GitLab vs Azure DevOps
type: Article
description: GitLab is a unified DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD and stronger open-source capabilities, while Azure DevOps offers deeper Microsoft ecosystem integration and superior scalability for large enterprises. GitLab has lower base costs, but Azure DevOps provides better for teams already invested in Microsoft technologies.
language: en-US
date published: 2026-06-23T04:42:09.225Z
date created: 2026-06-23T04:42:09.225Z
date modified: 2026-06-23T04:42:09.285Z
content reference time: 2026-06-23T04:42:09.285Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
about: GitLab
about: Azure DevOps
abstract: GitLab is a unified DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD and stronger open-source capabilities, while Azure DevOps offers deeper Microsoft ecosystem integration and superior scalability for large enterprises. GitLab has lower base costs, but Azure DevOps provides better for teams already invested in Microsoft technologies.
text: Pricing Model. Built-in CI/CD. Microsoft Integration. Self-Hosting Support. Container Registry. Test Management Features. Enterprise Scalability
conclusion text: Choose GitLab if you prioritize cost-effectiveness, open-source flexibility, and want all DevOps features unified in one platform without vendor lock-in. Choose Azure DevOps if your team relies on Microsoft technologies, requires enterprise-grade test management, needs deeper Active Directory integration, or operates at massive scale with complex governance requirements.
additional property: Built-in CI/CD Minutes (Free Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 400 minutes with shared runners | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosting Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Community and Enterprise editions available | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Public Repositories
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Unlimited on all plans | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Storage (Free Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 5GB total | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: SAST Security Scanning
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Built-in for all tiers | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Approximately 30 million users | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Free Plan Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Yes, with 5GB storage limit | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Starting Price (Per User/Month)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: $10.50 for Premium | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 400 minutes | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Container Registry Free Storage
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 5 GB per project | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Marketplace Ecosystem Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 900+ Templates | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Included in Ultimate ($99/month per user) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Built-in Project Management Features
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Issues, Epics, Roadmaps, advanced Boards, Milestones | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Native GitHub Integration Required
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Requires separate account/platform | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 10 concurrent pipelines | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Job Startup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 12-15 seconds | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 400 minutes | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Native Security Scanning
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Yes (SAST, DAST, container, dependency) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Source Control Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Native Git (no external required) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosted Annual Cost (Single User)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: $990 | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Setup Time to First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 45-60 minutes | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Built-in Project Management
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Yes (issues, boards, wiki, milestones) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Pre-built Integration Orbs/Templates
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 80+ Templates | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Free Tier Private Repositories
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Unlimited | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Container Registry Included
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Yes (free Docker registry) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Pro Plan Annual Cost (per user)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: $228/year ($19/month) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Jira Integration Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Third-party plugin required | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Self-Hosted Option Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Yes (free Community Edition) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 400 minutes/month | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Issue Tracking & Project Management
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Built-in full-featured system | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Minimum RAM Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 4GB | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Setup Time (Fresh Installation)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 30-45 minutes | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Built-in CI/CD Included
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Yes (GitLab CI/CD) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Database Options Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 3 (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: API Rate Limit (Unauthenticated)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 300 | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Container Registry Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Native (included) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Security Scanning Features
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 5 (SAST, DAST, dependency, secret, container) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Community-Maintained Forks/Mirrors
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Forgejo, GitLab Community Edition | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Monthly Cost (Single User, Premium)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: $8.25 (Premium at $99/year) | Azure DevOps: $12.00 (Premium tier)
  value reference: GitLab
additional property: Free CI/CD Minutes Monthly
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 400 minutes (shared) | Azure DevOps: 1,800 minutes (Microsoft-hosted agents)
  value reference: Azure DevOps
additional property: Built-in Container Registry
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Yes, included in all tiers | Azure DevOps: No, requires separate Azure Container Registry
additional property: Maximum Concurrent Users Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 10,000+ (with performance degradation) | Azure DevOps: 50,000+ (enterprise proven)
  value reference: Azure DevOps
additional property: Self-Hosting Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Open-source Community Edition available | Azure DevOps: Deprecated; Server edition EOL in 2024
additional property: Active Directory Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Via third-party plugins/SAML | Azure DevOps: Native, deeply integrated
additional property: Test Case Management Module
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: Basic; limited test case tracking | Azure DevOps: Dedicated Test Plans with full lifecycle management
additional property: Platform Integration Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 400+ via marketplace | Azure DevOps: 600+ via marketplace and native Azure services
  value reference: Azure DevOps
additional property: Free Tier Storage Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 10 GB (projects) | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: CI/CD Minutes Included (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: 400 minutes | Azure DevOps: N/A
additional property: Pro Plan Cost Per User
  type: PropertyValue
  value: GitLab: $29 (Premium plan) | Azure DevOps: N/A
interactivity type: active
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/gitlab
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/gitlab
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/entity/azure-devops
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/alternatives/azure-devops
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/answer/gitlab-vs-azure-devops
significant link: https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/schema/gitlab-vs-azure-devops
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/bitbucket-vs-azure-devops
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-actions-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gitlab-vs-bitbucket
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gitlab-vs-gitea
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/jira-vs-azure-devops
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/bitbucket-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/circleci-vs-gitlab
related link: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/github-vs-azure-devops
teaches: How to choose between GitLab and Azure DevOps
genre: Software

