Git vs GitHub vs GitLab: What's the Difference
Basics3 minInnovialabs editorial team
In short
Git is a program that records the history of your code on your machine; GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket are online services that host Git repositories and build team collaboration around them.
The short answer
- Git is a version control system: a program that records every change to your files, lets you work on parallel branches and merge them. It runs locally and needs no internet.
- GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket are platforms that store Git repositories on a server and add what a team needs: pull/merge requests, code review, issues, CI/CD, access control.
An analogy: Git is the engine and the format, like a text editor, while GitHub is cloud storage with collaboration built on top. You can use Git without GitHub, but not GitHub without Git.
What Git does on its own
- stores the commit history and lets you return to any version;
- supports branches for features and fixes;
- combines changes (
merge,rebase) and shows conflicts; - syncs with remote repositories via
pushandpull.
git init
git add .
git commit -m "First commit"
git remote add origin <repository URL>
git push -u origin main
The last two commands are where the platform comes in. Everything before them works completely offline.
What the platforms add
- Pull request / merge request — discussing and reviewing changes before merging.
- CI/CD — running tests and deployments automatically on every push.
- Issues and boards — tracking work next to the code.
- Permissions — who can read, push and approve merges.
- Branch protection — no direct pushes to
main, required reviews. - Wiki, releases, package and container registries.
GitHub vs GitLab vs Bitbucket
| GitHub | GitLab | Bitbucket | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | Largest community, open source | Full DevOps lifecycle in one product | Integration with Jira and Atlassian tools |
| CI/CD | GitHub Actions | GitLab CI/CD | Bitbucket Pipelines |
| Review | Pull requests | Merge requests | Pull requests |
| Self-hosting | GitHub Enterprise Server (paid) | Self-managed, free Community Edition available | Data Center (paid) |
| Best for | Open source, most teams | Teams wanting all-in-one and self-hosting | Teams living in Jira |
Pricing and free-tier limits change regularly, so check current terms on each platform's site before choosing.
How to choose a platform
- Where does your team already live? If tasks are in Jira, Bitbucket gives handy links. If community and open source matter, GitHub.
- Do you need CI/CD out of the box? All three provide it, but configs are not compatible: moving means rewriting pipelines.
- Data requirements. If code cannot be stored in someone else's cloud, look at self-hosted options.
- Integrations. Check that your messengers, trackers and deployment services work with the platform.
The good news: a Git repository moves between platforms with its full history. Issues, reviews and pipelines are harder to move.
When self-hosting makes sense
Self-hosting is justified when:
- regulatory or client requirements forbid keeping code with an external provider;
- you need to work in a closed network without internet access;
- you need full control over backups, updates and access.
The downsides are real too: you are responsible for the server, security updates, backups and monitoring. For a small team without special requirements, a cloud option is usually simpler and more reliable. Besides GitLab self-managed, there are lightweight open source options such as Gitea and Forgejo that suit small installations.