GitLab offers more built-in DevOps features with a free tier supporting unlimited private repositories, while Bitbucket integrates tightly with Jira and provides better value for teams already using Atlassian products. GitLab excels for organizations seeking comprehensive CI/CD pipelines, whereas Bitbucket suits teams prioritizing Jira integration and Atlassian ecosystem compatibility.
GitLab vs Bitbucket — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
DevOps-first Git platform with built-in CI/CD, available as SaaS or self-hosted for complete control.
Atlassian's Git repository platform with native Jira integration and enterprise-focused features.
Free Tier Private Repositories. Built-in CI/CD Pipelines. Jira Integration. Starting Price (per user/month). Built-in Container Registry. On-Premises Deployment. Ease of Jira Synchronization
Choose GitLab if you prioritize comprehensive DevOps capabilities, unlimited free private repositories, built-in CI/CD, and don't mind third-party integrations. Choose Bitbucket if you're deeply invested in the Atlassian ecosystem (Jira, Confluence), require seamless native integrations, and work with small teams where the 5-user free limit suffices.
GitLab: 400 minutes with shared runners | Bitbucket: N/A
GitLab: Community and Enterprise editions available | Bitbucket: N/A
GitLab: Unlimited on all plans | Bitbucket: ~15 million
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 | Bitbucket: N/A
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)
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: Unlimited | Bitbucket: Limited (5 users max)
GitLab: Yes (free Docker registry) | Bitbucket: No (external only)
GitLab: $228/year ($19/month) | Bitbucket: $168/year ($14/month)
GitLab: Third-party plugin required | Bitbucket: Native (Atlassian vendor)
GitLab: Yes (free Community Edition) | Bitbucket: Yes (Server Edition paid license)
Maximum CI/CD Pipeline Minutes (free tier/month)
GitLab: 400 minutes/month | Bitbucket: 50 build minutes/month (Bitbucket Pipelines)
GitLab: Built-in full-featured system | Bitbucket: Requires separate Jira subscription
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: 10 GB (projects) | Bitbucket: Unlimited
GitLab: 400 minutes | Bitbucket: 50 minutes (Bitbucket Pipelines free tier)
GitLab: $29 (Premium plan) | Bitbucket: $9
GitLab: Included in Free tier (SAST, DAST, Dependency, Container) | Bitbucket: Requires Premium plan
GitLab: 600 (authenticated) | Bitbucket: Not publicly limited
GitLab: Community, Premium, and Ultimate editions | Bitbucket: Bitbucket Data Center (Enterprise only)
GitLab: Yes - includes 50,000 CI/CD minutes | Bitbucket: N/A
GitLab: Native GitLab CI/CD | Bitbucket: Add-on required (Bitbucket Pipelines)
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+) | Bitbucket: N/A
GitLab: N/A | 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: 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: 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
How to choose between GitLab and Bitbucket
GitLab vs Bitbucket — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for GitLab vs Bitbucket. Contains 104 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
GitLab vs Bitbucket — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for GitLab vs Bitbucket.
Which platform is better for teams using Jira?
Bitbucket is superior for Jira-heavy teams because it's owned by Atlassian and offers native, out-of-the-box integration with automatic issue linking and synchronization. GitLab requires third-party plugins for similar functionality. If you're already paying for Jira, Bitbucket's native integration saves setup time and reduces configuration overhead.
Which has better CI/CD capabilities out of the box?
GitLab wins decisively. GitLab CI/CD is built-in and free for all users with 400 free build minutes per month. Bitbucket requires purchasing the separate Pipelines add-on (included in paid tiers) with only 50 free build minutes per month. GitLab also includes a free Docker container registry, whereas Bitbucket doesn't offer one.
What's the cost difference for small teams?
For teams under 5 members, Bitbucket's free tier is sufficient and costs $0. GitLab's free tier also costs $0 and offers unlimited private repositories. For growing teams (6+ users), GitLab becomes more cost-effective because its free tier remains unlimited, while Bitbucket's free tier caps at 5 users. At the Pro level, Bitbucket costs $14/user/month vs. GitLab's $19/user/month.
Yes, both offer self-hosted options. GitLab Community Edition is completely free to self-host with full functionality. Bitbucket Server requires a paid license for self-hosting (starting around $10/month). GitLab's free self-hosting option makes it significantly more affordable for on-premises deployments.
Which platform has better security scanning features?
GitLab includes comprehensive built-in security scanning (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, container scanning) in higher tiers and community edition. Bitbucket lacks native security scanning and requires third-party tools or Jira Premium integration. For security-conscious teams, GitLab provides more out-of-the-box protection.
How to Choose Between GitLab and Bitbucket
Consider: Free Tier Private Repositories
Free Tier Private Repositories: GitLab has Unlimited, while Bitbucket has Limited to 5 users.
Built-in CI/CD Pipelines: GitLab has Yes (GitLab CI/CD included), while Bitbucket has No (requires Bitbucket Pipelines add-on).
Jira Integration: GitLab has Yes (third-party), while Bitbucket has Native (same vendor).
Consider: Starting Price (per user/month)
Starting Price (per user/month): GitLab has $0 (Free tier available), while Bitbucket has $0 (Free for up to 5 users).
Built-in Container Registry: GitLab has Yes (free), while Bitbucket has No (must use external registries).
On-Premises Deployment: GitLab has Yes (Community Edition free), while Bitbucket has Yes (Server license required).
Ease of Jira Synchronization: GitLab has Requires manual configuration, while Bitbucket has Out-of-box automatic sync.