The Best Open Source GitHub AlternativesTop Source Code Hosting Services & Version Control Systems like GitHub

The best open source alternative to GitHub is GitLab. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to GitHub and loads of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to GitHub are Codeberg, Gogs, Forgejo and Gitea.

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GitHub alternatives are mainly Version Control Systems, but if you're looking for Source Code Hosting Services or Issue Tracking Systems you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Europe, Self-Hosted, Open Source, Free + Source Code Hosting, Android and EU. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to GitHub.

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Get a badge for your siteGitHub alternatives page was last updated Jun 26, 2026

GitLab
779 likes
Provides a robust platform for on-premise or hosted Git repository management, integrating seamlessly with various dev tools, facilitating efficient workflow through offerings like issue tracking, code reviews, continuous integration, CI/CD pipelines, and option for unlimited private repositories.
127 GitLab alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Version Control
Source Code Hosting
Origin
United States
Platforms
Linux
Online
BSD
Self-Hosted
Ruby
Cloudron
United States
+4
Good alternative?Is GitLab a good alternative to GitHub?

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21comments
GitLab vs GitHub Comments
Top Positive Comment by soul1472 · Mar 31, 2026
Gitlab is better than Github if you don't mind it having "AI", too.
Positive comment by Guest · Jan 5, 2025
Not controlled by the privacy-hostile (many times) convicted felon Microsoft.
Positive comment by ub · Jul 27, 2024
why is github not open source? all of your code was stolen and used to train co-pilot, thanks microsoft.
3 of 21 comments
GitLab is Freemium and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
GitLab is a Version Control GitHub is a Source Code Hosting Service
GitLab is Security-focusedGitHub is not according to our users
Codeberg
139 likes
A free Git source code hosting service with the objective to give the open-source code that is running our world a safe and friendly home, and to ensure that code remains free and secure forever.
59 Codeberg alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Version Control
Source Code Hosting
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Online
Germany
EU
+5
Good alternative?Is Codeberg a good alternative to GitHub?

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7comments
Codeberg vs GitHub Comments
Top Positive Comment by Buster_Blue · Mar 24, 2025
Codeberg is FOSS and it's run by a non-profit organization. This makes it a fitting home for open source projects.
Positive comment by fernandosoares · Jun 26, 2026
Codeberg is not intrusive. It does not collect user data as the mainstream alternative.
Positive comment by Alex · Apr 9, 2026
It comes from EU and offers translated UI
3 of 7 comments
Codeberg is Free and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
Codeberg is a Version Control GitHub is a Source Code Hosting Service
Codeberg is Lightweight and Privacy focusedGitHub is not according to our users
Gogs
141 likes
The easiest, fastest, and most painless way of setting up a self-hosted Git service. With Go, this can be done with an independent binary distribution across ALL platforms that Go supports, including Linux, Mac OS X, Windows and ARM.
49 Gogs alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Version Control
Source Code Hosting
Origin
China
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Self-Hosted
Go (Programming Language)
Cloudron
China
Good alternative?Is Gogs a good alternative to GitHub?

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2comments
Gogs vs GitHub Comments
Positive comment by Guest · Sep 11, 2020
Self-hosted and really light weight. Installs on docker in just a few minutes. Super excellent!
Positive comment by petardudas · Feb 14, 2017
It's very simple to set up.
2 of 2 comments
Gogs is Free and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
Gogs is a Version Control GitHub is a Source Code Hosting Service
Gogs is LightweightGitHub is not according to our users
Forgejo
74 likes
Beyond coding. We forge. Forgejo is a self-hosted lightweight software forge. Easy to install and low maintenance, it just does the job.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Source Code Hosting
Version Control
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Self-Hosted
Go (Programming Language)
Cloudron
Germany
EU
+5
Good alternative?Is Forgejo a good alternative to GitHub?

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1comment
Forgejo vs GitHub Comments
Positive comment by Subscribe6225 · Apr 8, 2025
Open Source, European, Self-hosted
1 of 1 comments
Forgejo is Free and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
Forgejo is Lightweight, Privacy focused, Decentralized and CustomizableGitHub is not according to our users
Gitea
185 likes
Gitea is a fork of Gogs, lightweight code hosting solution written in Go and published under the MIT license.
54 Gitea alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Version Control
Source Code Hosting
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
BSD
Self-Hosted
Raspberry Pi
Cloudron
Chocolatey
United States
+3
Good alternative?Is Gitea a good alternative to GitHub?

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6comments
Gitea vs GitHub Comments
Top Positive Comment by 6543 · Oct 28, 2019
gitea v1.9.4 and newer has all features you want and know from github ... but selfhosted and lightweight! And if there is one feature missiong its sure on a list
Positive comment by Pierre LeBaux · Jul 11, 2022
Self-hosted, simple, great.
Positive comment by Freeplay · Jun 25, 2021
You can run your own instance, but you can use other instances like Codeberg as well!
3 of 6 comments
Gitea is Freemium and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
Gitea is a Version Control GitHub is a Source Code Hosting Service
Gitea is Lightweight, Privacy focused and Security-focusedGitHub is not according to our users
GitHub Desktop
172 likes
GitHub Desktop is a native Git client for Mac OS X and Windows with a graphical user interface.
71 GitHub Desktop alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Version Control
Git Client
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
United States
Good alternative?Is GitHub Desktop a good alternative to GitHub?

