software
GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD 2026
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
GitHub's native CI/CD automation workflow system integrated directly into repositories.
Teams already invested in GitHub who need quick CI/CD setup, open-source projects with modest compute needs, and organizations valuing ecosystem breadth over cost optimization.
Score63%
VS
GC
GitLab CI/CD
GitLab's integrated continuous integration and deployment platform with comprehensive DevOps features.
Enterprise teams needing comprehensive DevOps tooling, projects with heavy container/artifact requirements, cost-sensitive organizations running high-volume CI/CD pipelines, and security-focused teams.
Score56%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryGitHub 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.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose 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.
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GitHub Actions
9/10
GitLab CI/CD
6/10
G
Choose GitHub Actions if
Best pickTeams already invested in GitHub who need quick CI/CD setup, open-source projects with modest compute needs, and organizations valuing ecosystem breadth over cost optimization.
G
Choose GitLab CI/CD if
Enterprise teams needing comprehensive DevOps tooling, projects with heavy container/artifact requirements, cost-sensitive organizations running high-volume CI/CD pipelines, and security-focused teams.
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Free Monthly Minutes:✓ GitHub Actions wins(2,000 minutes vs 400 minutes)
- Per-Minute Overage Cost (Linux):✓ GitLab CI/CD wins($0.0085/minute vs $0.25/minute)
- Native Marketplace Actions:✓ GitHub Actions wins(6,500+ actions vs Integrated in platform)
Key Facts & Figures
90 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | GitHub Actions | GitLab CI/CD | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes) | 3,000 (public repos) | — | — |
| Supported VCS Platforms(count) | 1 (GitHub only) | — | — |
| Maximum Parallel Jobs(jobs) | 256 concurrent | — | — |
| Setup Time for New Projects(minutes) | 5 minutes | — | — |
| Community Actions/Orbs Available(count) | 20,000+ actions | — | — |
| Estimated Learning Curve(weeks) | 1-2 weeks | — | — |
| Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)(minutes) | 2,000 minutes | — | — |
| Container Registry Free Storage(GB) | 0.5 GB per project | — | — |
| Marketplace Ecosystem Size(actions/templates) | 11,000+ Actions | — | — |
| Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost(USD/month per user) | $200/month (Advanced Security tier) | — | — |
| Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)(concurrent jobs) | 20 matrix configurations | — | — |
| Available Extensions/Integrations(count) | 13,000+ actions | — | — |
| Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)(USD) | $25 (usage-based + GitHub Team) | — | — |
| Free Tier Build Minutes/Month(minutes) | 2,000 (private) / unlimited (public) | — | — |
| Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks) | 1 week (YAML basics) | — | — |
| Concurrent Workflows (free tier)(parallel jobs) | 20 (GitHub-hosted runners) | — | — |
| Supported Infrastructure Types(platforms) | Any (Kubernetes, VMs, Serverless, Cloud - 20+ integrations) | — | — |
| GitHub Integration Setup Time(minutes) | 0 minutes (native, no setup) | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost (Solo Developer)(USD) | $0 (2,000 free minutes/month) | — | — |
| Typical Cost at Scale (100k deployments/month)(USD) | $4,800+ (800 minutes/month at $0.008/min) | — | — |
| Available Actions/Integrations(count) | 15,000+ (across all domains) | — | — |
| Time to First Deployment(minutes) | 5-10 (simple YAML workflow) | — | — |
| Setup Time to First Pipeline(minutes) | 5-15 minutes | — | — |
| Free Tier Execution Minutes(minutes/month) | 2,000-3,000 | — | — |
