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Self-host GitLab
DevOps platform / git hosting + CI ·
Category: git hosting, CI & dev tooling
GitLab.com bundles repo hosting, issues, MRs, CI runners, and a container registry. The whole stack is genuinely self-hostable — GitLab themselves publish the same code as the Community Edition. Lighter Gitea / Forgejo replace the wedge if you don't need everything.
GitLab pricing anchor: $29/user/mo on Premium; $99/user/mo on Ultimate.
- GitHub
- ★ 24.3k · last commit today · 36 open issues
- License
-
MIT Community Edition is MIT and feature-complete for repo + issues + CI; SAML SSO, advanced security, and audit features are EE-only (paid).
- Setup time
- 30-60min (Omnibus package or official docker)
- Monthly cost
- $20+ VPS — Omnibus wants 8GB RAM minimum once Sidekiq, Postgres, Gitaly, and the runner are co-resident.
Migration sketch. Already on GitLab.com? Settings → General → Advanced → Export project. The .tar.gz drops into your self-managed instance via Admin → Imports → Import from GitLab. Repos, issues, MRs, comments, wiki, snippets all transfer; CI/CD variables and runners are reattached manually.
Good fit forTeams that want the full GitLab feature set (CI runners, registry, security scanners) without per-seat pricing.
Weak atHeavy footprint; tier gating still applies to advanced features even when self-hosted.
- GitHub
- ★ 55.5k · last commit today · 2777 open issues
- License
-
MIT - Setup time
- 10min (single Go binary or docker-compose)
- Monthly cost
- $5 VPS — Gitea is one binary plus SQLite or Postgres.
Migration sketch. Site Administration → Migrations → New Migration → GitLab. Paste a GitLab.com PAT; pulls repos, issues, MRs (as issues), labels, releases. CI does not transfer — Gitea Actions speaks GitHub Actions YAML, so port `.gitlab-ci.yml` jobs by hand.
Good fit forSmall teams that want repo hosting + issues + lightweight CI without the GitLab footprint.
Weak atNo native container registry on par with GitLab; CI ecosystem is younger.
- GitHub
- ★ — · last commit unknown
- License
-
MIT - Setup time
- 10min (Gitea-compatible docker images)
- Monthly cost
- $5 VPS.
Migration sketch. Same migration UI as Gitea — Forgejo is a community-governed soft fork that has stayed wire-compatible. Use a GitLab.com PAT under Site Administration → Migrations.
Good fit forTeams that want Gitea's footprint with a community-led governance model.
Weak atSame registry/CI maturity gaps as Gitea relative to GitLab.
In a terminal? npx os-alt gitlab prints this table —
how the CLI works →