GitHub excels as a distributed version control and collaboration platform with superior community features and marketplace integrations, while Azure DevOps offers a more integrated, enterprise-focused suite combining repositories, pipelines, testing, and project management in a single platform.
GitHub vs Azure DevOps — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Cloud-based Git repository hosting with collaboration tools and CI/CD automation via Actions.
Microsoft's integrated platform offering version control, CI/CD pipelines, testing, and project management in one suite.
Pricing Model. GitHub Actions / Pipelines Minutes (Free Tier). Marketplace Integrations. Built-in Project Management. Code Repository Features. Enterprise Security Certifications. Developer Community & Adoption
Choose GitHub if you prioritize community collaboration, open-source contributions, extensive CI/CD automation, and the largest ecosystem of third-party integrations. Choose Azure DevOps if you need a fully integrated ALM platform with advanced project management, require TFVC support, or operate in highly regulated industries requiring comprehensive compliance certifications.
GitHub: 2000 minutes with Actions | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Enterprise edition only ($231/user/year minimum) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Unlimited LFS (with 1GB free tier) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Advanced with CodeQL (free on public repos) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Over 100 million developers | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Yes, with unlimited repositories | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: $21 for Teams | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: ~200 million | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Yes (Actions) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Third-party plugin | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: 2,000 minutes (GitHub Actions) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: $4/user/month (GitHub Team) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: GitHub Functions (beta/limited) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Via GitHub Pages or custom workflow | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Version control & code collaboration | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Unlimited repos, 100 GB/repo max | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Basic insights for Actions only | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: 100+ million | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: 2,000 (GitHub Actions) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: GDPR-compliant (multiple regions) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: User analytics enabled by default | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: GitHub Enterprise (paid, proprietary) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Free (unlimited) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: 2,000 (public) / 500 (private) | Azure DevOps: 1,800
GitHub: $4 per user/month | Azure DevOps: $6 per user/month
GitHub: Unlimited (97M+ total) | Azure DevOps: Not public-facing
GitHub: Configurable required reviewers + CODEOWNERS enforcement | Azure DevOps: Branch policies with reviewer requirements
GitHub: 1 (Git only) | Azure DevOps: 2 (Git + TFVC)
GitHub: N/A (requires external CI/CD) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Unlimited (via Actions) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: No (code storage only) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Community integrations only | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Not applicable | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: 100,000,000+ | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Unlimited (via GitHub Actions) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: $231+ (GitHub Enterprise) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: GitHub Actions (separate workflow service) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Pull Requests with detailed approval workflows | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Audit logs, SSO, IP allowlisting (Enterprise only) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: 100M+ registered | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: GitHub Apps marketplace plugin | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: No, Enterprise tier required ($231/user/year) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: 80M+ public repos | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: 10,000+ GitHub Apps | Azure DevOps: 800+
GitHub: Unlimited repos | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: Unlimited repositories (1GB LFS limit) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: US-based servers, limited EU compliance | Azure DevOps: N/A
Built-in Code Scanning & Security Features
GitHub: Advanced (SAST, secret scanning, dependency alerts) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: For-profit (Microsoft subsidiary) | Azure DevOps: N/A
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Azure Boards (native)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Branch policies, approval gates, build validation
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Unlimited (public), 1,800 (private)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: 1 (Git only)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: $12.00 (Premium tier)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: 1,800 minutes (Microsoft-hosted agents)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: No, requires separate Azure Container Registry
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: 50,000+ (enterprise proven)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Deprecated; Server edition EOL in 2024
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Native, deeply integrated
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Dedicated Test Plans with full lifecycle management
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: 600+ via marketplace and native Azure services
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: $6 (or free tier)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Yes (Azure Pipelines native)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Yes (Git and TFVC included)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Standard (basic custom fields, limited automation)
GitHub: N/A | Azure DevOps: Up to 5 (full features)
How to choose between GitHub and Azure DevOps
GitHub vs Azure DevOps — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for GitHub vs Azure DevOps. Contains 86 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
GitHub vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for GitHub vs Azure DevOps.
Which platform has better CI/CD capabilities?
GitHub Actions provides 7,500+ pre-built workflows with 2,000 free monthly minutes, while Azure Pipelines offers 1,800 free minutes. GitHub wins for ecosystem breadth, but Azure Pipelines integrates deeper with Microsoft services (Azure, Office 365). For most teams, GitHub Actions' larger marketplace means faster setup and fewer custom scripts.
Can I migrate from GitHub to Azure DevOps or vice versa?
Yes, migration is possible in both directions. GitHub Importer can migrate repositories from Azure DevOps. For reverse migration, you export Git repositories and import to GitHub. However, project management data (issues, milestones, projects) doesn't migrate automatically—you'll need third-party tools or manual setup. Plan 2-4 weeks for enterprise-scale migrations.
Which is better for open-source projects?
GitHub is significantly better for open-source. It hosts 97M+ public repositories with a thriving open-source community. GitHub offers unlimited free public repositories, superior community features (discussions, sponsorships), and better discoverability. Azure DevOps is enterprise-focused and rarely used for public open-source projects.
What's the cost difference for a 50-person team?
For 50 users with GitHub Pro: $200/month ($4 × 50). Azure DevOps at $6/user: $300/month. GitHub is 33% cheaper at this scale. However, Azure DevOps bundles more features (Boards, Artifacts, Test Plans), so the actual value depends on whether you'd purchase these separately with GitHub (GitHub's GitHub Projects is basic compared to Azure Boards).
Which platform is better for enterprise security compliance?
Azure DevOps has broader compliance certifications: SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, and HIPAA-eligibility. GitHub Enterprise Cloud covers SOC 2 and FedRAMP but not HIPAA. For regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government), Azure DevOps is the safer choice. Both meet general enterprise security standards.
How to Choose Between GitHub and Azure DevOps
Pricing Model: GitHub has Free with GitHub Pro ($4/month) and Enterprise ($231/month per user), while Azure DevOps has Free tier plus pay-per-user ($6/month) or Enterprise (custom pricing).
Consider: GitHub Actions / Pipelines Minutes (Free Tier)
GitHub Actions / Pipelines Minutes (Free Tier): GitHub has 2,000 minutes/month for public repos, 500 for private, while Azure DevOps has 1,800 minutes/month (job agents included).
Marketplace Integrations: GitHub has 7,500+ GitHub Actions available in official marketplace, while Azure DevOps has 2,000+ extensions in Azure DevOps marketplace.
Built-in Project Management: GitHub has GitHub Projects (basic Kanban/table views), while Azure DevOps has Azure Boards with full Agile/Scrum/Kanban frameworks.
Code Repository Features: GitHub has Git only, superior code review (branch protection rules, CODEOWNERS), while Azure DevOps has Git + TFVC (Team Foundation Version Control).
Consider: Enterprise Security Certifications
Enterprise Security Certifications: GitHub has SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP (GitHub Enterprise Cloud), while Azure DevOps has SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, HIPAA-eligible.
Consider: Developer Community & Adoption
Developer Community & Adoption: GitHub has 97M+ repositories, 40M+ active users (2024 data), while Azure DevOps has Primarily enterprise-focused, no public adoption metrics.