Overview

An overview of GitLab as a git-hosting platform.

GitLab is a git-hosting platform built around an open-core model: its core codebase is open source, and the company (GitLab Inc.) sells hosted SaaS (GitLab.com) and self-managed licenses with proprietary Premium and Ultimate tiers on top. This makes GitLab especially popular with organizations that want the option to self-host without depending on a fully closed proprietary product.

GitLab positions itself less as a code host and more as a complete DevOps platform, bundling source control with built-in CI/CD, security scanning, and project planning in a single application rather than relying on marketplace integrations. This “single application” philosophy, combined with strong self-hosting support, is GitLab’s main differentiator from purely SaaS-first competitors.