| Supported Git Providers(platforms) | GitHub (primary), limited others | — | — |
| Project Age(years) | 6 years (since 2019) | — | — |
| Marketplace Actions/Extensions(integrations) | 18,000+ actions | — | — |
| Starting Cost (Monthly)(USD) | $0 (free tier available) | — | — |
| Free Build Minutes Monthly(minutes) | 2,000 (private repos) | — | — |
| Maximum Job Duration(minutes) | 360 (6 hours) | — | — |
| Default Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 5 | — | — |
| Artifact Retention Period(days) | 90 | — | — |
| Marketplace Actions Available(actions) | 11,000+ | — | — |
| Setup Time for First Build(minutes) | 5-10 (YAML config only) | — | — |
| Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (unlimited for public repos) | — | — |
| Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 20 concurrent jobs | — | — |
| Available Integrations/Actions(count) | 10,000+ | — | — |
| Cost Per Minute (Overage)(USD) | $0.008 | — | — |
| Starting Team Pricing(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available) | — | — |
| Active Community Repositories(count) | 750,000+ | — | — |
| Configuration File Complexity (1-5 scale)(scale) | 4 (complex YAML, matrix builds) | — | — |
| Free Minutes Per Month (Private Repos)(minutes) | 3,000 minutes | — | — |
| Minimum Paid Plan Cost(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available) | — | — |
| Marketplace Integrations(integrations) | 10,000+ verified actions | — | — |
| Market Adoption Rate(percentage of streaming workloads) | 42% of CI/CD users (2024) | — | — |
| Linux Runner Cost Per Minute(USD/minute) | $0.008 | — | — |
| Multi-Platform Git Support(count) | GitHub only | — | — |
| Setup Time for First Workflow(minutes) | 5 minutes (native UI) | — | — |
| OS Runner Support(count) | 3 (Linux, Windows, macOS) | — | — |
| Free Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 | 400 | |
| Overage Per-Minute Cost (Linux)(USD) | $0.25 | $0.0085 | |
| Maximum Job Execution Time(hours) | 6 hours | 1 hour (free) | |
| Available Marketplace/Integrations(count) | 6,500+ actions | Built-in features | — |
| Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (public repos only) | — | — |
| Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost(USD per minute) | $0.008/minute | — | — |
| Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement(x faster) | Standard caching (1x baseline) | — | — |
| Artifact Storage Max Size(GB) | 400 GB | — | — |
| Community Actions/Orbs Available(count) | 15,000+ actions | — | — |
| Setup Time (GitHub Repo)(minutes) | 2-3 minutes (native) | — | — |
| Free Tier Limits(minutes/month) | 2,000 minutes/month | — | — |
| Setup Time (initial)(hours) | 1-2 hours | — | — |
| Free Tier Monthly Cost(USD) | Free (2,000 min/month included) | — | — |
| Free Monthly Build Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (public: unlimited) | — | — |
| Marketplace Actions/Plugins(count) | 20,000+ | — | — |
| Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 20 | 1 | |
| Overage Cost per 1,000 Minutes(USD) | $0.24 | — | — |
| Years Since Launch(years) | 6 years (2019) | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (5 Private Repos, 100 builds/month)(USD) | $14.40 (2,000 free min + 1,800 excess min × $0.008) | — | — |
| Default Concurrent Jobs (Free/Base Tier)(jobs) | 20 concurrent jobs | — | — |
| Supported Git Platforms(platforms) | 1 (GitHub only) | — | — |
| Marketplace Integrations Available(count) | 10,000+ public actions | — | — |
| Default Artifact Storage(GB) | 5GB (per repository) | — | — |
| Initial Setup Time(minutes) | 2-3 minutes (GitHub integration native) | — | — |
| Build Parallelization Ceiling(jobs) | 20 jobs maximum per repository | — | — |
| Monthly Cost for Private Repos (Small Team)(USD) | $0 (includes 2,000 minutes) | — | — |
| Free Tier Concurrent Jobs(jobs) | 20 concurrent jobs | — | — |
| Free Minutes Per Month (Private)(minutes) | 2,000 minutes | — | — |
