What is the difference between GitHub and Codeberg?

GitHub is best for Open-source projects and teams that want the largest developer ecosystem, while Codeberg is best for Open-source projects wanting non-corporate Git hosting. GitHub starts at Free and Codeberg starts at Free.

Is GitHub or Codeberg cheaper?

GitHub starts at Free and is free. Codeberg starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Codeberg?

Both GitHub and Codeberg offer free tiers.

GitHub vs Codeberg

GitHub is code hosting, version control, and developer collaboration platform powered by Git, while Codeberg is non-profit, community-run Git hosting for free and open-source projects. Codeberg is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. GitHub is built for open-source projects and teams that want the largest developer ecosystem, whereas Codeberg targets open-source projects wanting non-corporate git hosting.

At a glance

	GitHub	Codeberg
Best for	Open-source projects and teams that want the largest developer ecosystem	Open-source projects wanting non-corporate Git hosting
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Actions CI/CD	✓	—
Code Review	✓	—
Copilot AI	✓	—
Gitea-Based	—	✓
Issues	✓	—
Non-Profit	—	✓
Pages	—	✓
Pull Requests	✓	—
Woodpecker CI	—	✓

GitHub

Strengths

Largest developer community and open-source ecosystem
GitHub Actions for CI/CD included
Copilot AI integration
Generous free tier including private repos

Weaknesses

Owned by Microsoft — data sovereignty concerns
Cannot self-host (except GitHub Enterprise Server)
Issue tracking is basic compared to dedicated tools
Pricing for advanced features can be steep

Try GitHub → Full review

Codeberg

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Non-Profit as a core feature, purpose-built for version control workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Large binary files (videos, PSDs) are still a pain to manage in Git-based systems

Try Codeberg → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both GitHub and Codeberg are free, so this decision comes down to features and philosophy rather than budget.

Feature gaps: GitHub offers Actions CI/CD, Code Review and Copilot AI that Codeberg lacks. Codeberg brings Gitea-Based, Non-Profit and Pages that GitHub does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target any size teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Codeberg is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. GitHub is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: GitHub's biggest strengths are: largest developer community and open-source ecosystem. github actions for ci/cd included. Codeberg's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes non-profit as a core feature, purpose-built for version control workflows.

Watch out for: With GitHub, users commonly note that owned by microsoft — data sovereignty concerns. With Codeberg, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose GitHub if...

You need a tool built for open-source projects and teams that want the largest developer ecosystem
You specifically need Actions CI/CD and Code Review
You care about github actions for ci/cd included

Choose Codeberg if...

You need a tool built for open-source projects wanting non-corporate git hosting
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Gitea-Based and Non-Profit
You care about includes non-profit as a core feature, purpose-built for version control workflows