Version Control Tools
GitHub
- Ownership: Acquired by Microsoft in 2018.
- Primary Features:
- Repositories: Public and private repositories.
- Collaboration: Pull requests, issues, discussions, and project management tools.
- Integrations: Extensive third-party integrations and GitHub Actions for CI/CD.
- Security: Dependabot for dependency management, code scanning, and secret scanning.
- Community: Large open-source community and extensive documentation.
- Pricing: Free for public repositories and limited private repositories; paid plans for advanced features and more private repositories.
- User Base: Widely used by open-source projects, startups, and large enterprises.
GitLab
- Ownership: Independent company.
- Primary Features:
- Repositories: Public and private repositories.
- Collaboration: Merge requests, issues, and project management tools.
- Integrations: Built-in CI/CD pipelines, container registry, and security scanning.
- Security: Static and dynamic application security testing (SAST and DAST), dependency scanning.
- DevOps: Comprehensive DevOps lifecycle management.
- Pricing: Free tier with basic features; paid plans for advanced features and enterprise support.
- User Base: Popular among DevOps teams and enterprises looking for an all-in-one solution.
Bitbucket
- Ownership: Part of Atlassian.
- Primary Features:
- Repositories: Public and private repositories.
- Collaboration: Pull requests, issues, and integration with Jira and Trello.
- Integrations: Bitbucket Pipelines for CI/CD, and integrations with other Atlassian tools.
- Security: Branch permissions, IP whitelisting, and required two-step verification.
- Code Review: In-line discussions and code review tools.
- Pricing: Free tier with limited features; paid plans for more advanced features and larger teams.
- User Base: Often used by teams already invested in the Atlassian ecosystem.
Azure DevOps
- Ownership: Microsoft.
- Primary Features:
- Repositories: Public and private repositories.
- Collaboration: Pull requests, work items, and integration with Azure Boards.
- Integrations: Azure Pipelines for CI/CD, Azure Artifacts for package management.
- Security: Branch policies, code reviews, and integration with Azure Security Center.
- DevOps: Comprehensive DevOps toolchain with Azure services.
- Pricing: Free tier with basic features; paid plans for advanced features and enterprise support.
- User Base: Popular among enterprises already using Microsoft Azure services.
Comparison Summary
| Feature | GitHub | GitLab | Bitbucket | Azure DevOps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Microsoft | Independent | Atlassian | Microsoft |
| Repositories | Public/Private | Public/Private | Public/Private | Public/Private |
| Collaboration | Pull requests, issues | Merge requests, issues | Pull requests, issues | Pull requests, work items |
| Integrations | Extensive third-party | Built-in CI/CD, security | Bitbucket Pipelines, Jira | Azure Pipelines, Boards |
| Security | Dependabot, code scanning | SAST, DAST, dependency scan | Branch permissions, IP whitelisting | Branch policies, Azure Security Center |
| DevOps | GitHub Actions | Comprehensive DevOps | Limited | Comprehensive DevOps |
| Pricing | Free/Paid | Free/Paid | Free/Paid | Free/Paid |
| User Base | Open-source, startups, enterprises | DevOps teams, enterprises | Atlassian ecosystem users | Azure services users |
Each of these tools has its strengths and is suited to different types of users and use cases. The choice often depends on the specific needs of the team or organization, such as integration requirements, budget, and existing toolchains.
Platform's features
| Feature | Bitbucket | GitHub | GitLab | Azure DevOps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue Tracking | Yes (Jira integration) | Yes | Yes | Yes (Azure Boards) |
| CI/CD Integration | Bitbucket Pipelines | GitHub Actions | GitLab CI/CD | Azure Pipelines |
| Code Review | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Project Management | Basic Kanban board (Jira integration) | GitHub Projects | Advanced features (integrated Agile tools) | Advanced features (Azure Boards, Sprints) |
| Third-Party Integrations | Extensive integrations (Jira, Trello, etc.) | Extensive integrations (Slack, AWS, etc.) | Extensive integrations (Jira, Slack, etc.) | Extensive integrations (Microsoft ecosystem) |
| Self-Hosted Option | Bitbucket Server | GitHub Enterprise Server | Yes | Azure DevOps Server |
| User Interface | Modern, clean | Modern, clean | Modern, clean | Modern, clean |
| Access Control | Fine-grained permissions | Fine-grained permissions | Fine-grained permissions | Fine-grained permissions |
| Code Search | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wikis | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Market Share | Less than GitHub and GitLab | Largest market share | Growing rapidly | Significant, especially among enterprises |
| Community | Active, but smaller than GitHub | Very large and active | Large and active | Active, enterprise-focused |
| Pricing | Free for small teams, paid for larger teams | Free for individual developers, paid plans | Free tier available, paid for additional features | Free tier available, paid for additional features |
| Security Features | SAML SSO, 2FA, IP whitelisting | SAML SSO, 2FA, IP whitelisting | SAML SSO, 2FA, Dependency scanning, etc. | SAML SSO, 2FA, Azure Security Center integration |
| Mobile App | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Repository Size Limit | 2 GB per repo (soft limit) | 1 GB per repo (soft limit) | 10 GB per repo | 250 GB per repo |
| Code Snippets | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Artifact Management | No | GitHub Packages | Container Registry | Azure Artifacts |
| Test Management | No | No | No | Yes (Azure Test Plans) |