Should I use Gitea or GitHub?

Use Gitea if you want to self-host Git hosting for free with unlimited users; use GitHub if you want the largest open-source ecosystem, native mobile apps, and cloud dev environments.

Is Gitea cheaper than GitHub?

For self-hosting, yes — Gitea's open-source core is free with unlimited users and repositories, while GitHub's equivalent free tier caps CI/CD minutes at 2,000/month and its paid tiers charge per user.

Can GitHub replace Gitea?

Yes for teams that don't need to self-host, since GitHub's hosted platform covers the same core Git hosting, CI/CD, and code review workflow, though it doesn't offer Gitea's free-to-self-host, unlimited-user model.

Does Gitea or GitHub offer free self-hosting with unlimited users?

Gitea does — its MIT-licensed open-source core is free to self-host with unlimited users and repositories, while this data covers GitHub's hosted github.com product rather than a free self-hosted option.

Gitea vs GitHub (2026)

By Noahlast updated September 14, 2026

Verdict: Choose Gitea if you want to self-host Git infrastructure for free with no cap on users or repositories. Choose GitHub if you want the largest open-source ecosystem, native mobile apps, and don't mind paying per user once you outgrow the free tier's usage limits. The deciding factor is hosting model: Gitea's MIT-licensed core is genuinely free with unlimited users when self-hosted, while GitHub's free tier is hosted SaaS with unlimited repos but capped CI/CD minutes, and its network effect of integrations and open-source projects has no equivalent in Gitea's data.

Gitea

A self-hosted Git service with code review, CI/CD, and package registry built in, free and open source under MIT with paid Enterprise self-hosted plans from $9.50/user/month.

Pricing: Free tier · paid from $9.50/mo
License: Open core
Best for: teams that want to self-host Git repository hosting, CI/CD, and package management with unlimited free users, upgrading to Enterprise only for SSO and compliance features

5/5 on Product Hunt (9 reviews)

Details about.gitea.com

GitHub

The dominant Git hosting and developer collaboration platform, free for unlimited public and private repos, with paid Team and Enterprise tiers adding CI/CD minutes and security controls.

Pricing: Free tier · paid from $4/mo
License: Freemium
Best for: development teams that want Git hosting combined with integrated CI/CD, project tracking, and code review in a single platform, from individual open-source maintainers up to large enterprises requiring SSO and compliance

4.8/5 on Capterra (6,198 reviews)

Details github.com

Choose Gitea if…

You want to self-host Git hosting for free with no artificial cap on users or repositories
You need a lightweight platform that runs comfortably on small servers, unlike heavier self-hosted alternatives
You want Gitea Actions' compatibility with existing GitHub Actions workflow syntax to ease a self-hosted migration
You're comfortable with Gitea Enterprise's required 1-year commitment in exchange for SSO and audit logs
You don't need native iOS or Android apps, since Gitea's platform list is web and desktop only

Choose GitHub if…

You want the largest network effect of any Git host, where most open-source projects and third-party tools integrate first
You need native iOS and Android apps for reviewing code away from a desktop
You want cloud development environments (Codespaces) built into the platform
You want a published, per-user monthly price instead of Gitea Cloud's unpublished pricing that requires signing up to see
You want the platform with more third-party reviews backing it, at 6,198 Capterra reviews versus Gitea's 9 on ProductHunt

Gitea vs GitHub: feature comparison

Feature	Gitea	GitHub
Starting price	Yesfree (self-hosted, MIT); Enterprise from $9.50/user/mo	Yesfree (Free tier); Team from $4/user/mo (promo rate, first 12 months)
Free tier	Yesunlimited users and repositories, self-hosted	Yesunlimited public/private repos, 2,000 CI/CD min/mo
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Free self-hosting with no user cap	Yesunlimited users and repos, MIT-licensed	NoGitHub.com is hosted SaaS; this data covers github.com, not GitHub Enterprise Server
Vendor-managed cloud option	YesGitea Cloud, pricing unpublished, 30-day free trial	Yesgithub.com, pricing published on the pricing page
License	Open core — MIT core, proprietary Enterprise add-ons	Freemium — closed source
CI/CD	YesGitea Actions, compatible with GitHub Actions workflow syntax	YesGitHub Actions, 2,000-50,000 min/mo depending on tier
Package registry formats	Yes20+ formats (npm, PyPI, Maven, Cargo, and more)	YesPackages, 500MB-50GB storage depending on tier
SSO / SAML	YesGitea Enterprise, from $9.50/user/mo	YesGitHub Enterprise, from $21/user/mo (promo rate)
Enterprise billing commitment	Partialrequires a 1-year commitment, paid online	Unknownno commitment term stated in this data
Cloud development environments	Unknown	YesGitHub Codespaces, from the Team tier
AI coding assistant	Unknown	YesGitHub Copilot, sold as a separate add-on subscription
External rating	5/5 (9 ProductHunt reviews)	4.8/5 (6,198 Capterra reviews)
Learning curve	Moderate	Moderate
Resource footprint	Yeslightweight Go binary, runs on small VPS or Raspberry Pi-class hardware	N/A — fully managed SaaS, no self-hosted footprint in this data

Gitea vs GitHub pricing: which costs less?