primaryImage
type: ImageObject
width: 1200
height: 630
caption: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B

A Versus B
type: Organization

GitLab
type: Thing
alternate name: Gitlab
language: en-US
description: DevOps-first Git platform with built-in CI/CD, available as SaaS or self-hosted for complete control.
image: ImageObject
  caption: GitLab
subject of: GitLab vs Azure DevOps
image: ImageObject
  caption: GitLab

Azure DevOps
type: SoftwareApplication
alternate name: AD
alternate name: Azure Devops
language: en-US
description: Microsoft's integrated platform offering version control, CI/CD pipelines, testing, and project management in one suite.
subject of: GitLab vs Azure DevOps

GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Structured Comparison Data
type: Dataset
description: Machine-readable comparison dataset for GitLab vs Azure DevOps. Contains 89 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
language: en-US
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
creator: A Versus B
distribution: JSON-LD knowledge graph
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json+ld
distribution: Raw comparison JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Structured FAQ pairs JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: AI Answer API (citation-ready)
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
distribution: Related comparisons JSON
  type: DataDownload
  encoding format: application/json
variable measured: Built-in CI/CD Minutes (Free Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: DevOps
variable measured: Self-Hosting Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Public Repositories
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Repositories
variable measured: Storage (Free Plan)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Storage
variable measured: SAST Security Scanning
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Monthly Active Users
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: User Base
variable measured: Free Plan Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Starting Price (Per User/Month)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Limits
variable measured: Container Registry Free Storage
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Storage & Infrastructure
variable measured: Marketplace Ecosystem Size
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security & Compliance
variable measured: Built-in Project Management Features
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Project Management
variable measured: Native GitHub Integration Required
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Platform Integration
variable measured: Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Job Startup Time
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Free Tier Monthly Minutes
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Native Security Scanning
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Source Control Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integration
variable measured: Self-Hosted Annual Cost (Single User)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Setup Time to First Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Built-in Project Management
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Pre-built Integration Orbs/Templates
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Extensibility
variable measured: Free Tier Private Repositories
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Access
variable measured: Container Registry Included
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Pro Plan Annual Cost (per user)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing & Access
variable measured: Jira Integration Quality
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Integrations
variable measured: Self-Hosted Option Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Issue Tracking & Project Management
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Minimum RAM Requirement
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: Setup Time (Fresh Installation)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ease of Use
variable measured: Built-in CI/CD Included
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Database Options Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Infrastructure
variable measured: API Rate Limit (Unauthenticated)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Performance
variable measured: Container Registry Support
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Security Scanning Features
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: Community-Maintained Forks/Mirrors
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Monthly Cost (Single User, Premium)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Free CI/CD Minutes Monthly
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: CI/CD Features
variable measured: Built-in Container Registry
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: DevOps Features
variable measured: Maximum Concurrent Users Supported
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Self-Hosting Capability
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment & Control
variable measured: Active Directory Integration
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Enterprise Features
variable measured: Test Case Management Module
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Testing Features
variable measured: Platform Integration Count
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Ecosystem
variable measured: Free Tier Storage Limit
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: CI/CD Minutes Included (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: CI/CD
variable measured: Pro Plan Cost Per User
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Maximum Team Members (Free Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Built-in Security Scanning Tools
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Security
variable measured: API Rate Limits (free tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Scalability
variable measured: Self-Hosted Edition Available
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Deployment
variable measured: Community Forum Members (approx)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community
variable measured: Cloud Pricing (Starting Tier)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Free Tier Access
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Pricing
variable measured: Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: DevOps
variable measured: Git Repository Hosting
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Agile Board Templates
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Features
variable measured: Public Repositories (Total)
  type: PropertyValue
  value reference: Community & Scale
variable measured: Free Tier CI/CD Minutes
variable measured: Self-Hosting Cost (Per User/Year)
variable measured: Built-in CI/CD Integration
variable measured: Marketplace Integrations
variable measured: Web-based Code Review
variable measured: Free Public Repo Storage
variable measured: Enterprise Compliance Features
variable measured: Third-Party Integrations Available
variable measured: Built-in Issue Tracking System
is based on: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gitlab-vs-azure-devops

GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary
type: DefinedTermSet
language: en-US
description: Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for GitLab vs Azure DevOps.
has defined term: DevOps
has defined term: Deployment
has defined term: Repositories
has defined term: Storage
has defined term: Security
has defined term: User Base
has defined term: Pricing
has defined term: Pricing & Limits
has defined term: Storage & Infrastructure
has defined term: Ecosystem
has defined term: Security & Compliance
has defined term: Project Management
has defined term: Platform Integration
has defined term: Performance
has defined term: Integration
has defined term: Ease of Use
has defined term: Features
has defined term: Extensibility
has defined term: Pricing & Access
has defined term: Integrations
has defined term: Infrastructure
has defined term: Community
has defined term: CI/CD Features
has defined term: DevOps Features
has defined term: Scalability
has defined term: Deployment & Control
has defined term: Enterprise Features
has defined term: Testing Features
has defined term: CI/CD
has defined term: Community & Scale
has defined term: Collaboration
has defined term: Enterprise
has defined term: Integration Ecosystem
has defined term: Code Quality
has defined term: Limits
has defined term: Adoption
has defined term: Usability
has defined term: Customization
has defined term: Automation
has defined term: Repository Management
has defined term: Reliability
has defined term: Version Control
has defined term: Compliance

DevOps
type: DefinedTerm
term code: devops
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Repositories
type: DefinedTerm
term code: repositories
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Storage
type: DefinedTerm
term code: storage
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

User Base
type: DefinedTerm
term code: user-base
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-limits
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Storage & Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: storage-&-infrastructure
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ecosystem
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ecosystem
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Security & Compliance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: security-&-compliance
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Project Management
type: DefinedTerm
term code: project-management
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Platform Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: platform-integration
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Performance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: performance
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integration
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Ease of Use
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ease-of-use
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: features
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Extensibility
type: DefinedTerm
term code: extensibility
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Pricing & Access
type: DefinedTerm
term code: pricing-&-access
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integrations
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integrations
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Infrastructure
type: DefinedTerm
term code: infrastructure
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

CI/CD Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ci/cd-features
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

DevOps Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: devops-features
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Scalability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: scalability
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Deployment & Control
type: DefinedTerm
term code: deployment-&-control
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise-features
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Testing Features
type: DefinedTerm
term code: testing-features
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

CI/CD
type: DefinedTerm
term code: ci/cd
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Community & Scale
type: DefinedTerm
term code: community-&-scale
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Collaboration
type: DefinedTerm
term code: collaboration
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Enterprise
type: DefinedTerm
term code: enterprise
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Integration Ecosystem
type: DefinedTerm
term code: integration-ecosystem
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Code Quality
type: DefinedTerm
term code: code-quality
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Limits
type: DefinedTerm
term code: limits
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Adoption
type: DefinedTerm
term code: adoption
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Usability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: usability
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Customization
type: DefinedTerm
term code: customization
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Automation
type: DefinedTerm
term code: automation
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Repository Management
type: DefinedTerm
term code: repository-management
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Reliability
type: DefinedTerm
term code: reliability
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Version Control
type: DefinedTerm
term code: version-control
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

Compliance
type: DefinedTerm
term code: compliance
in defined term set: GitLab vs Azure DevOps — Attribute Category Vocabulary

