Head-to-Head Comparison
GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI: CI/CD Comparison
GitHub Actions integrates seamlessly with GitHub repos with a huge marketplace. GitLab CI is built into GitLab with powerful pipelines. Choice depends on your git hosting.
github-actions
gitlab-ci
Last updated: 2025-01
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | github-actions | gitlab-ci |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | GitHub repos | GitLab repos |
| Learning Curve | Easy | Medium |
| Pricing | Generous free | Generous free |
| Marketplace | Huge | Limited |
| Self-hosting | Enterprise | Easy |
| Pipeline Syntax | YAML | YAML |
| Integration | GitHub native | GitLab native |
github-actions
- Best For
- GitHub repos
- Learning Curve
- Easy
- Pricing
- Generous free
- Marketplace
- Huge
- Self-hosting
- Enterprise
- Pipeline Syntax
- YAML
- Integration
- GitHub native
gitlab-ci
- Best For
- GitLab repos
- Learning Curve
- Medium
- Pricing
- Generous free
- Marketplace
- Limited
- Self-hosting
- Easy
- Pipeline Syntax
- YAML
- Integration
- GitLab native
Winner by Category
Best for Beginners
github-actionsMore templates and examples
Best for Customisation
gitlab-ciMore pipeline features
Best for Speed
TieBoth are fast
Best for Learning
github-actionsLarger community
Best Value
TieSimilar free tiers
Our Recommendation
Use GitHub Actions if you're on GitHub, GitLab CI if you're on GitLab. Both are excellent CI/CD solutions.
When to Choose Each Tool
1
Choose GitHub Actions
Code hosted on GitHub
2
Choose GitLab CI
Code hosted on GitLab
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