| Marketplace Actions/Integrations(count) | 5,000+ public actions | — | — |
| Setup Time for New Project(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | — | — |
| Supported Languages (Pre-configured)(languages) | 20+ languages | — | — |
| Market Share on GitHub Projects(percent) | 68% adoption | — | — |
| Setup Time (First Pipeline)(hours) | 0.5 hours | 0.5 hours | |
| Available Plugins/Integrations(count) | 50-70 official integrations | 50-70 official integrations | |
| Annual Cost (50 users, self-hosted)(USD) | $17,400 (Premium plan) | $17,400 (Premium plan) | |
| Learning Curve (Hours to Intermediate)(hours) | 12 hours | 12 hours | |
| Community Size (GitHub stars)(stars) | 31,000+ stars | 31,000+ stars | |
| Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes) | 15-30 minutes (preconfigured, YAML config) | 15-30 minutes (preconfigured, YAML config) | |
| Free CI/CD Minutes per Month(minutes) | 400 minutes (GitLab.com) | 400 minutes (GitLab.com) | |
| Minimum Server Requirements (RAM)(GB) | 2GB (self-hosted), managed cloud option | 2GB (self-hosted), managed cloud option | |
| Community Size (Stack Overflow Questions)(questions) | 8,000+ Stack Overflow questions | 8,000+ Stack Overflow questions |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
GitHub Actions leads
GC
3GitLab CI/CDGitHub Actions
Attribute
GitLab CI/CD
- 2,000 minutes(winner)Free Monthly Minutes400 minutes
- $0.25/minutePer-Minute Overage Cost (Linux)$0.0085/minute(winner)
- 6,500+ actions(winner)Native Marketplace ActionsIntegrated in platform
- Yes, with limitsBuilt-in Container RegistryYes, unlimited(winner)
- 6 hours(winner)Maximum Job Timeout1 hour (free tier)
- 20 concurrent jobs(winner)Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)1 concurrent job
- Requires third-party actionsNative Security Scanning FeaturesBuilt-in SAST, DAST, dependency scanning(winner)
- Free Monthly Minutes
GitHub Actions
2,000 minutes(winner)
GitLab CI/CD
400 minutes
- Per-Minute Overage Cost (Linux)
GitHub Actions
$0.25/minute
GitLab CI/CD
$0.0085/minute(winner)
- Native Marketplace Actions
GitHub Actions
6,500+ actions(winner)
GitLab CI/CD
Integrated in platform
- Built-in Container Registry
GitHub Actions
Yes, with limits
GitLab CI/CD
Yes, unlimited(winner)
- Maximum Job Timeout
GitHub Actions
6 hours(winner)
GitLab CI/CD
1 hour (free tier)
- Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)
GitHub Actions
20 concurrent jobs(winner)
GitLab CI/CD
1 concurrent job
- Native Security Scanning Features
GitHub Actions
Requires third-party actions
GitLab CI/CD
Built-in SAST, DAST, dependency scanning(winner)
Full Comparison
| Attribute | GitHub Actions | GitLab CI/CD |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes) | 3,000 (public repos) | — |
| Free Monthly Build Minutes(minutes) | 2000 minutes (GitHub-hosted runners) | — |
| Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)(USD) | $25 (usage-based + GitHub Team) | — |
| Base Monthly Cost (Solo Developer)(USD) | $0 (2,000 free minutes/month) | — |
| Typical Cost at Scale (100k deployments/month)(USD) | $4,800+ (800 minutes/month at $0.008/min) | — |
Show 14 more attributesSelf-Hosted Option Self-hosted runners available — Starting Cost (Monthly)(USD) $0 (free tier available) — Free Build Minutes Monthly(minutes) 2,000 (private repos) — Free Minutes Per Month (Private Repos)(minutes) 3,000 minutes — Linux Runner Cost Per Minute(USD/minute) $0.008 — Free Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes) 2,000 400 Overage Per-Minute Cost (Linux)(USD) $0.25 $0.0085 Free Tier Limits(minutes/month) 2,000 minutes/month — Managed Service Cost (monthly)(USD) $0.008 per minute — Free Tier Monthly Cost(USD) Free (2,000 min/month included) — Monthly Cost (5 Private Repos, 100 builds/month)(USD) $14.40 (2,000 free min + 1,800 excess min × $0.008) — Monthly Cost for Private Repos (Small Team)(USD) $0 (includes 2,000 minutes) — Free Minutes Per Month (Private)(minutes) 2,000 minutes — Annual Cost (50 users, self-hosted)(USD) $17,400 (Premium plan) — | ||