faq
type: FAQPage
language: en-US
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
date modified: 2026-06-23T04:42:09.285Z
author: A Versus B
publisher: A Versus B
is part of: gitlab-vs-azure-devops
main entity: Which platform is cheaper for small teams?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: GitLab is significantly cheaper for small teams. GitLab's free tier includes unlimited private repositories and core DevOps features, while Azure DevOps free tier is limited to 5 users. GitLab Premium costs $99/year per user ($8.25/month), compared to Azure DevOps at $12/month. For a 10-person team over one year, GitLab would cost $990 vs Azure DevOps at $1,440, saving 31%.
    language: en-US
main entity: Does Azure DevOps have better CI/CD than GitLab?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Azure DevOps offers more free CI/CD minutes (1,800 vs 400), but GitLab includes native CI/CD in all tiers while Azure requires Pipelines as a separate service. GitLab's CI/CD is faster to set up with unified workflows, while Azure DevOps pipelines offer more granular enterprise controls and parallelization options. For small projects, GitLab is simpler; for complex enterprise pipelines, Azure edges ahead.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which is better for Microsoft-heavy organizations?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Azure DevOps is substantially better for Microsoft-centric organizations. It has native integration with Active Directory, Office 365, Azure services, Power Platform, and Azure Policy. GitLab requires third-party SAML connectors for AD integration. If 70%+ of your stack is Microsoft, Azure DevOps eliminates friction; otherwise, GitLab's unified approach often wins.
    language: en-US
main entity: Can I self-host GitLab or Azure DevOps?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: GitLab's self-hosting is superior. The open-source Community Edition is free and well-documented with strong community support. Azure DevOps Server was deprecated in 2020 and fully end-of-life in 2024, forcing enterprise customers to migrate to cloud. If self-hosting is a requirement, GitLab is the only viable choice.
    language: en-US
main entity: Which platform scales better for 50,000+ users?
  type: Question
  accepted answer: Answer
    text: Azure DevOps is proven at 50,000+ concurrent users in Fortune 500 deployments, with enterprise-grade governance and compliance controls. GitLab supports up to 10,000 users but experiences performance degradation beyond that. For massive enterprise scale, Azure DevOps is the recommended choice; GitLab is optimal for mid-market teams.
    language: en-US

How to Choose Between GitLab and Azure DevOps
type: HowTo
description: GitLab is a unified DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD and stronger open-source capabilities, while Azure DevOps offers deeper Microsoft ecosystem integration and superior scalability for large enterprises. GitLab has lower base costs, but Azure DevOps provides better for teams already invested in Microsoft technologies.
language: en-US
total time: PT3M
step: Consider: Pricing Model
step: Consider: Built-in CI/CD
step: Consider: Microsoft Integration
step: Consider: Self-Hosting Support
step: Consider: Container Registry
step: Consider: Test Management Features
step: Consider: Enterprise Scalability
tool: A Versus B Comparison Guide
tip: HowToTip
  text: Choose GitLab if you prioritize cost-effectiveness, open-source flexibility, and want all DevOps features unified in one platform without vendor lock-in. Choose Azure DevOps if your team relies on Microsoft technologies, requires enterprise-grade test management, needs deeper Active Directory integration, or operates at massive scale with complex governance requirements.

Consider: Pricing Model
type: HowToStep
position: 1
text: Pricing Model: GitLab has Free tier with unlimited private repos; $99/year per user (Premium), while Azure DevOps has Free tier limited to 5 users; $6-12/month per user (Standard/Premium).

Consider: Built-in CI/CD
type: HowToStep
position: 2
text: Built-in CI/CD: GitLab has Native CI/CD included in all tiers with 400 compute minutes free/month, while Azure DevOps has Requires separate Pipeline service; 1,800 free minutes/month for Microsoft-hosted agents.

Consider: Microsoft Integration
type: HowToStep
position: 3
text: Microsoft Integration: GitLab has Basic Azure integration; works via plugins, while Azure DevOps has Native integration with Active Directory, Office 365, Azure services, and Power Platform.

Consider: Self-Hosting Support
type: HowToStep
position: 4
text: Self-Hosting Support: GitLab has Excellent; open-source Community Edition available; strong community support, while Azure DevOps has Limited; Server edition deprecated in favor of cloud; less mature self-hosting.

Consider: Container Registry
type: HowToStep
position: 5
text: Container Registry: GitLab has Built-in Container Registry included in all tiers, while Azure DevOps has Requires separate Azure Container Registry subscription.

Consider: Test Management Features
type: HowToStep
position: 6
text: Test Management Features: GitLab has Basic test reporting; limited test case management, while Azure DevOps has Dedicated Test Plans module with comprehensive test case management and reporting.

Consider: Enterprise Scalability
type: HowToStep
position: 7
text: Enterprise Scalability: GitLab has Strong; handles 10,000+ users; some limitations at massive scale, while Azure DevOps has Superior; designed for 50,000+ user deployments; proven in Fortune 500 companies.

claimreview
type: ClaimReview
is accessible for free: true
conditions of access: Free
claim reviewed: GitLab vs Azure DevOps
review body: GitLab is a unified DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD and stronger open-source capabilities, while Azure DevOps offers deeper Microsoft ecosystem integration and superior scalability for large enterprises. GitLab has lower base costs, but Azure DevOps provides better for teams already invested in Microsoft technologies.
review rating: Rating
  rating: 5
  worst rating: 1
  best rating: 5
  alternate name: Verified Comparison
author: A Versus B
item reviewed: GitLab vs Azure DevOps

Maximum Team Members (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: Unlimited | Azure DevOps: N/A

