Gitea vs GitLab - Self-Hosted Git Repositories for Business

Source code is one of the most valuable assets of any software company - yet many teams still keep it on GitHub, owned by another corporation, on a single developer's drive, or in random folders. A Git repository solves the problem of code chaos, and platforms like Gitea and GitLab let you host it on your own server - with full control over your data and no per-user subscriptions.

What is Git and a code repository?

Git is a version control system - a tool that tracks every change in your code, who made it, and when. This lets you roll back to any earlier version, work on multiple features in parallel, and safely merge the work of many developers.

A repository is where this code, along with its entire change history, is stored. Platforms like Gitea and GitLab add a web interface, team management, code reviews, and automation - turning a plain repository into a complete hub for a development team.

The key advantage of self-hosting: Your source code stays on your server - not with an external provider.

Why your own repository instead of GitHub?

GitHub and Bitbucket are convenient, but they have drawbacks that are unacceptable for many companies:

• Your code is on someone else's server - outside your control and jurisdiction,
• You pay per user - costs rise quickly as your team grows,
• Limited control - you don't decide on data location or security policy,
• Vendor dependency - a pricing or terms change can disrupt your workflow.

Self-hosted solutions reverse this: full ownership, no per-user fees, and data wherever you want - for example, on a server in the European Union, GDPR-compliant.

Gitea - lightweight and fast

Gitea is a lightweight Git platform written in Go, running as a single binary. It's famous for its minimal requirements - you can run it on a Raspberry Pi or the cheapest VPS, often using under 200 MB of RAM.

What Gitea offers:

• Instant deployment - a single binary, installed in minutes,
• Minimal requirements - runs stably on very modest hardware,
• All the essentials - repositories, issue tracking, pull requests, wikis, package registry,
• Gitea Actions - built-in CI/CD compatible with GitHub Actions syntax,
• Simplicity - a clean interface without an overwhelming number of options.

Gitea is the ideal choice for small and medium teams that want their own fast repository quickly, without complex infrastructure.

GitLab - a complete DevOps platform

GitLab is much more than repository hosting - it's a comprehensive DevOps platform covering the entire software lifecycle: from planning, through code and testing, to deployment and monitoring.

What GitLab offers:

• Advanced CI/CD - powerful deployment pipelines built into the platform,
• Security (DevSecOps) - code scanning (SAST/DAST) and vulnerability detection,
• Container registry - built-in Docker image storage,
• Project management - boards, milestones, progress tracking,
• Mature ecosystem - proven in the world's largest organizations.

The price for this power is higher hardware requirements - GitLab CE needs a minimum of 4 GB of RAM, with 8-16 GB recommended for production. It's an investment that pays off in large, complex environments.

Gitea vs GitLab - comparison

Business benefits of your own repository

1. Full control over your code

Your most valuable asset - your source code - stays on your infrastructure. You decide who has access and where the data physically resides.

2. No per-user fees

Instead of paying a subscription for each developer, you bear a one-time cost of deploying and maintaining a server. With larger teams, the savings are significant.

3. GDPR compliance and data sovereignty

By hosting your repository on a server in the EU, you get full compliance with data protection regulations - without sending your code outside Europe.

4. Automation and faster deployments

Built-in CI/CD automates testing and deployments - code reaches production faster, more safely, and without manual, error-prone work.

Which platform to choose?

The choice depends on your team's scale and needs:

• Choose Gitea if you value lightness, fast deployment, and low hardware requirements - it's a great start for smaller teams and simpler projects.
• Choose GitLab if you need a complete DevOps environment with advanced CI/CD, security scanning, and extensive project management in a larger organization.

In practice, many companies start with Gitea and only consider GitLab once they need a full DevSecOps ecosystem.

How does nex-IT deploy a Git repository in your company?

We handle the full technical deployment of a Git platform:

• Solution selection - we help assess whether Gitea or GitLab is the better fit,
• Server deployment - installation and configuration on your infrastructure or in an EU data center,
• Migration from GitHub/Bitbucket - safe transfer of repositories along with their history,
• CI/CD configuration - automated testing and deployment pipelines,
• Access control and backups - permission policies and regular code backups,
• Maintenance and support - updates, monitoring, and ongoing technical care.

Summary

For a software company, an own Git repository is a matter of control, security, and independence. Gitea offers lightness, simplicity, and instant deployment with minimal resources - ideal for small and medium teams. GitLab, on the other hand, is a complete DevOps platform for organizations that need advanced CI/CD and security in one place. Both let you keep your code on your own server, without per-user fees and with full GDPR compliance.

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Want your own secure Git repository? We'll help you choose between Gitea and GitLab, deploy the platform, and migrate your code - from migration to maintenance. Contact us!