| Supported VCS Platforms(count) | 1 (GitHub only) | — |
| Platform Support | GitHub only (primary) | — |
| GitHub Repository Integration(setup complexity) | Native (zero additional setup) | — |
| GitHub Integration Type | Native (built-in) | — |
| Repository Platform Requirement(text) | GitHub only | — |
Show 2 more attributesNative GitHub Integration Built-in, no external setup — Git Platform Support(platforms) GitLab (native), GitHub/Bitbucket via integrations (limited) — | ||
| Maximum Parallel Jobs(jobs) | 256 concurrent | — |
| Scalability Ceiling(concurrent jobs) | Limited by GitHub account quotas | — |
| Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)(concurrent jobs) | 20 matrix configurations | — |
| Concurrent Workflows (free tier)(parallel jobs) | 20 (GitHub-hosted runners) | — |
| Maximum Job Execution Time(hours) | 6 hours(winner) | 1 hour (free) |
Show 4 more attributesDocker Layer Caching Speed Improvement(x faster) Standard caching (1x baseline) — Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) 20 1 Default Concurrent Jobs (Free/Base Tier)(jobs) 20 concurrent jobs — Free Tier Concurrent Jobs(jobs) 20 concurrent jobs — | ||
| Setup Time for New Projects(minutes) | 5 minutes | — |
| Estimated Learning Curve(weeks) | 1-2 weeks | — |
| Configuration Complexity | Low - Simple YAML syntax | — |
| GitHub Integration Setup Time(minutes) | 0 minutes (native, no setup) | — |
| Setup Time to First Pipeline(minutes) | 5-15 minutes | — |
Show 7 more attributesConfiguration File Complexity (1-5 scale)(scale) 4 (complex YAML, matrix builds) — Setup Time for First Workflow(minutes) 5 minutes (native UI) — Setup Time (GitHub Repo)(minutes) 2-3 minutes (native) — Initial Setup Time(minutes) 2-3 minutes (GitHub integration native) — Setup Time (First Pipeline)(hours) 0.5 hours — Learning Curve (Hours to Intermediate)(hours) 12 hours — Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes) 15-30 minutes (preconfigured, YAML config) — | ||
| Community Actions/Orbs Available(count) | 20,000+ actions | — |
| Available Plugins/Integrations(count) | 50-70 official integrations | — |
| Enterprise Support SLA | Standard support available | — |
| Enterprise Support Cost(USD/year (estimated)) | $231/user/year (GitHub Enterprise) | — |
| Self-Hosted Runner Capability | Supported with basic controls | — |
| Kubernetes Requirement(required) | Not required | — |
| Deployment Options | SaaS + self-managed (GitLab Cloud, on-prem, Kubernetes) | — |
| Minimum Server Requirements (RAM)(GB) | 2GB (self-hosted), managed cloud option | — |
| Initial Setup Time(hours) | 15 minutes to first workflow | — |
| Setup Time (initial)(hours) | 1-2 hours | — |
| Available Plugins/Actions(count) | 10000+ actions | — |
| Marketplace Ecosystem Size(actions/templates) | 11,000+ Actions | — |
| Available Actions/Integrations(count) | 15,000+ (across all domains) | — |
| Marketplace Actions/Extensions(integrations) | 18,000+ actions | — |
| Marketplace Actions Available(actions) | 11,000+ | — |
Show 8 more attributesAvailable Integrations/Actions(count) 10,000+ — Active Community Repositories(count) 750,000+ — Marketplace Integrations(integrations) 10,000+ verified actions — Available Marketplace/Integrations(count) 6,500+ actions Built-in features Community Actions/Orbs Available(count) 15,000+ actions — Marketplace Actions/Plugins(count) 20,000+ — Marketplace Integrations Available(count) 10,000+ public actions — Marketplace Actions/Integrations(count) 5,000+ public actions — | ||
| Deployment Model Options(count) | Cloud-hosted and self-hosted | — |
| Deployment Model | Push-based (imperative) | — |
| Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)(minutes) | 2,000 minutes | — |
| Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (unlimited for public repos) | — |
