GitLab Reviews

“3 years of amazing experience”

Pros

After more than three years of using it at work, I'm still very happy with it. It's easy to use and makes project management simple. I can quickly see what other team members are working on and review their code without any hassle. Adding new people to a project is also pretty convenient.

Cons

Some improvements could be made to the user-interface. There's also no direct way for us to add a team of users to a project so we have to create groups instead which can be a bit confusing.

“Feature-packed open source hosting”

Pros

Being open source and self-hosted is a big plus and the development pace is fast. It also comes packed with features.

Cons

Search engine could use a little improvement but aside from that, there is not much to complain about.

“Efficient file management”

Pros

File management system works really well here. Revision numbering is handled really well and branching in it is quite easy. Security also feels better compared to other SVN tools I have used. On top of that, the Slack integration built into this platform is very useful since it helps developers communicate directly within the platform.

Cons

Desktop application side is not very good. Instead of having an efficient proprietary Git desktop tool, you pretty much have to rely on something like SmartGit.

“Perfect for sharing code across the team”

Pros

As it works as both a version control system and cloud storage this makes it really valuable for sharing the latest code across our team. It also helps cut down on mistakes because we can review everything properly before moving forward.

Cons

I honestly do not have any complaints about this software. It is doing an excellent job.

“CI/CD that is easy to manage”

Pros

I really appreciate that it comes with a free option. The platform is highly customizable, easy to use and the CI/CD features are both powerful and simple to manage. I also value that it uses distributed version control based on Git, has very capable issue management and integrates well with other tools such as Slack, Trello and more.

Cons

A part that gave me some trouble was the installation and setup on Linux which felt a bit difficult. Configuring the LDAP options also seemed a little tricky.

“Documentation needs improvement”

Pros

Interface for managing git and handling software version control is decent. That said there are more widely used alternatives out there that come with stronger documentation.

Cons

Documentation is not as smooth as what you get with other git platforms. On top of that, it does not offer free private repositories for students or people using it for academic work.

“Free tools that GitHub charges for”

Pros

Number of tools this service includes at no cost has been a big plus for our team especially private repositories which is something its main competitor does not offer unless you pay.

Cons

It could use a lot more visibility. Whenever a new developer joins and we ask for their username, they usually tell us they still need to create an account first.

“inclusive hub for web dev teams”

Pros

Bringing together features you'd normally use across tools like GitHub and Slack works really well here. For teams collaborating on web development projects it is like an ideal setup. The documentation is clear and simple to follow and the community is always helpful when you need support.

Cons

Occasionally it looks like the company is trying to do too many things at once. Since so many services are packed into one platform, it can sometimes be hard to locate what we need among all the available options.

“Well-designed”

Pros

The product has a really well-thought-out design and using it is very easy.

Cons

Setting up an open-source project can be tricky especially when anyone is allowed to contribute but only a small group can approve and merge changes.

“Polished repo hosting”

Pros

Whether it's for private projects or commercial work, it has been an excellent place to host git repositories. The interface looks polished and simple which makes it pleasant to use on a daily basis. Team collaboration is handled really well too. Another big plus is the pricing since it's largely free to use. We've been running several private repos on it for years and still haven't had any real need to move up to a paid plan.

Cons

Customer support can be quite slow when it comes to replying to support requests. That said because I'm using the free plan, I can understand it. They likely focus most of their support resources on paying customers and honestly, that seems fair.

“powerful features”

Pros

It's free tier is impressively powerful and offers much more than basic source or version control. Our team relies heavily on the GitLab CI/CD runner so it handles not just our code repository but also a big part of our build and deployment workflow. Being able to manage Kubernetes clusters directly from the platform is also incredibly useful. On top of that, we make a lot of use of the issue board to track scrum work, including time estimates. It originally became well known for free private repositories and it still delivers on that but all of these additional free capabilities are what really make it such a standout for us. At this point, we use GitLab on every project because it has worked so well.

Cons

Every now and then, the pipeline runner acts a little buggy although it has never caused anything major. One example is when a pipeline is stopped early and a new one is triggered right away-the new pipeline can sometimes sit there for around 10 minutes before starting, for no clear reason. Another annoyance is the time tracking in the issue board since it does not automatically show the total at the top of the column. We ended up creating a small GitLab API integration ourselves just to surface that information. That said they have been making updates to this feature lately so it may be addressed soon.

