Gitea
Lightweight, self-hosted Git service written in Go — fast, easy to install, and open source.
Overview
Gitea is a lightweight, self-hosted Git service written in Go — fast, easy to install, and open source. It handles self-hosted, lightweight, actions ci, and package registry, and it's best suited for teams wanting lightweight self-hosted git. It has been around since 2016, giving it a 10-year head start in building out integrations and refining the product.
The core product is entirely free. Since it's open-source, you can self-host for free with no user limits. It's designed for small teams, striking a balance between simplicity and collaboration features.
Strengths
- Open source and transparent
- Self-hosted deployment gives you full control over your data and infrastructure
- 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
- Self-hosting requires Linux admin skills and ongoing server maintenance
- Large binary files (videos, PSDs) are still a pain to manage in Git-based systems
Quick info
- Category
- Version Control
- Starting price
- Free
- Free tier
- Fully free
- Open source
- Yes
- Best for
- Small teams
- Founded
- 2016
Last updated 2026-04-12
Quick comparisons
Top alternatives to Gitea
Gitea comparisons
GitHub vs Gitea
Gitea gives you open source and self-hosting; GitHub is a managed service. Which trade-off works for you?
GitLab vs Gitea
GitLab is built for teams that want an all-in-one devops platform they can self-host. Gitea is built for teams wanting lightweight self-hosted git. Pick the one that fits.
Bitbucket vs Gitea
Gitea gives you open source and self-hosting; Bitbucket is a managed service. Which trade-off works for you?
Gitea vs Forgejo
Gitea is built for teams wanting lightweight self-hosted git. Forgejo is built for communities wanting a community-owned git forge. Pick the one that fits.
Gitea vs SourceHut
Gitea is built for teams wanting lightweight self-hosted git. SourceHut is built for developers wanting a minimal, email-driven development platform. Pick the one that fits.
Gitea vs Codeberg
Gitea is built for teams wanting lightweight self-hosted git. Codeberg is built for open-source projects wanting non-corporate git hosting. Pick the one that fits.
More Version Control tools
GitHub
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Complete DevOps platform with Git hosting, CI/CD, security, and project management in one tool.
Bitbucket
Git repository hosting with built-in CI/CD pipelines, integrated with Jira and other Atlassian tools.
Forgejo
Community-owned software forge — a Gitea fork focused on governance and sustainability.
SourceHut
Software development platform using email-based workflows — no JavaScript required.
Codeberg
Non-profit, community-run Git hosting for free and open-source projects.
Stay sharp
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