Gitea is free to self-host with unlimited users and repositories if you're willing to run the server yourself, while GitHub's equally free tier is unlimited on repos but caps CI/CD minutes at 2,000/month before per-user paid tiers apply.

Gitea Enterprise (self-hosted) starts at $9.50/user/month but requires a mandatory 1-year commitment paid online, while GitHub's Team ($4/user/month) and Enterprise ($21/user/month) prices shown are promotional first-year rates that increase afterward. Gitea also sells Gitea Cloud, a managed hosting option, but its subscription price isn't published anywhere on the site.

Which is easier to use, Gitea or GitHub?

Both are rated a moderate learning curve in this data, with GitHub's difficulty concentrated in configuring Actions and navigating large repositories, and Gitea's in self-hosting and administering the server itself.

Which has more third-party ecosystem and integrations, Gitea or GitHub?

GitHub has the far larger ecosystem, described in this data as the largest network effect of any Git host, with most open-source projects and third-party developer tools integrating with GitHub first.

Gitea's data explicitly names a smaller third-party integration and marketplace ecosystem as a real limitation compared to GitHub or GitLab, even though Gitea Actions can reuse existing GitHub Actions workflow files to ease that gap for CI/CD specifically.

Which lets you self-host for free with no user limit, Gitea or GitHub?

Gitea does: its open-source core is MIT-licensed with unlimited users and repositories at no cost, while this data covers GitHub's hosted github.com product rather than a free self-hosted alternative.

Strengths and weaknesses

Gitea

Pros

Open-source core is free with unlimited users and repositories, no artificial caps.
Lightweight Go binary runs comfortably on small servers, unlike heavier self-hosted alternatives.
Gitea Actions is compatible with existing GitHub Actions workflow syntax, easing migration.
Supports 20+ package registry formats (npm, PyPI, Maven, Cargo, and more) built in.

Cons

Gitea Enterprise requires a 1-year commitment with online payment rather than flexible monthly billing.
Gitea Cloud pricing is not published on the site; the number is only revealed after starting the signup flow.
Smaller third-party integration and marketplace ecosystem than GitHub or GitLab.
Self-hosted deployments still require the team to manage updates, backups, and uptime themselves on the free tier.

GitHub

Pros

Free tier includes unlimited public and private repositories with no user-count restriction.
The largest ecosystem of open-source projects, integrations, and third-party tooling of any Git host.
GitHub Actions and Codespaces provide integrated CI/CD and cloud dev environments without separate tools.
Frequent, well-communicated platform updates and a large community that resolves issues quickly.

Cons

Team and Enterprise pricing ($4 and $21 per user/month) are introductory rates for the first 12 months, increasing afterward.
GitHub Actions and repository security settings have a steeper learning curve for teams new to CI/CD configuration.
Navigating and discovering content in very large repositories with many branches and workflows can be difficult.
Advanced Security features (secret scanning, code scanning at scale) are largely gated behind Enterprise pricing.

Which fits your use case?

Use case	Pick	Why
Team wanting to self-host Git infrastructure for free with unlimited users	Gitea	Gitea's open-source core is MIT-licensed with no artificial user or repository caps; GitHub's free tier is hosted SaaS with CI/CD minute limits.
Open-source project wanting maximum visibility and third-party tooling support	GitHub	GitHub is described as having the largest network effect of any Git host, the default home for most public open-source projects.
Small team wanting a lightweight platform on a modest VPS	Gitea	Gitea's lightweight Go binary runs comfortably on small servers, unlike heavier self-hosted alternatives.
Team wanting native mobile apps to review pull requests away from a desktop	GitHub	GitHub's platform list includes iOS and Android; Gitea's data lists web and desktop platforms only.
Team wanting cloud-based development environments built into the platform	GitHub	GitHub Codespaces is available from the Team tier; Gitea's data lists no equivalent feature.
Enterprise wanting SSO without a mandatory prepaid annual commitment	GitHub	Gitea Enterprise requires a 1-year commitment paid online; GitHub's Enterprise pricing in this data states no such commitment term.

Neither a match?

Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.

5 alternatives to Gitea 6 alternatives to GitHub

Popular comparisons

Gitea vs GitHub: migration FAQ

Should I use Gitea or GitHub?: Use Gitea if you want to self-host Git hosting for free with unlimited users; use GitHub if you want the largest open-source ecosystem, native mobile apps, and cloud dev environments.
Is Gitea cheaper than GitHub?: For self-hosting, yes — Gitea's open-source core is free with unlimited users and repositories, while GitHub's equivalent free tier caps CI/CD minutes at 2,000/month and its paid tiers charge per user.
Can GitHub replace Gitea?: Yes for teams that don't need to self-host, since GitHub's hosted platform covers the same core Git hosting, CI/CD, and code review workflow, though it doesn't offer Gitea's free-to-self-host, unlimited-user model.
Does Gitea or GitHub offer free self-hosting with unlimited users?: Gitea does — its MIT-licensed open-source core is free to self-host with unlimited users and repositories, while this data covers GitHub's hosted github.com product rather than a free self-hosted option.