What is the difference between GitLab and Codeberg?

GitLab is best for Teams that want an all-in-one DevOps platform they can self-host, while Codeberg is best for Open-source projects wanting non-corporate Git hosting. GitLab starts at Free and Codeberg starts at Free.

Is GitLab or Codeberg cheaper?

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

Is there a free alternative to Codeberg?

Both GitLab and Codeberg offer free tiers.

GitLab vs Codeberg

GitLab is Complete DevOps platform with Git hosting, CI/CD, security, and project management in one tool, while Codeberg is non-profit, community-run Git hosting for free and open-source projects. GitLab is built for teams that want an all-in-one devops platform they can self-host, whereas Codeberg targets open-source projects wanting non-corporate git hosting.

At a glance

	GitLab	Codeberg
Best for	Teams that want an all-in-one DevOps platform they can self-host	Open-source projects wanting non-corporate Git hosting
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
CI/CD Pipelines	✓	—
Container Registry	✓	—
Gitea-Based	—	✓
Merge Requests	✓	—
Non-Profit	—	✓
Pages	—	✓
Security Scanning	✓	—
Self-Hosted	✓	—
Woodpecker CI	—	✓

GitLab

Strengths

All-in-one DevOps platform — Git, CI/CD, security
Self-hostable (open-source Community Edition)
Built-in CI/CD without additional setup
Strong security and compliance features

Weaknesses

Interface can be overwhelming
Self-hosted version requires significant resources
Slower than GitHub for basic Git operations
Community Edition lacks some key features

Try GitLab → 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 GitLab and Codeberg are free, so this decision comes down to features and philosophy rather than budget.

Feature gaps: GitLab offers CI/CD Pipelines, Container Registry and Merge Requests that Codeberg lacks. Codeberg brings Gitea-Based, Non-Profit and Pages that GitLab 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: Both GitLab and Codeberg are open source, so self-hosting and code audits are on the table with either choice.

Where each tool shines: GitLab's biggest strengths are: all-in-one devops platform — git, ci/cd, security. self-hostable (open-source community edition). 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 GitLab, users commonly note that interface can be overwhelming. With Codeberg, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose GitLab if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams that want an all-in-one devops platform they can self-host
You specifically need CI/CD Pipelines and Container Registry
You care about self-hostable (open-source community edition)

Choose Codeberg if...

You need a tool built for open-source projects wanting non-corporate git hosting
You specifically need Gitea-Based and Non-Profit
You care about includes non-profit as a core feature, purpose-built for version control workflows