commons
Built in the open
THE REPLACEMENT INDEX

Open alternatives to GitLab.

Compare projects for code hosting. Pick the workflow you need, then check the gaps and adoption documentation.

Want to help build an alternative?

Platforms describe available clients; self-hosted services still need a server. “Mixed licenses” means editions or components have different terms.

A PLACE TO START

Open alternatives exist. Start a Commons project.

The curated references below are independent upstream projects. A member-owned Commons project is a separate place to share work and coordinate a team.

No Commons project is linked to GitLab yet. Add yours or use the guide to start one.

How to start one
1 project for this comparison

Reviewed upstream alternatives

Comparisons cover specific workflows, not complete feature parity. An active alpha can be worth building while still being unsuitable for daily work.

Developer tools

Forgejo

Established project

Community-developed code hosting for repositories, issues and pull requests.

WebSelf-hostedGPL-3.0-or-later · current codeOpen source
Repositories, issues and code collaborationSelected workflows

Compare CI, runners and enterprise features for your own workflow.

Sources, activity & license scope

Historical MIT code remains. Review integrations and runners separately.

License source Release: 16.0.6 / 15.0.10 · Oct 12, 2026
Workflow source

Reviewed Oct 14, 2026 · Commons editorial research

Explore project Adoption & documentation

Independent curated reference · discuss it here; contribute upstream.