GForge: The Best Alternative
To GitLab
GitLab can be overwhelming and expensive. GForge gives you everything you need for project management and DevOps—without the complexity, without buying “CI/CD minutes,” and at a fraction of the cost.
What GitLab Users Are Saying
“The user interface can be overwhelming at first, and the learning curve is a bit steep for beginners.”
“GitLab’s complexity to establish for new users is overwhelming. Some settings and features are deep layered inside settings and difficult to find and use.”
“It can feel a bit slow sometimes, especially with larger repositories or more complex pipelines. Also, some settings and permissions are buried deep in menus.”
“You will start experiencing a ‘broken development workflow’, wasting time and commits, in a trial and error process… Commit history is going to get dirty.”
Had Enough of GitLab’s Complexity?
Let us help you migrate to GForge. You’ll get more features, simpler workflows, and better support for a lot less money.
Schedule A Meeting Take a Tour
Try It Now
Create an account on our SaaS instance and get started immediately.
- – First 5 users free
- – Projects can be public or private
- – Open source projects are free
Download
Download the installer, and run your own GForge instance on any Docker-compatible server in about one minute.
Download NowFeature Comparison: GForge vs GitLab
GForge delivers the same core capabilities as GitLab, without the overwhelming complexity and hidden costs. Check out our point-by-point comparison for details.
| Feature | GForge | GitLab | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workflow | YES | YES | Both provide workflow automation |
| Full Agile Support | YES | YES, BUT… | Many advanced Agile features require GitLab Premium ($29/user/month) or Ultimate ($99/user/month) |
| REST API | YES | YES | Both offer comprehensive APIs |
| Internal & External Collaboration | YES | YES | Both support team collaboration |
| Managed Hosting | YES | YES | Both offer SaaS options |
| Cloud & Server-based Deployment | YES | YES, BUT… | GitLab self-managed requires complex setup and ongoing maintenance |
| Simple Installation & Upgrades | YES | COMPLEX | GForge installs in ~1 minute via Docker. GitLab self-managed installation is notoriously complex |
| Customized Tickets | YES | YES | Both allow ticket customization |
| Pull Requests / Merge Requests | YES | YES | Both support code review workflows |
| Document Management | YES | LIMITED | GForge has robust document versioning. GitLab has basic file storage |
| Chat | YES | NO | GForge has built-in team chat. GitLab requires 3rd party integration |
| Continuous Integration | YES | YES, BUT… | GForge: Unlimited CI/CD with Jenkins integration (no “minutes” to buy). GitLab: Limited CI/CD minutes, then $10 per 1,000 additional minutes |
| Knowledge Management | YES | YES | Both offer wiki functionality |
| Centralized Search | YES | YES | Both provide search capabilities |
| Service Desk | YES | YES, BUT… | GitLab Service Desk requires Premium tier ($29/user/month) |
| Single Sign-on (SSO) | YES | YES, BUT… | GitLab SSO requires Premium or Ultimate tier |
| Portfolio Management | YES | YES, BUT… | GitLab portfolio features require Ultimate tier ($99/user/month) |
| Kanban Boards | YES | YES | Both offer Kanban boards |
| Sprint Planning | YES | LIMITED | GForge has full sprint planning. GitLab has basic iteration support |
Pricing Comparison: GForge vs GitLab
Let’s look at real-world pricing for a team of 30 users who need project management, Git repositories, CI/CD, wikis, and team collaboration.
GForge
| Base Platform (30 users) | $4,000/year |
| Full Agile Support (Kanban, Scrum, Sprints) | Included |
| Version Control (Git/SVN) | Included |
| CI/CD (Unlimited Jenkins Integration) | Included |
| Wiki & Document Management | Included |
| Team Chat | Included |
| Service Desk & SSO | Included |
| Portfolio Management | Included |
| Total Annual Cost (30 users) | $4,000 |
All features included. No per-minute CI/CD charges. No surprise bills.
