GitHub Actions excels in ecosystem integration and free tier generosity with 2,000 free minutes/month, while GitLab CI/CD offers superior built-in DevOps features and lower per-minute costs at $0.0085/minute versus GitHub's $0.25/minute for overages.
GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Free, cloud-native CI/CD platform integrated into GitHub repositories
GitLab's integrated continuous integration and deployment platform with comprehensive DevOps features.
Free Monthly Minutes. Per-Minute Overage Cost (Linux). Native Marketplace Actions. Built-in Container Registry. Maximum Job Timeout. Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier). Native Security Scanning Features
Choose GitHub Actions if you prioritize a large ecosystem of pre-built actions, generous free tier (2,000 minutes), and tight integration with GitHub repositories—ideal for startups and open-source projects. Choose GitLab CI/CD if you need comprehensive built-in DevOps features (container registry, security scanning, artifact management), lower overage costs, and don't mind being locked into the GitLab platform.
GitHub Actions: 3,000 (public repos) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 1 (GitHub only) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 256 concurrent | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 5 minutes | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 20,000+ actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Standard support available | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Supported with basic controls | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 1-2 weeks | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 15 minutes to first workflow | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 10000+ actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2000 minutes (GitHub-hosted runners) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: GitHub only (primary) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Low - Simple YAML syntax | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Cloud-hosted and self-hosted | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Limited by GitHub account quotas | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $231/user/year (GitHub Enterprise) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
GitHub Actions: 2,000 minutes | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 0.5 GB per project | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 11,000+ Actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $200/month (Advanced Security tier) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Enterprise Server tier (paid only, $231+/month) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Issues, basic Boards, limited automation | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Integrated (GitHub-only) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 20 matrix configurations | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 13,000+ actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)
GitHub Actions: $25 (usage-based + GitHub Team) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2,000 (private) / unlimited (public) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 1 week (YAML basics) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 20 (GitHub-hosted runners) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Native (zero additional setup) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: No (GitHub cloud default, Enterprise option) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Push-based (imperative) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Any (Kubernetes, VMs, Serverless, Cloud - 20+ integrations) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 0 minutes (native, no setup) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Not available (manual triggers only) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $0 (2,000 free minutes/month) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
Typical Cost at Scale (100k deployments/month)
GitHub Actions: $4,800+ (800 minutes/month at $0.008/min) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 15,000+ (across all domains) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 5-10 (simple YAML workflow) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 5-15 minutes | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2,000-3,000 | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Not required | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: GitHub (primary), limited others | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 6 years (since 2019) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 18,000+ actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Microsoft, GitHub, 60% of public repos | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Self-hosted runners available | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $0 (free tier available) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2,000 (private repos) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 360 (6 hours) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Native (built-in) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 11,000+ | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 5-10 (YAML config only) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2,000 (unlimited for public repos) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 20 concurrent jobs | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 10,000+ | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $0.008 | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 750,000+ | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
Configuration File Complexity (1-5 scale)
GitHub Actions: 4 (complex YAML, matrix builds) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: GitHub only | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 3,000 minutes | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 10,000+ verified actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 42% of CI/CD users (2024) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 5 minutes (native UI) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 3 (Linux, Windows, macOS) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2,000 | GitLab CI/CD: 400
GitHub Actions: $0.25 | GitLab CI/CD: $0.0085
GitHub Actions: 6 hours | GitLab CI/CD: 1 hour (free)
GitHub Actions: 6,500+ actions | GitLab CI/CD: Built-in features
GitHub Actions: 500MB limit (free tier) | GitLab CI/CD: Unlimited
GitHub Actions: Not built-in; requires actions | GitLab CI/CD: SAST, DAST, dependency, license scanning included
GitHub Actions: Simple (1.5) | GitLab CI/CD: Moderate (2.8)
