Both host your code and run your pipelines, and for a small team either is fine. The decision gets interesting at the point where you need security scanning, compliance evidence, or the option to run the platform on your own infrastructure — which for Indian companies selling into BFSI or government is frequently a requirement rather than a preference.
| Feature | GitLab | GitHub |
|---|---|---|
| CI/CD | Built in from the start, one config file | GitHub Actions — powerful, marketplace-driven |
| Security scanning (SAST/DAST/SCA) | Included in Ultimate, integrated into MR view | Advanced Security, licensed separately |
| Self-managed / on-premise | First-class — same product, your infrastructure | GitHub Enterprise Server |
| India data residency | Achievable via self-managed in an Indian DC | Achievable via Enterprise Server |
| Compliance evidence | Strong — audit events, approval rules, DORA metrics | Good, stronger on higher Enterprise tiers |
| AI assistance | GitLab Duo | GitHub Copilot — more mature and widely adopted |
| Ecosystem and integrations | Solid, fewer third-party actions | Largest — Actions marketplace is a real advantage |
| Free tier | Generous, including private repos and CI minutes | Generous, including private repos and Actions minutes |
| Pricing shape | Per user per month, tiers Free/Premium/Ultimate | Per user per month, Free/Team/Enterprise |
| Best fit | One platform, compliance, self-managed needs | Developer experience, ecosystem, Copilot |
At list price the Premium and Team tiers are broadly comparable, but the comparison changes sharply if you need security scanning — that is included in GitLab Ultimate whereas GitHub licenses Advanced Security separately. Price against the capabilities you actually need rather than the base tier.
Yes. GitLab self-managed and GitHub Enterprise Server both run on your own infrastructure, including in an Indian data centre. GitLab's self-managed edition is the more common choice for this, partly because it is the same product as the SaaS version rather than a separate build.
Premium covers most teams: approval rules, better CI controls, and roadmap features. Ultimate adds the security scanning suite, compliance frameworks and portfolio management. The deciding question is whether anyone is asking you for security scan evidence — if enterprise customers or auditors are, Ultimate pays for itself.
Yes, and repository history, issues and merge requests import reasonably cleanly. The work is not the code — it is the pipelines. GitHub Actions workflows do not translate automatically to GitLab CI, so budget time to rewrite them. That rewrite is usually the whole migration timeline.
Yes, through an India partner. That gives you INR pricing, a GST invoice against your GSTIN so the tax is claimable, and a purchase order and renewal trail rather than a card charge in USD.
We supply GitLab licences in INR with GST invoice and help Indian teams plan the migration — including the pipeline rewrite that is the real work.