“a full DevOps platform”

Pros

This platform covers a lot more than just source control. It works really well as a Git repository but it also brings in extra tools like an image registry, CI/CD, a wiki and issue tracking so it can support our full DevOps lifecycle in one place. The Community Edition is simple to set up, whether you want to run it on-premises or in the cloud and it does not need much hardware to get going. Creating users, groups, projects and repositories is all very easy. It also gives you flexibility because you can connect it with other CI/CD tools such as Jenkins for automated testing or just rely on GitLab by itself. That makes it useful if you want to keep your existing tool investments while using it for source code management. The issue tracker was especially useful for improving collaboration when working through problems.

Cons

Compared with the market leader is that broader community feel. On GitHub, I can browse through thousands of repositories and usually find plenty of examples, ideas and solutions. It does not really offer that same experience and comes across more as a private enterprise-focused product. That is not necessarily a bad thing but I would still like to see more community emphasis.

“No need to use other tools”

Pros

The software is very easy to use and that is exactly its biggest advantage. I keep using it because private repositories are free and I can move around the platform and finish what I need quickly and efficiently compared with other options.

Cons

It has less to do with the tool itself and more to do with the ecosystem around it. Since other platforms are more widely used, it has a smaller community which can sometimes make it harder to find compatible software.

“Great fit for the project development cycle”

Pros

It fits really well into the software project development cycle. It lets us create multiple repositories and setting up branches is simple with just a single command. Cloning, pulling and pushing are also very simple through commands.

Cons

It's interface can be a little confusing at times. I also believe Jira integration is not available.

“Everything organized in one place”

Pros

Everything feels much more organized now. My development team and I rely on it every day to track progress and it helps me stay on top of issues and priorities which has cut down the time needed to finish tasks. Having the code repository, issue tracking and documentation together in one place is incredibly useful.

Cons

Getting comfortable with it took me quite a while and some people may need time to pick it up. Most of my teammates picked it up faster so it may depend on the person but I still think that part could be improved. Aside from that it is an excellent option.

“Easy to get running”

Pros

Onboarding doesn't take much effort and using it is pretty easy. It's simple enough that almost anyone who knows their way around a computer can get it up and running quickly. I also appreciate how well it works with Continuous Development since that's something I rely on heavily across most of my projects. Another plus is being able to keep repositories hidden from public view without any hassle. The platform is updated regularly which is reassuring and the Kubernetes integration is really useful when it comes to deployment.

Cons

The interface could definitely use some improvement because it doesn't feel as polished as it should. On top of that, the community around it still isn't as large or as active as the one behind GitHub.

“simple features”

Pros

Continuous integration and continuous development support it gives developers works really well here. The interface is also very clean which makes everything easier to follow and understand. The feature I personally use the most is the ability to compare versions without any hassle.

Cons

Only problem is that the wait time for CI pipelines can sometimes be a bit long although that mostly seems to depend on how the configurations are set up.

“Secure cloud repositories”

Pros

Among the most widely used and secure DevOps platforms available this one is offering cloud-based code repositories so you can store, deploy, run and access your projects from anywhere at any time. On top of that, the free version lets you create unlimited private repositories under its open-source model which makes it a really perfect option for team collaboration. It also comes with several practical features that make project management much more organized and effective.

Cons

This software includes nearly all of its functions in the open-source version but if you want access to every feature it offers, you'll need to upgrade to a premium plan.

“Worth every penny!”

Pros

For code storage, this ranks among the best options available. It keeps code secure at the same time and has become a daily part of my work routine. The cost feels very justified for what it delivers.

Cons

Something that bothers me is how much is limited to premium users since it is aimed at professional use. A few of those features should also be available for non-premium users. On top of that, support should respond as quickly as possible.

“Clean interface”

Pros

Works well for me because it gives me a Git repository with very few restrictions and a clean interface. One thing I really appreciate is that you can download the code, install it on a private server and manage personal or company repositories there. It also helps that there is no collaborator limit per project and the repositories offer plenty of storage capacity.

Cons

That said it has a few issues in daily use especially when it comes to integration with other software platforms. It feels like it is missing connections with several services which may be related to its smaller developer community. The code search engine is also not very good right now and it would be much better if search were improved to be more efficient.