GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD
On the evidence we track, GitHub Actions leads this comparison with a composite score of 72/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.
Capabilities
Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for ci/cd tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.
What each one is
The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.
GitHub Actions
LeaderGitHub Actions enables developers to automatically build, test, and deploy code from their repositories. It supports parallel matrix builds across multiple environments, integrates with thousands of community-contributed actions, and can be extended with custom workflows written in declarative YAML.
GitLab CI/CD
GitLab's CI/CD system is a core component of its broader DevSecOps platform. It automates the entire pipeline from code commit to production deployment, with integrated security testing (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning) and compliance controls built directly into each build.
Pricing
List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.
GitHub Actions
LeaderFree tier available. Paid plans from $4/user/month.
- FreeFree
- Unlimited public/private repositories
- Dependabot security and version updates
- 2,000 CI/CD minutes/month
- 500MB Packages storage
- Issues & Projects
- +1 more
- Team$4/user/month
- Everything in Free
- GitHub Codespaces access
- Repository rules and branch protection
- Multiple reviewers in pull requests
- Draft pull requests
- +7 more
- EnterpriseContact sales
- Everything in Team
- Advanced security and compliance features
- Flexible deployment options
GitLab CI/CD
From $0 (free tier) to $29/user/mo (Premium, annual billing). Custom pricing for Ultimate and Dedicated. GitLab Flex allows one annual commitment with flexible reallocation across plans.
- FreeFree
- Source code management
- CI/CD pipelines
- Basic security scanning
- GitLab Duo Agent Platform access
- 400 compute minutes/month
- +1 more
- Premium$29/user/mo when billed annually
- Everything in Free
- Advanced CI/CD
- GitLab Duo Agent Platform
- 10,000 compute minutes/month
- 500 GiB storage
- +2 more
- UltimateContact sales
- Everything in Premium
- 50,000 compute minutes/month
- Advanced compliance and audit controls
- Enterprise Agile Planning
- GitLab Duo Agent Platform
- +1 more
- GitLab DedicatedContact sales
- Everything in Ultimate
- Single-tenant deployment
- Data residency in chosen region
- Complete data isolation
- Bring Your Own Encryption
- +2 more
- GitLab Dedicated for Public SectorContact sales
- Everything in Dedicated
- FedRAMP compliance (moderate impact)
- GovRAMP authorization
- AWS GovCloud deployment
- 50,000 compute minutes/month
- +1 more
Platform & deployment
Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.
Integrations
What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.
- AWS
GitHub Actions
Leader- Jira
- npm
- Docker
- GitHub Packages
- GitHub Pages
- CodeQL
- Slack
- Azure
- Google Cloud
- Kubernetes
- TruffleHog
- Prowler
- Gosec
- Super-Linter
- Claude
- OpenCommit
GitLab CI/CD
- AWS Marketplace
- Google Cloud Marketplace
- Google Cloud Platform
Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.