GitHub Actions: 2,000 (public repos only) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $0.008/minute | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Standard caching (1x baseline) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 400 GB | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 15,000+ actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Not supported | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2-3 minutes (native) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2,000 minutes/month | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $0.008 per minute | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Requires plugins | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 1-2 hours | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Free (2,000 min/month included) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2,000 (public: unlimited) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 20,000+ | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $0.24 | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Via third-party actions (workaround) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 6 years (2019) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
Monthly Cost (5 Private Repos, 100 builds/month)
GitHub Actions: $14.40 (2,000 free min + 1,800 excess min × $0.008) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
Default Concurrent Jobs (Free/Base Tier)
GitHub Actions: 10,000+ public actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 5GB (per repository) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2-3 minutes (GitHub integration native) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: No (fully managed by GitHub) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 20 jobs maximum per repository | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
Monthly Cost for Private Repos (Small Team)
GitHub Actions: $0 (includes 2,000 minutes) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 5,000+ public actions | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 5-10 minutes | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 20+ languages | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 68% adoption | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: Built-in, no external setup | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $0 (GitHub Free) / $4 (GitHub Pro) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 2,000 minutes (GitHub Free) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: $0.008 per minute (Linux/macOS) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 3,000+ verified actions in marketplace | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 20 concurrent (GitHub Pro) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: 1.0x baseline (cloud-hosted runners) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: No (GitHub-hosted only; self-hosted with Enterprise tier) | GitLab CI/CD: N/A
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: 0.5 hours
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: 50-70 official integrations
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: $17,400 (Premium plan)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: SaaS + self-managed (GitLab Cloud, on-prem, Kubernetes)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: 12 hours
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: Yes (native Git hosting)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: Yes (integrated)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: 31,000+ stars
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: 15-30 minutes (preconfigured, YAML config)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: 400 minutes (GitLab.com)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: 2GB (self-hosted), managed cloud option
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: GitLab (native), GitHub/Bitbucket via integrations (limited)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: YAML-based .gitlab-ci.yml (declarative only)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: Built-in Auto DevOps + Kubernetes integration (native)
Community Size (Stack Overflow Questions)
GitHub Actions: N/A | GitLab CI/CD: 8,000+ Stack Overflow questions
How to choose between GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD
GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD. Contains 136 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD.
Which is cheaper for high-volume CI/CD pipelines?
GitLab CI/CD is significantly cheaper at scale. With GitHub's $0.25/minute overage rate, a project using 10,000 minutes/month pays $2,000 in overages. GitLab's $0.0085/minute rate on the same usage costs only $68, making GitLab 29x cheaper for heavy users. GitHub's advantage only applies if usage stays under 2,000 minutes/month.
Can I use GitHub Actions without GitHub repositories?
No. GitHub Actions are exclusively available for GitHub repositories. If your code is hosted on GitLab, Bitbucket, or self-hosted Git, you must use their respective CI/CD systems or integrate with external platforms like Jenkins or CircleCI.
What's the learning curve difference between the two?
GitHub Actions uses YAML workflows similar to most CI/CD tools but integrates naturally if you're already on GitHub. GitLab CI/CD also uses YAML but requires understanding GitLab's broader platform (pipelines, stages, environments, runners). GitHub Actions is generally considered 30-40% easier for beginners, while GitLab offers more power once mastered.
Does GitLab's built-in security scanning replace external tools?
GitLab's SAST, DAST, and dependency scanning cover common use cases, but enterprise teams often layer additional specialized tools (Snyk, Checkmarx, Aqua Security). GitHub Actions users typically must choose and integrate third-party security scanning tools from the start, making GitLab's built-in approach faster to deploy.
Which platform scales better for enterprise teams?
GitLab CI/CD is built for enterprise scale with unlimited runners, comprehensive DevOps features, and lower per-minute costs at high volumes. GitHub Actions excels at small-to-medium team scale but becomes cost-prohibitive above 5,000-10,000 minutes/month. For 50+ person teams with complex deployment pipelines, GitLab offers better value and integrated tooling.
How to Choose Between GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD
Free Monthly Minutes: GitHub Actions has 2,000 minutes, while GitLab CI/CD has 400 minutes.
Consider: Per-Minute Overage Cost (Linux)
Per-Minute Overage Cost (Linux): GitHub Actions has $0.25/minute, while GitLab CI/CD has $0.0085/minute.
Native Marketplace Actions: GitHub Actions has 6,500+ actions, while GitLab CI/CD has Integrated in platform.
Built-in Container Registry: GitHub Actions has Yes, with limits, while GitLab CI/CD has Yes, unlimited.
Maximum Job Timeout: GitHub Actions has 6 hours, while GitLab CI/CD has 1 hour (free tier).
Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier): GitHub Actions has 20 concurrent jobs, while GitLab CI/CD has 1 concurrent job.
Consider: Native Security Scanning Features
Native Security Scanning Features: GitHub Actions has Requires third-party actions, while GitLab CI/CD has Built-in SAST, DAST, dependency scanning.