GitLab
| Premium Tier (30 users × $29/mo) | $10,440/year |
| — OR Ultimate Tier (30 users × $99/mo) | $35,640/year |
| CI/CD Minutes Included | 10,000/mo (Premium) 50,000/mo (Ultimate) |
| CI/CD Overage (common for active teams) | $10 per 1,000 min |
| Team Chat | Not included (use Slack, etc.) |
| Advanced Agile & Portfolio | Ultimate only |
| Total Annual Cost (30 users) | $10,440 – $35,640+ |
*Premium tier shown. CI/CD overages, storage add-ons, and 3rd party chat not included. Active teams often exceed included minutes.
GForge Saves You $6,000 – $31,000+ Annually
For a 30-user team: $4,000/year (GForge) vs $10,440/year (GitLab Premium) or $35,640+/year (GitLab Ultimate).
And with GForge, you’ll never get a surprise CI/CD bill.
Why Teams Are Switching from GitLab to GForge
Simpler Setup
GForge: Docker-based installation in ~1 minute. Upgrades are seamless.
GitLab: Self-managed installation is notoriously complex, requiring significant DevOps expertise and ongoing maintenance.
No Hidden Costs
GForge: Unlimited CI/CD with Jenkins. No “minutes” to buy. All features included at one price.
GitLab: Limited CI/CD minutes that run out quickly. $10 per 1,000 additional minutes. Storage costs extra. Enterprise features locked behind $99/user/month tier.
Better Project Management
GForge: Built for teams that need robust project management alongside development tools. Full Agile support included.
GitLab: Developer-focused. Advanced project management and portfolio features require Ultimate tier ($99/user/month).
Less Overwhelming
GForge: Clean, intuitive interface. Features are easy to find and use.
GitLab: Users consistently complain about overwhelming UI, steep learning curve, and settings buried deep in menus.
Built-in Team Chat
GForge: Team chat is integrated. All project activity streamed in one place.
GitLab: No built-in chat. Requires paying for separate service like Slack.
Unlimited Jenkins Integration
GForge: Hook as many Jenkins instances as you need to a single GForge instance. No limits, no extra costs.
GitLab: Built-in CI/CD is powerful but limited by minutes. Running your own GitLab Runners is complex.
GitLab’s Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
When comparing GForge to GitLab, it’s important to look beyond license costs and consider the total cost of ownership—especially if you’re running self-managed (on-premises).
Pricing Complexity
GForge: Simple, transparent pricing. One price includes all features. First 5 users free, then $6/user/month.
GitLab: Confusing tiered pricing (Free, Premium $29/user, Ultimate $99/user). Essential features locked behind higher tiers. Hidden costs for CI/CD minutes and storage.
Installation and Maintenance
GForge: Single Docker container. One server. One-minute installation. Seamless upgrades.
GitLab: Complex self-managed installation. Requires significant DevOps expertise. Frequent updates can cause downtime and breakage. Users report “error 500 during upgrades” and “feels like they test on paying customers.”
Integration and Data Migration
GForge: Unified REST API. Project Export feature lets you get all data in a single package. We won’t hold your data hostage.
GitLab: Complex data export process. Migrating away can be difficult.
Learning Curve
GForge: Intuitive interface. Teams get productive quickly.
GitLab: “Overwhelming UI,” “steep learning curve,” “settings buried deep in menus”—these are consistent user complaints.
Looking for a quick overview? See our GitLab Alternative page for a simpler summary of why teams switch to GForge.
Ready to Simplify Your DevOps?
GForge gives you everything GitLab does—and more—without the complexity, hidden costs, or overwhelming interface.
Try GForge SaaS
Create an account and get started immediately.
- First 5 users free
- All features included
- No credit card required
Self-Host GForge
Download and run on your own Docker-compatible server.
- One-minute installation
- Full control of your data
- Free for up to 5 users
Talk to Us
Let us help you migrate from GitLab to GForge.
- Migration assistance
- Custom demo
- Answer your questions
