Is there a free alternative to GitLab?

Yes. The 2 free alternatives are GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (open source, MIT) and Forgejo (open source, GPL-3.0-or-later).

How much does GitLab cost?

GitLab's Premium plan costs $29 a month, which is $348 a year (per user per month, billed annually ($348/user/yr)). Source: the official pricing page at about.gitlab.com, checked Oct 17, 2026.

Which GitLab alternatives run on Linux?

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

Can you self-host a GitLab alternative?

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

Are these GitLab alternatives open source?

Yes. All 2 use OSI-approved open-source licenses: GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (MIT) and Forgejo (GPL-3.0-or-later).

Free alternatives to GitLab

Swap GitLab for GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) or Forgejo and stop paying $348/yr.

2open source2run on Linux2self-hostable

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

$348/yr Premium Verified on about.gitlab.com, Oct 17, 2026

2 alternatives

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

Free tier only: no required merge-request approvals, code owners, epics or merge trains from Premium.

Imports your data: project export/import or direct transfer from GitLab.com

Self-host

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

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

GitLab CI pipelines must be rewritten as Actions-style workflows, and you run your own runners.

Imports your data: built-in GitLab migration (repos, issues, merge requests, releases, wiki)

Self-host

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

At a glance

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

GitLab alternatives: questions

Is there a free alternative to GitLab?: Yes. The 2 free alternatives are GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (open source, MIT) and Forgejo (open source, GPL-3.0-or-later).
How much does GitLab cost?: GitLab's Premium plan costs $29 a month, which is $348 a year (per user per month, billed annually ($348/user/yr)). Source: the official pricing page at about.gitlab.com, checked Oct 17, 2026.
Which GitLab alternatives run on Linux?: GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (self-hosted server; web UI) and Forgejo (self-hosted server; web UI).
Can you self-host a GitLab alternative?: Yes. GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) and Forgejo run on your own server.
Are these GitLab alternatives open source?: Yes. All 2 use OSI-approved open-source licenses: GitLab Community Edition (self-managed) (MIT) and Forgejo (GPL-3.0-or-later).

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

Developer Tools

More to cancel in Developer Tools

All Developer Tools →