Built-in Security Scanning Tools
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: Included in Free tier (SAST, DAST, Dependency, Container) | Azure DevOps: N/A

API Rate Limits (free tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: 600 (authenticated) | Azure DevOps: N/A

Self-Hosted Edition Available
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: Community, Premium, and Ultimate editions | Azure DevOps: N/A

Community Forum Members (approx)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: 150000 | Azure DevOps: N/A

Cloud Pricing (Starting Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: $29/month | Azure DevOps: N/A

Free Tier Access
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: Yes - includes 50,000 CI/CD minutes | Azure DevOps: N/A

Built-in CI/CD Pipeline
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: Native GitLab CI/CD | Azure DevOps: N/A

Git Repository Hosting
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: Integrated | Azure DevOps: N/A

Agile Board Templates
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: 5-8 built-in | Azure DevOps: N/A

Public Repositories (Total)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: 14,000,000+ | Azure DevOps: N/A

Free Tier CI/CD Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: 400 minutes/month | Azure DevOps: N/A

Self-Hosting Cost (Per User/Year)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: $99 (Premium Edition) | Azure DevOps: N/A

Built-in CI/CD Integration
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: GitLab CI/CD (native pipeline engine) | Azure DevOps: N/A

Marketplace Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: 2,500+ | Azure DevOps: N/A

Web-based Code Review
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: Merge Requests with code owner enforcement | Azure DevOps: N/A

Free Public Repo Storage
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: Unlimited | Azure DevOps: N/A

Enterprise Compliance Features
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: DORA metrics, advanced audit, compliance reporting (Premium+) | Azure DevOps: N/A

Third-Party Integrations Available
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: 800+

Built-in Issue Tracking System
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Azure Boards (native)

Advanced Code Review Policies
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Branch policies, approval gates, build validation

Maximum Team Size (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Unlimited

Starting Price Per User/Month
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: $6

Free Tier CI/CD Pipeline Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Unlimited (public), 1,800 (private)

Repository Types Supported
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: 1 (Git only)

Monthly Cost Per User (Cloud)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: $6 (or free tier)

Built-in CI/CD Pipelines
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Yes (Azure Pipelines native)

Enterprise Market Adoption
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: 22%

Time to First Sprint (Learning Curve)
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: 1-2 weeks

Source Control Repositories Included
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Yes (Git and TFVC included)

Custom Agile Board Fields
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Standard (basic custom fields, limited automation)

Free Tier User Limit
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Up to 5 (full features)

Free Tier Monthly CI/CD Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: 1,800

Pro Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: $6 per user/month

Marketplace Extensions Available
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: 2,000+

Public Repositories
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Not public-facing

Enterprise Cloud Platform Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: 99.9%

Code Review Required Approvers
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Branch policies with reviewer requirements

Version Control Systems Supported
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: 2 (Git + TFVC)

HIPAA Compliance Eligible
type: PropertyValue
value: GitLab: N/A | Azure DevOps: Yes

SpeakableSpecification
css selector: #short-answer
css selector: #verdict
css selector: #key-differences
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GitLab — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Azure DevOps — Wikipedia
type: CreativeWork

Compare GitLab vs Azure DevOps
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additional type: CompareAction
target: https://www.aversusb.net/compare/gitlab-vs-azure-devops
object: GitLab
object: Azure DevOps

Free Tier CI/CD Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: DevOps Features

Self-Hosting Cost (Per User/Year)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Built-in CI/CD Integration
type: PropertyValue
value reference: DevOps Features

Marketplace Integrations
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Ecosystem

Web-based Code Review
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Collaboration

Free Public Repo Storage
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Enterprise Compliance Features
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Enterprise

Third-Party Integrations Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integration Ecosystem

Built-in Issue Tracking System
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Project Management

Advanced Code Review Policies
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Code Quality

Maximum Team Size (Free Tier)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Limits

Starting Price Per User/Month
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Tier CI/CD Pipeline Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: CI/CD

Repository Types Supported
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Monthly Cost Per User (Cloud)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Built-in CI/CD Pipelines
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Enterprise Market Adoption
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Adoption

Time to First Sprint (Learning Curve)
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Usability

Source Control Repositories Included
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Features

Custom Agile Board Fields
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Customization

Free Tier User Limit
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Free Tier Monthly CI/CD Minutes
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Automation

Pro Plan Monthly Cost
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Pricing

Marketplace Extensions Available
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Integrations

Public Repositories
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Repository Management

Enterprise Cloud Platform Uptime SLA
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Reliability

Code Review Required Approvers
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Code Quality

Version Control Systems Supported
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Version Control

HIPAA Compliance Eligible
type: PropertyValue
value reference: Compliance