Introduction to GitHub vs Gitea
Choosing the right repository management tool can make or break your development workflow. GitHub is the world’s most widely used cloud-based platform for hosting and collaborating on code with robust organizational features and deep integrations. Gitea, by contrast, is a lightweight, open source solution that you can self-host, giving you full control over data and customization.
Understanding how each platform handles pull requests, issue tracking, CI/CD integration, and security is essential. Depending on your team’s size, privacy needs, and preferred workflows, one platform may suit you better than the other.
Key Takeaways
- GitHub offers advanced collaboration, integrated marketplace, and managed cloud hosting with limits based on your plan.
- Gitea is fully open source, self-hosted, and highly customizable—ideal for teams needing privacy, flexibility, and data control.
- Security features are robust in GitHub (supports SAML/SSO, SOC 2 standards) while Gitea’s security depends on your own server configuration.
- Cost: GitHub provides both free and paid plans; Gitea itself is free to use and self-host.
| Feature | How GitHub handles it | How Gitea handles it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repository Management | Comprehensive cloud-hosted service, full-featured interface | Lightweight, self-hosted, user-customizable storage and control | Large teams, cloud convenience |
| Pull Requests | Advanced code review and merging capabilities | Standard pull requests, customizable via open source | Teams needing simplicity or custom workflows |
| Issue Tracking | Integrated, feature-rich issue tracker | Integrated tracker, customizable per deployment | Privacy-focused development |
| CI/CD Integration | Native GitHub Actions, Marketplace options | User-managed integrations, external CI/CD tools support | Cloud-native workflows or custom setups |
| OAuth Authentication | Supported | Supported; user-configured | Custom authentication needs |
| SAML/SSO Support | Supported | Configurable via deployment | Enterprises with custom SSO |
| Self-Hosting | Not natively supported; possible via GitHub Enterprise Server | Core feature | Organizations needing data control |
| Open Source Licensing | No (proprietary service) | Yes (fully open source) | Teams needing transparency or customization |
| Data Residency | Data on GitHub’s servers; cloud-based | Full control—data stored by the user | Strict privacy/policy requirements |
| SOC 2 Compliance | Enterprise-grade security (e.g., SOC 2 supported) | Depends on user hosting, not specified by default | Enterprises with compliance needs |
| Pricing | Free and paid plans | Free (self-hosted); infrastructure costs only | Cost-sensitive teams |
| Limits | Limited by plan (repos, collaborators, CI minutes) | None by default | Large/complex projects |
Repository Management and Collaboration
GitHub provides an industry-standard interface for repository management, making it easy to add collaborators, manage private or public projects, and track changes. User roles and permissions can be set per project or organization, but storage and collaborator counts are defined by your subscription tier. It excels at workflows like pull requests, branch protection, and code review—a major benefit for distributed teams.
Gitea, being self-hosted, gives you total independence and virtually unlimited repositories as you’re only limited by your own infrastructure. Collaboration features like pull requests and issue tracking are built in, and you can customize them to suit your workflow by tweaking the source or adding plugins. However, you must set up access controls and manage users yourself.
Features and Customization
GitHub’s advanced features include a fully managed cloud environment, integrated CI/CD (GitHub Actions), and an extensive marketplace for third-party apps and bots. Its proprietary platform is not open to source-level changes, so you’re limited to what GitHub offers.
Gitea is fully open source. You can modify functionality, build extensions, or configure privacy settings as needed. Self-hosting means you maintain all data and can adapt the platform for compliance or security. While it may lack some of GitHub’s polish, you get unparalleled adaptability and privacy.
Pricing Models and Cost Implications
GitHub operates on a tiered pricing model. Basic use (public and private repos) is free, but advanced features—such as increased storage, enterprise SSO, and additional CI/CD minutes—require a paid plan. This may become costly as your team scales.
Gitea is free to download and use. Your only costs are infrastructure and maintenance for the server running Gitea. There are no contractual user or repository limits. This can be highly cost-effective, particularly for organizations already running their own infrastructure or with many private projects.