| Cost Per Minute (Overage)(USD) | $0.008 | — |
| Starting Team Pricing(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available) | — |
| Minimum Paid Plan Cost(USD/month) | $0 (free tier available) | — |
Show 2 more attributesFree Monthly Build Minutes(minutes) 2,000 (public: unlimited) — Overage Cost per 1,000 Minutes(USD) $0.24 — | ||
| Container Registry Free Storage(GB) | 0.5 GB per project | — |
| Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost(USD/month per user) | $200/month (Advanced Security tier) | — |
| Self-Hosted Option Available | Enterprise Server tier (paid only, $231+/month) | — |
| Self-Hosted Infrastructure Required(boolean) | No (fully managed by GitHub) | — |
| Built-in Project Management Features | Issues, basic Boards, limited automation | — |
| Native GitHub Integration Required | Integrated (GitHub-only) | — |
| Available Extensions/Integrations(count) | 13,000+ actions | — |
| OS Runner Support(count) | 3 (Linux, Windows, macOS) | — |
| Container Registry Storage(GB) | 500MB limit (free tier) | Unlimited |
| Native Security Scanning(features) | Not built-in; requires actions | SAST, DAST, dependency, license scanning included |
| SSH Debug Into Failed Jobs | Not supported | — |
Show 2 more attributesSupported Languages (Pre-configured)(languages) 20+ languages — Built-in Version Control(boolean) Yes (native Git hosting) — | ||
| Free Tier Build Minutes/Month(minutes) | 2,000 (private) / unlimited (public) | — |
| Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks) | 1 week (YAML basics) | — |
| Data Residency Control(null) | No (GitHub cloud default, Enterprise option) | — |
| Supported Infrastructure Types(platforms) | Any (Kubernetes, VMs, Serverless, Cloud - 20+ integrations) | — |
| Multi-Platform Git Support(count) | GitHub only | — |
| Automatic Drift Detection(minutes) | Not available (manual triggers only) | — |
| Time to First Deployment(minutes) | 5-10 (simple YAML workflow) | — |
| Free Tier Execution Minutes(minutes/month) | 2,000-3,000 | — |
| Free CI/CD Minutes per Month(minutes) | 400 minutes (GitLab.com) | — |
| Supported Git Providers(platforms) | GitHub (primary), limited others | — |
| Repository Host Lock-in | GitHub only | — |
| Project Age(years) | 6 years (since 2019) | — |
| Years Since Launch(years) | 6 years (2019) | — |
| Enterprise Adoption(companies) | Microsoft, GitHub, 60% of public repos | — |
| Maximum Job Duration(minutes) | 360 (6 hours) | — |
| Default Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 5 | — |
| Artifact Retention Period(days) | 90 | — |
| Default Artifact Storage(GB) | 5GB (per repository) | — |
| Setup Time for First Build(minutes) | 5-10 (YAML config only) | — |
| Setup Complexity(scale (1=easiest)) | Simple (1.5)(winner) | Moderate (2.8) |
| Setup Time for New Project(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | — |
| Pipeline Configuration Method | YAML-based .gitlab-ci.yml (declarative only) | — |
| Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs) | 20 concurrent jobs | — |
| Market Adoption Rate(percentage of streaming workloads) | 42% of CI/CD users (2024) | — |
| Market Share on GitHub Projects(percent) | 68% adoption | — |
| Community Size (GitHub stars)(stars) | 31,000+ stars | — |
| Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes(minutes) | 2,000 (public repos only) | — |
| Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost(USD per minute) | $0.008/minute | — |
| Artifact Storage Max Size(GB) | 400 GB | — |
| Kubernetes CRD Support(percentage) | Requires plugins | — |
| Native Jira Integration | Via third-party actions (workaround) | — |
| Supported Git Platforms(platforms) | 1 (GitHub only) | — |
| Build Parallelization Ceiling(jobs) | 20 jobs maximum per repository | — |
| Built-in Container Registry | Yes (integrated) | — |
| Kubernetes Integration Maturity(native support level) | Built-in Auto DevOps + Kubernetes integration (native) | — |
