built-in CI/CD, available as SaaS or self-hosted for complete control.
Built-in CI/CD Pipeline. Free Tier Private Repositories. Pricing for Small Teams (5 users/month). Atlassian Ecosystem Integration. Security Features (SAST, Dependency Scanning). On-Premise Deployment Support. Community and Documentation
Choose Bitbucket if your team uses Jira, Confluence, and other Atlassian products extensively, as it provides seamless native integration and simplified project management workflows. Choose GitLab if you need a self-contained DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD, security scanning, and cost-effectiveness, especially for teams of any size or those preferring on-premise or open-source solutions.
Bitbucket: ~2,000 integrations | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Jira integration (external) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Basic PR approvals | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Unlimited (public & private) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Yes (Bitbucket Pipelines) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Competitor (not partner) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: ~15 million | GitLab: Unlimited on all plans
Bitbucket: Yes (Pipelines) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Native & seamless | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: 2 (Git, Mercurial) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: ~200 integrations | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Git repository hosting, code review, CI/CD | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Bitbucket Pipelines included | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Cloud-only (deprecated Server 2024) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Limited (pull request workflow focus) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Deep two-way integration | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Limited (5 users max) | GitLab: Unlimited
Bitbucket: Add-on required (Bitbucket Pipelines) | GitLab: Native GitLab CI/CD
Bitbucket: No (external only) | GitLab: Yes (free Docker registry)
Bitbucket: $168/year ($14/month) | GitLab: $228/year ($19/month)
Bitbucket: Native (Atlassian vendor) | GitLab: Third-party plugin required
Bitbucket: Yes (Server Edition paid license) | GitLab: Yes (free Community Edition)
Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
Bitbucket: 50 build minutes/month (Bitbucket Pipelines) | GitLab: 400 minutes/month
Bitbucket: Requires separate Jira subscription | GitLab: Built-in full-featured system
Bitbucket: Unlimited | GitLab: 10 GB (projects)
Bitbucket: 50 minutes (Bitbucket Pipelines free tier) | GitLab: 400 minutes
Bitbucket: $9 | GitLab: $29 (Premium plan)
Bitbucket: Requires Premium plan | GitLab: Included in Free tier (SAST, DAST, Dependency, Container)
Bitbucket: Not publicly limited | GitLab: 600 (authenticated)
Bitbucket: Bitbucket Data Center (Enterprise only) | GitLab: Community, Premium, and Ultimate editions
Bitbucket: 50 (Bitbucket Pipelines) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Built-in, zero setup required | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Yes, at Standard plan ($10/user) | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: ~2M public repos | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: Unlimited repos | GitLab: N/A
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes with shared runners
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Community and Enterprise editions available
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Built-in for all tiers
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Approximately 30 million users
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Yes, with 5GB storage limit
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: $10.50 for Premium
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 5 GB per project
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Included in Ultimate ($99/month per user)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Issues, Epics, Roadmaps, advanced Boards, Milestones
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Requires separate account/platform
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 10 concurrent pipelines
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Yes (SAST, DAST, container, dependency)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Native Git (no external required)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Yes (issues, boards, wiki, milestones)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Yes (GitLab CI/CD)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 3 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Native (included)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 5 (SAST, DAST, dependency, secret, container)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Forgejo, GitLab Community Edition
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: $8.25 (Premium at $99/year)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes (shared)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Yes, included in all tiers
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 10,000+ (with performance degradation)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Open-source Community Edition available
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Via third-party plugins/SAML
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Basic; limited test case tracking
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 400+ via marketplace
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Yes - includes 50,000 CI/CD minutes
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: 400 minutes/month
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: $99 (Premium Edition)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: GitLab CI/CD (native pipeline engine)
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: Merge Requests with code owner enforcement
Bitbucket: N/A | GitLab: DORA metrics, advanced audit, compliance reporting (Premium+)
How to choose between Bitbucket and GitLab
Bitbucket vs GitLab — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Bitbucket vs GitLab. Contains 104 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Bitbucket vs GitLab — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Bitbucket vs GitLab.
Bitbucket offers Bitbucket Pipelines as a paid add-on starting at $10/month for 50 build minutes. This is separate from repository hosting. In contrast, GitLab includes CI/CD in all tiers, with 400 free minutes per month on the Free plan, making it significantly more cost-effective for teams needing continuous integration out-of-the-box.
Which platform is better for open-source projects?
GitLab is generally better for open-source projects due to its unlimited Free tier with no user restrictions, comprehensive built-in security scanning, and robust community (150K+ members). Bitbucket's Free tier is limited to 5 team members, making it less suitable for large collaborative open-source efforts. GitLab's open-source license also allows community contributions.
What if I'm already using Jira and Confluence?
Bitbucket is significantly better if your team heavily uses Jira and Confluence. Bitbucket provides native integration with these tools—linking pull requests directly to Jira issues, syncing workflows, and providing unified project views. GitLab offers integrations but they are not as seamless, requiring more manual configuration and middleware solutions.
GitLab offers full self-hosting across Community (free), Premium, and Ultimate editions with extensive documentation and community support. Bitbucket only provides self-hosting through Bitbucket Data Center, which is an Enterprise-tier solution with significant licensing costs. GitLab is the clear winner for teams requiring self-hosted or on-premise solutions.
Which platform has better security features?
GitLab includes SAST (Static Application Security Testing), dependency scanning, container scanning, and secret detection in its Free tier. Bitbucket requires either a paid Bitbucket Cloud Premium plan or integration with separate security tools, making it more expensive for comprehensive security coverage. For DevSecOps practices, GitLab is more cost-effective and feature-rich.
How to Choose Between Bitbucket and GitLab
Built-in CI/CD Pipeline: Bitbucket has Requires Bitbucket Pipelines add-on, while GitLab has Included in all GitLab plans.
Consider: Free Tier Private Repositories
Free Tier Private Repositories: Bitbucket has Unlimited private repos with up to 5 users, while GitLab has Unlimited private repos with unlimited users.
Consider: Pricing for Small Teams (5 users/month)
Pricing for Small Teams (5 users/month): Bitbucket has $9 per user/month (Pro plan), while GitLab has $0 (Free tier covers this).
Consider: Atlassian Ecosystem Integration
Atlassian Ecosystem Integration: Bitbucket has Native integration with Jira, Confluence, and Bamboo, while GitLab has Basic integrations available.
Consider: Security Features (SAST, Dependency Scanning)
Security Features (SAST, Dependency Scanning): Bitbucket has Requires paid Bitbucket Cloud Premium or Jira Premium, while GitLab has Included in Free and Premium tiers.
On-Premise Deployment Support: Bitbucket has Limited (Bitbucket Data Center Enterprise only), while GitLab has Full support with Community, Premium, and Ultimate editions.
Community and Documentation: Bitbucket has 20K+ community members, Atlassian support, while GitLab has 150K+ community members, extensive self-hosted guides.