Integration Capabilities
GitHub offers integrated CI/CD with GitHub Actions and access to a large marketplace of automation and developer tools. This ecosystem encourages standardization and reduces maintenance overhead. Most modern developer tools support direct GitHub integration, making workflow automation straightforward.
Gitea supports external integrations via its APIs and webhooks, but setup and compatibility will depend on your specific deployment and configuration. For CI/CD, you may need to pair it with external tools like Jenkins. While flexibility is high, you’ll do more integration work yourself.
Security, Authentication, and Compliance
GitHub delivers enterprise-grade security, including SAML/SSO, two-factor authentication, code scanning, dependency reviews, and options for SOC 2 compliance, especially on enterprise tiers. These are managed services maintained by GitHub’s team, reducing client-side workload.
Gitea’s security posture is determined by your deployment choices—basic authentication and HTTPS are included, but features like SSO or advanced compliance must be installed and monitored by your team. This gives maximum flexibility but also puts the onus on your sysadmins for correct configuration and monitoring.
Data Residency and Control
On GitHub, your data is stored and processed on cloud servers owned by the company, which could present compliance or privacy concerns for sensitive organizations. Data residency details are not user-controllable unless using GitHub Enterprise Server (on-premises version).
With Gitea, you own the entire data lifecycle. Host it anywhere—on-premises, in your cloud of choice, or in air-gapped environments—to meet your internal policies on privacy, residency, and disaster recovery. This is a core driver for organizations requiring full control over their codebase.
Platform Limitations and User Considerations
GitHub restricts repository counts, collaborators, and CI/CD usage based on your plan, making it less attractive for extremely large or private deployments unless you invest in top-tier plans. Accessibility compliance details are not publicly specified.
Gitea imposes no technical limits by default; your hardware resources are the only bottleneck. However, running your own instance means managing updates, security practices, and scalability yourself. Carefully evaluate your operational capacity before choosing a self-hosted route.
When to Choose GitHub vs Gitea
- You should choose GitHub if: You prefer an all-in-one hosted solution with streamlined setup, robust integrations, built-in CI/CD, and proven enterprise security/compliance options. This is ideal for most startups, open source projects, or large organizations without specific data control needs.
- You should choose Gitea if: You require self-hosting, total data privacy, or want to customize your repository management to suit unique workflows. Gitea suits organizations with strict policy requirements, those operating in regulated environments, or teams with existing infrastructure and sysadmin skills.
Conclusion
GitHub and Gitea are both strong choices for repository management, but each targets a fundamentally different set of user needs. GitHub excels at convenience, security, collaboration, and a rich app ecosystem—at a cost determined by your growth.
Gitea is the premier choice for privacy, flexibility, and cost control, especially for teams who can self-manage hosting and security. Match your organization’s needs to each platform’s strengths to ensure the right fit.
FAQs
What are the main differences between GitHub and Gitea?
GitHub is cloud-hosted with advanced collaboration, security, and integrations, but it has usage limits and is not open source. Gitea is open source, self-hosted, and customizable for privacy and control, but requires more setup and sysadmin work.
Is Gitea an open source alternative to GitHub?
Yes. Gitea is a fully open source, self-hosted platform designed to provide repository management similar to GitHub.
Which platform offers better enterprise security features?
GitHub offers more enterprise security out of the box, including SAML/SSO, code scanning, and SOC 2 compliance support. Gitea’s security depends on your setup and configuration.
Can I migrate repositories from GitHub to Gitea?
Yes. Both platforms use the Git protocol, so you can migrate repositories using standard Git operations.
Which is more cost-effective for private repositories?
Gitea is generally more cost-effective for private repositories since it is free to use and self-host. GitHub charges based on user tier and resource consumption.
How do integrations differ between GitHub and Gitea?
GitHub offers a managed marketplace and native integrations. Gitea supports integrations via APIs and webhooks but requires more manual setup.
What compliance certifications do GitHub and Gitea hold?
GitHub supports SOC 2 compliance for enterprises. Gitea’s compliance depends on your deployment and is not specified by the project itself.