| Community Size (Stack Overflow Questions)(questions) | 8,000+ Stack Overflow questions | — |
GitHub ActionsGGitLab CI/CD
Free Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes)
3,000 (public repos)
—
Free Monthly Build Minutes(minutes)
2000 minutes (GitHub-hosted runners)
—
Monthly Infrastructure Cost (10-developer team)(USD)
$25 (usage-based + GitHub Team)
—
Base Monthly Cost (Solo Developer)(USD)
$0 (2,000 free minutes/month)
—
Typical Cost at Scale (100k deployments/month)(USD)
$4,800+ (800 minutes/month at $0.008/min)
—
Show 14 more attributes
Self-Hosted Option
Self-hosted runners available
—
Starting Cost (Monthly)(USD)
$0 (free tier available)
—
Free Build Minutes Monthly(minutes)
2,000 (private repos)
—
Free Minutes Per Month (Private Repos)(minutes)
3,000 minutes
—
Linux Runner Cost Per Minute(USD/minute)
$0.008
—
Free Tier Monthly Minutes(minutes)
2,000
400
Overage Per-Minute Cost (Linux)(USD)
$0.25
$0.0085
Free Tier Limits(minutes/month)
2,000 minutes/month
—
Managed Service Cost (monthly)(USD)
$0.008 per minute
—
Free Tier Monthly Cost(USD)
Free (2,000 min/month included)
—
Monthly Cost (5 Private Repos, 100 builds/month)(USD)
$14.40 (2,000 free min + 1,800 excess min × $0.008)
—
Monthly Cost for Private Repos (Small Team)(USD)
$0 (includes 2,000 minutes)
—
Free Minutes Per Month (Private)(minutes)
2,000 minutes
—
Annual Cost (50 users, self-hosted)(USD)
$17,400 (Premium plan)
—
Supported VCS Platforms(count)
1 (GitHub only)
—
Platform Support
GitHub only (primary)
—
GitHub Repository Integration(setup complexity)
Native (zero additional setup)
—
GitHub Integration Type
Native (built-in)
—
Repository Platform Requirement(text)
GitHub only
—
Show 2 more attributes
Native GitHub Integration
Built-in, no external setup
—
Git Platform Support(platforms)
GitLab (native), GitHub/Bitbucket via integrations (limited)
—
Maximum Parallel Jobs(jobs)
256 concurrent
—
Scalability Ceiling(concurrent jobs)
Limited by GitHub account quotas
—
Maximum Parallel Jobs (Free Tier)(concurrent jobs)
20 matrix configurations
—
Concurrent Workflows (free tier)(parallel jobs)
20 (GitHub-hosted runners)
—
Maximum Job Execution Time(hours)
6 hours
1 hour (free)
Show 4 more attributes
Docker Layer Caching Speed Improvement(x faster)
Standard caching (1x baseline)
—
Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs)
20
1
Default Concurrent Jobs (Free/Base Tier)(jobs)
20 concurrent jobs
—
Free Tier Concurrent Jobs(jobs)
20 concurrent jobs
—
Setup Time for New Projects(minutes)
5 minutes
—
Estimated Learning Curve(weeks)
1-2 weeks
—
Configuration Complexity
Low - Simple YAML syntax
—
GitHub Integration Setup Time(minutes)
0 minutes (native, no setup)
—
Setup Time to First Pipeline(minutes)
5-15 minutes
—
Show 7 more attributes
Configuration File Complexity (1-5 scale)(scale)
4 (complex YAML, matrix builds)
—
Setup Time for First Workflow(minutes)
5 minutes (native UI)
—
Setup Time (GitHub Repo)(minutes)
2-3 minutes (native)
—
Initial Setup Time(minutes)
2-3 minutes (GitHub integration native)
—
Setup Time (First Pipeline)(hours)
0.5 hours
—
Learning Curve (Hours to Intermediate)(hours)
12 hours
—
Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes)
15-30 minutes (preconfigured, YAML config)
—
Community Actions/Orbs Available(count)
20,000+ actions
—
Available Plugins/Integrations(count)
50-70 official integrations
—
Enterprise Support SLA
Standard support available
—
Enterprise Support Cost(USD/year (estimated))
$231/user/year (GitHub Enterprise)
—
Self-Hosted Runner Capability
Supported with basic controls
—
Kubernetes Requirement(required)
Not required
—
Deployment Options
SaaS + self-managed (GitLab Cloud, on-prem, Kubernetes)
—
Minimum Server Requirements (RAM)(GB)
2GB (self-hosted), managed cloud option
—
Initial Setup Time(hours)
15 minutes to first workflow
—
Setup Time (initial)(hours)
1-2 hours
—
Available Plugins/Actions(count)
