# Gitea vs GitLab

> Pick Gitea for a fast, lightweight Git server with built-in Actions on modest hardware; pick GitLab if you want a full DevOps platform and can give it a large server.

## Verdict

Gitea suits individuals, homelabs and small to mid-size teams that want GitHub-style repos, issues, packages and Actions-compatible CI in a single Go binary. GitLab is worth its much larger footprint when you need an integrated DevOps suite with mature CI/CD, a container registry, security scanning and fine-grained group management for many teams.

- Best for Gitea: Lightweight self-hosted Git with GitHub Actions-style CI
- Best for GitLab: Organizations that want an all-in-one DevOps platform

## Key differences

| Aspect | Gitea | GitLab |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT. | Community Edition is MIT; code in the ee/ directory is proprietary and needs a paid license. |
| Language/stack | Go, shipped as a single binary or Docker image. | Ruby on Rails plus Go services, packaged as the Omnibus installer or Docker image. |
| Hardware needs | Runs on a Raspberry Pi or small VPS for personal and small-team use. | Docs list 8 vCPU and 16 GB RAM as the single-node baseline, with 8 GB as the floor. |
| Database | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MSSQL or built-in SQLite. | PostgreSQL only. |
| CI/CD | Gitea Actions, largely compatible with GitHub Actions workflows, using a separate act_runner. | GitLab CI/CD with .gitlab-ci.yml, runners, environments and a container registry built in. |
| Learning curve | Small admin surface; setup takes minutes. | Many features and settings; upgrades and backups need more planning. |

## GitHub numbers

| Metric | Gitea | GitLab |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 58,319 | 24,555 |
| Forks | 7,225 | 5,983 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 1,696 | 2,397 |
| Last commit | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v28.0.0 | None |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| License type | Open source | Open source |
| Language | Go | Ruby |
| Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea | https://github.com/gitlabhq/gitlabhq |

App pages: [Gitea](https://appsgit.com/apps/gitea), [GitLab](https://appsgit.com/apps/gitlab)

## FAQ

### Is Gitea a good GitLab alternative?

For most small teams, yes. Gitea covers repositories, issues, pull requests, wikis, packages and Actions-based CI with a fraction of the resources, but it lacks GitLab's deeper DevOps features such as built-in security scanning.

### Can I migrate from GitLab to Gitea?

Yes. Gitea's migration tool can import repositories from GitLab, including issues, labels, milestones and merge requests when you provide an access token.

### Which uses less memory, Gitea or GitLab?

Gitea, by a wide margin. It runs on single-board computers, while GitLab's documentation sets a baseline of 16 GB of memory for a single-node install.

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/compare/gitea-vs-gitlab
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