GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD

Compare GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI/CD features, pricing, and performance metrics side-by-side to find the optimal platform for your engineering workflow.

Feature Comparison Matrix

Feature GitHub Actions GitLab CI/CD
Hosted Runners ✓ Linux, Windows, macOS runners included ✓ Shared runners on GitLab.com
Deployment Gate Approvals ✓ Environment protection rules with required reviewers ✓ Manual jobs in pipeline, environment approvals
Self-Hosted Runners ✓ Self-hosted runners supported on all plans ✓ Bring your own runners
Docker/Kubernetes Support ✓ Docker container support, native K8s deploy actions ✓ Docker-in-Docker, K8s integration, container registry
Matrix Builds ✓ Matrix strategy for OS and version combinations ✓ Parallel matrix jobs in GitLab 13+
Pipeline as Code ✓ YAML-based .github/workflows ✓ .gitlab-ci.yml in repository root
Marketplace/Plugins ✓ Marketplace with 20,000+ actions ✓ Limited, primarily custom images
Parallel Execution ✓ Parallel jobs with matrix strategy ✓ Parallel jobs, DAG pipelines, needs keyword
Cache Management ✓ Built-in caching with cache actions ✓ Cache with paths, distributed caching via S3
Secrets Management ✓ Encrypted secrets with environment-level scoping ✓ CI/CD Variables with masking and scoping
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About GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions is a CI/CD platform integrated directly into GitHub repositories. It allows developers to automate software workflows with YAML-based configuration, supporting any language or cloud provider. With a massive marketplace of pre-built actions and seamless GitHub integration, it is one of the most popular CI/CD choices for teams already on GitHub. It offers both GitHub-hosted and self-hosted runners, matrix builds, and fine-grained access control.

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About GitLab CI/CD

GitLab CI/CD is a robust continuous integration and delivery platform built into GitLab. It offers a complete DevOps lifecycle in a single application, from planning to monitoring. With native Kubernetes integration, auto DevOps, and built-in container registry, it provides a comprehensive solution for teams wanting an all-in-one platform. It supports distributed runners, complex pipelines with DAG, and detailed merge request integrations.

Explore GitLab CI/CD

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GitHub Actions

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GitHub Actions Alternatives

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