10000+ actions
—
Marketplace Ecosystem Size(actions/templates)
11,000+ Actions
—
Available Actions/Integrations(count)
15,000+ (across all domains)
—
Marketplace Actions/Extensions(integrations)
18,000+ actions
—
Marketplace Actions Available(actions)
11,000+
—
Show 8 more attributes
Available Integrations/Actions(count)
10,000+
—
Active Community Repositories(count)
750,000+
—
Marketplace Integrations(integrations)
10,000+ verified actions
—
Available Marketplace/Integrations(count)
6,500+ actions
Built-in features
Community Actions/Orbs Available(count)
15,000+ actions
—
Marketplace Actions/Plugins(count)
20,000+
—
Marketplace Integrations Available(count)
10,000+ public actions
—
Marketplace Actions/Integrations(count)
5,000+ public actions
—
Deployment Model Options(count)
Cloud-hosted and self-hosted
—
Deployment Model
Push-based (imperative)
—
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes (Private Repos)(minutes)
2,000 minutes
—
Free Monthly CI/CD Minutes(minutes)
2,000 (unlimited for public repos)
—
Cost Per Minute (Overage)(USD)
$0.008
—
Starting Team Pricing(USD/month)
$0 (free tier available)
—
Minimum Paid Plan Cost(USD/month)
$0 (free tier available)
—
Show 2 more attributes
Free Monthly Build Minutes(minutes)
2,000 (public: unlimited)
—
Overage Cost per 1,000 Minutes(USD)
$0.24
—
Container Registry Free Storage(GB)
0.5 GB per project
—
Enterprise Security (SAST) Cost(USD/month per user)
$200/month (Advanced Security tier)
—
Self-Hosted Option Available
Enterprise Server tier (paid only, $231+/month)
—
Self-Hosted Infrastructure Required(boolean)
No (fully managed by GitHub)
—
Built-in Project Management Features
Issues, basic Boards, limited automation
—
Native GitHub Integration Required
Integrated (GitHub-only)
—
Available Extensions/Integrations(count)
13,000+ actions
—
OS Runner Support(count)
3 (Linux, Windows, macOS)
—
Container Registry Storage(GB)
500MB limit (free tier)
Unlimited
Native Security Scanning(features)
Not built-in; requires actions
SAST, DAST, dependency, license scanning included
SSH Debug Into Failed Jobs
Not supported
—
Show 2 more attributes
Supported Languages (Pre-configured)(languages)
20+ languages
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Built-in Version Control(boolean)
Yes (native Git hosting)
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Free Tier Build Minutes/Month(minutes)
2,000 (private) / unlimited (public)
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Learning Curve (Beginner to Productive)(weeks)
1 week (YAML basics)
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Data Residency Control(null)
No (GitHub cloud default, Enterprise option)
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Supported Infrastructure Types(platforms)
Any (Kubernetes, VMs, Serverless, Cloud - 20+ integrations)
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Multi-Platform Git Support(count)
GitHub only
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Automatic Drift Detection(minutes)
Not available (manual triggers only)
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Time to First Deployment(minutes)
5-10 (simple YAML workflow)
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Free Tier Execution Minutes(minutes/month)
2,000-3,000
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Free CI/CD Minutes per Month(minutes)
400 minutes (GitLab.com)
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Supported Git Providers(platforms)
GitHub (primary), limited others
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Repository Host Lock-in
GitHub only
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Project Age(years)
6 years (since 2019)
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Years Since Launch(years)
6 years (2019)
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Enterprise Adoption(companies)
Microsoft, GitHub, 60% of public repos