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1comment
GitHub Desktop vs GitHub Comments
Negative comment by Guest · May 3, 2026
The Github Desktop is a desktop application which connects to the github service. It is like comparing oranges to apples.
1 of 1 comments
GitHub Desktop is Free and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
GitHub Desktop is a Version Control GitHub is a Source Code Hosting Service
GitHub Desktop is LightweightGitHub is not according to our users
GitBucket
54 likes
GitBucket is the easily installable open-source GitHub clone written with Scala.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Source Code Hosting
Version Control
Origin
Japan
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Self-Hosted
Scala
Japan
Good alternative?Is GitBucket a good alternative to GitHub?

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1comment
GitBucket vs GitHub Comments
Positive comment by kounoike · Sep 11, 2016
GitBucket has most powerful API compatibility to GitHub.com/GitHubEnterprise!
1 of 1 comments
GitBucket is Free and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
GitBucket is Privacy focusedGitHub is not according to our users
SourceHut
30 likes
sourcehut is a network of useful open source tools for software project maintainers and collaborators, including git repos, bug tracking, continuous integration, and mailing lists.
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Version Control
Source Code Hosting
Origin
Netherlands
EU
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Netherlands
EU
+3
Good alternative?Is SourceHut a good alternative to GitHub?

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2comments
SourceHut vs GitHub Comments
Positive comment by Guest · Jun 12, 2022
Minimal but usable, perfectly lightweight
Positive comment by Travis FW · Apr 8, 2026
First-class Mercurial support; snappy no-BS interface; reliable; no apparent morally objectionable business practices.
2 of 2 comments
SourceHut is Freemium and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
SourceHut is a Version Control GitHub is a Source Code Hosting Service
SourceHut is Privacy focused and LightweightGitHub is not according to our users
Radicle
22 likes
Peer-to-peer, open source stack built on Git enables decentralized, censorship-resistant code sharing and local-first data control, employing cryptographic verification, extensible collaborative objects, modular interfaces, and seamless data migration with no central entity.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Version Control
Source Code Hosting
Origin
Switzerland
Platforms
Mac
Linux
Switzerland
Good alternative?Is Radicle a good alternative to GitHub?

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1comment
Radicle vs GitHub Comments
Positive comment by dataculi · Nov 6, 2022
This is unique amongst alternatives in that it's built on p2p software. It's surprisingly mature and well made
1 of 1 comments
Radicle is Free and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
Radicle is a Version Control GitHub is a Source Code Hosting Service
Radicle is Decentralized, Privacy focused and LightweightGitHub is not according to our users
Trac
147 likes
Trac is an enhanced wiki and issue tracking system for software development projects. Trac uses a minimalistic approach to web-based software project management. Our mission is to help developers write great software while staying out of the way.
163 Trac alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Project Management
Issue Tracking
Origin
Norway
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
BSD
Self-Hosted
Norway
+4
Good alternative?Is Trac a good alternative to GitHub?

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2comments
Trac vs GitHub Comments
Positive comment by Ron Bowman · Feb 15, 2019
The best issue tracker money can b... oh, wait, it's free!
Negative comment by RemovedUser · Dec 6, 2021
Its usability is a trip into the past I did not miss.
2 of 2 comments
Trac is Free and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary
Trac is a Project Management GitHub is a Source Code Hosting Service
gitdot
5 likes
Open-source platform focused on quality for developers, featuring a highly performant Git server written in Rust, code review with stacked diffs, and a secure, locally testable, and reproducible CI/CD system. Avoids unnecessary AI, encourages code craftsmanship.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Version Control
Source Code Hosting
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
BSD
Rust
Homebrew
United States
Good alternative?Is gitdot a good alternative to GitHub?
Launchpad
112 likes
Launchpad is a collaboration and Bazaar code hosting platform for (primarily open-source) software projects.
101 Launchpad alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Source Code Hosting
Project Management
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Online
Python
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is Launchpad a good alternative to GitHub?

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2comments
Launchpad vs GitHub Comments
Negative comment by Guest · Sep 3, 2015
Launchpad is not a git server
Positive comment by Guest · Sep 25, 2015
you can host code on launchpad, and publish ubuntu packages
2 of 2 comments
Launchpad is Free and Open SourceGitHub is Freemium and Proprietary

12 of 63 GitHub alternatives

The Best Open Source GitHub AlternativesTop Source Code Hosting Services & Version Control Systems like GitHub

Alternatives list

GitLab

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GitLab vs GitHub Comments

Codeberg

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Gogs

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Forgejo

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Gitea

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GitHub Desktop

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GitBucket

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GitBucket vs GitHub Comments

SourceHut

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SourceHut vs GitHub Comments

Radicle

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Trac

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gitdot

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Launchpad

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