Is there a free alternative to GitHub?

Yes. The 3 free alternatives are Forgejo (open source, GPL-3.0-or-later), Gitea (open source, MIT) and GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (open source, MIT).

How much does GitHub cost?

GitHub's Team plan costs $4 a month, which is $48 a year (per user per month). Source: the official pricing page at github.com, checked Oct 17, 2026.

Which GitHub alternatives run on Linux?

Forgejo (self-hosted server; web UI), Gitea (self-hosted server; web UI) and GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (self-hosted server; web UI).

Can you self-host a GitHub alternative?

Yes. Forgejo, Gitea and GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) run on your own server.

Are these GitHub alternatives open source?

Yes. All 3 use OSI-approved open-source licenses: Forgejo (GPL-3.0-or-later), Gitea (MIT) and GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (MIT).

Free alternatives to GitHub

Swap GitHub for Forgejo, Gitea or GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) and stop paying $48/yr.

3open source3run on Linux3self-hostable

Prices and project data checked Oct 17, 2026 · How we check

$48/yr Team Verified on github.com, Oct 17, 2026

3 alternatives

Forgejo

Self-hosted server About Forgejo →

Replaces it Active Open source · GPL-3.0-or-later Linux Self-hostable

last activity Oct 17, 2026latest release Oct 15, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

You host your own CI runners; most GitHub Actions workflows run with minor changes.

Imports your data: built-in GitHub migration (repos, issues, pull requests, releases, wiki, labels, milestones)

Self-host

Runs on your own Linux server. Setup docs are on forgejo.org.

Gitea

Self-hosted server About Gitea →

Replaces it Active Open source · MIT Linux Self-hostable

go-gitea/gitea58.5k★last push Oct 17, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

You host your own CI runners; most GitHub Actions workflows run with minor changes.

Imports your data: built-in GitHub migration (repos, issues, pull requests, releases, wiki, labels, milestones)

Self-host

Runs on your own Linux server, with Docker files in the repo. Setup docs are on about.gitea.com.

GitLab Community Edition (self-managed)

Self-hosted server About GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) →

Replaces it Active Open source · MIT Linux Self-hostable

gitlabhq/gitlabhq24.6k★last push Oct 17, 2026checked Oct 17, 2026

Imports your data: built-in GitHub importer (repos, issues, pull requests, wiki)

Self-host

Runs on your own Linux server, with Docker files in the repo. Setup docs are on about.gitlab.com.

At a glance

Free alternatives to GitHub compared
Alternative	Verdict	License	Linux	AUR	Self-host	Stars
Forgejo	Replaces it	GPL-3.0-or-later open source	Yes	—	Yes	—
Gitea	Replaces it	MIT open source	Yes	—	Yes	58.5k★
GitLab Community Edition (self-managed)	Replaces it	MIT open source	Yes	—	Yes	24.6k★

GitHub alternatives: questions

Is there a free alternative to GitHub?: Yes. The 3 free alternatives are Forgejo (open source, GPL-3.0-or-later), Gitea (open source, MIT) and GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (open source, MIT).
How much does GitHub cost?: GitHub's Team plan costs $4 a month, which is $48 a year (per user per month). Source: the official pricing page at github.com, checked Oct 17, 2026.
Which GitHub alternatives run on Linux?: Forgejo (self-hosted server; web UI), Gitea (self-hosted server; web UI) and GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (self-hosted server; web UI).
Can you self-host a GitHub alternative?: Yes. Forgejo, Gitea and GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) run on your own server.
Are these GitHub alternatives open source?: Yes. All 3 use OSI-approved open-source licenses: Forgejo (GPL-3.0-or-later), Gitea (MIT) and GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (MIT).

Built or know a better alternative to GitHub? Suggest it free, or get it featured on this page.

Developer Tools

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3 alternatives

Forgejo ↗

Gitea ↗

GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) ↗

At a glance

GitHub alternatives: questions

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Gitea

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