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Maximum Job Duration(minutes)
360 (6 hours)
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Default Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs)
5
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Artifact Retention Period(days)
90
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Default Artifact Storage(GB)
5GB (per repository)
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Setup Time for First Build(minutes)
5-10 (YAML config only)
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Setup Complexity(scale (1=easiest))
Simple (1.5)
Moderate (2.8)
Setup Time for New Project(minutes)
5-10 minutes
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Pipeline Configuration Method
YAML-based .gitlab-ci.yml (declarative only)
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Maximum Concurrent Jobs (Free Tier)(jobs)
20 concurrent jobs
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Market Adoption Rate(percentage of streaming workloads)
42% of CI/CD users (2024)
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Market Share on GitHub Projects(percent)
68% adoption
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Community Size (GitHub stars)(stars)
31,000+ stars
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Free Tier Monthly CI Minutes(minutes)
2,000 (public repos only)
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Pay-As-You-Go Execution Cost(USD per minute)
$0.008/minute
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Artifact Storage Max Size(GB)
400 GB
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Kubernetes CRD Support(percentage)
Requires plugins
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Native Jira Integration
Via third-party actions (workaround)
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Supported Git Platforms(platforms)
1 (GitHub only)
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Build Parallelization Ceiling(jobs)
20 jobs maximum per repository
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Built-in Container Registry
Yes (integrated)
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Kubernetes Integration Maturity(native support level)
Built-in Auto DevOps + Kubernetes integration (native)
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Community Size (Stack Overflow Questions)(questions)
8,000+ Stack Overflow questions
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Pros & Cons
10 pros·7 cons across both
GC
GitHub Actions
+5-3
Pros
- 2,000 free minutes/month—5x more generous than GitLab
- 6,500+ community-maintained actions in official marketplace
- 20 concurrent jobs on free tier vs GitLab's 1
- 6-hour job timeout vs GitLab's 1-hour limit
- Seamless integration with GitHub ecosystem and pull requests
Cons
- Expensive overage pricing at $0.25/minute (29x more costly than GitLab)
- Container registry has 500MB/month storage limit, requires paid upgrade
- Limited built-in security scanning; must use third-party actions
GC
GitLab CI/CD
+5-4
Pros
- Lowest per-minute overage cost at $0.0085/minute across all tiers
- Unlimited container registry storage (no size restrictions)
- Built-in SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, and license compliance checking
- Complete DevOps platform (planning, VCS, CI/CD, monitoring, security) in one tool
- 1-hour job timeout on free tier, no arbitrary limits on paid plans
Cons
- Only 400 free minutes/month—requires paid plan for moderate usage
- Single concurrent job on free tier limits parallelization
- Smaller ecosystem of CI/CD integrations vs GitHub Actions marketplace
- Steeper learning curve for teams migrating from GitHub
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
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.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
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