GitLab vs Bitbucket

GitLab puts repositories, pipelines, container registry, security scanning and planning into one product, which can be self-managed from the Free tier up. Bitbucket is the Git host inside the Atlassian suite, tied to Jira work items and with much lower seat prices. Teams replacing several tools with one choose GitLab; teams whose planning lives in Jira and Confluence choose Bitbucket.

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Both are reviewed in full in our version control software ranking: GitLab and Bitbucket.

1. 01

   Where planning lives

   GitLab includes issue planning inside the same product and permission model as the code, and also offers Jira integrations on every tier for teams that keep Jira. Bitbucket leaves planning to Jira and ties code changes to Jira work items within the suite. A team without a tracker gains from GitLab's built-in approach; a team already paying for Jira gains from Bitbucket's.

   Depends on the buyer

2. 02

   Seat prices

   Bitbucket is free up to five users, then $3.65 per user per month for Standard and $7.25 for Premium. GitLab has a Free tier, then $29 per user per month for Premium, billed annually, with Ultimate priced on request. The tiers include different things, and Bitbucket's argument assumes you already pay for Jira, but on published per-seat price Bitbucket costs a fraction of GitLab.

   Edge: Bitbucket

3. 03

   Beyond the repository

   Both include CI and a container registry: Bitbucket Pipelines is built into Bitbucket Cloud, and Bitbucket Packages has been generally available since December 2025 on Standard and Premium. GitLab goes further on security, listing basic SAST, secret detection and container scanning on every tier and fuller tooling such as dynamic testing in Ultimate. Bitbucket points to native capabilities plus partner integrations. GitLab leads on breadth.

   Edge: GitLab

4. 04

   Self-hosting and licence

   GitLab offers Free, Premium and Ultimate as GitLab Self-Managed, on an open source core, so a self-hosted install can begin without a licence fee. Atlassian's self-managed edition is Bitbucket Data Center, aimed at organisations with strict regulatory or security requirements and sold through its sales team, with no price on the Bitbucket pricing page. For a team that wants to start self-hosting cheaply, GitLab is the option.

   Edge: GitLab

5. 05

   Free tier allowances

   Both free plans stop at five users: Bitbucket's per workspace, GitLab.com's per top-level group with private visibility, while public GitLab groups are exempt. GitLab Free includes 400 compute minutes a month and 10 GiB of storage. Bitbucket Free includes 50 build minutes a month and 1 GB of Git LFS storage. For a small team that runs pipelines often, GitLab's allowance stretches further.

   Edge: GitLab

Is Bitbucket cheaper than GitLab?

Yes, on published seat prices. Bitbucket Standard is $3.65 and Premium $7.25 per user per month, while GitLab Premium is $29 per user per month, billed annually, and Ultimate is custom-priced.

GitLab's price buys a broader product, with security scanning and planning included, so the figures do not cover the same scope.

We use Jira: should we choose GitLab or Bitbucket?

Bitbucket is the straightforward fit, since it belongs to the Atlassian suite. GitLab is not excluded: its Jira integrations are available on every tier and show branches, commits and merge requests in Jira's development panel.

GitLab makes most sense if you intend to consolidate planning, pipelines and security scanning.

How do the free tiers of GitLab and Bitbucket compare?

Both are capped at five users for private work. GitLab.com Free includes 400 compute minutes a month and 10 GiB of storage, and lifts the user cap for public groups. Bitbucket Free includes 50 build minutes a month and 1 GB of Git LFS storage.

Can Bitbucket be self-hosted like GitLab?

Yes, as Bitbucket Data Center, a self-managed edition that Atlassian sells through its sales team to organisations with strict regulatory or security requirements. GitLab Self-Managed is available on every tier, including Free, so it is the cheaper way to begin hosting on your own servers.

• GitLab pricing page: GitLab Premium price, custom-priced Ultimate, Free tier limits, scanning per tier and self-managed availability.
• Bitbucket pricing page: Bitbucket plan prices, the five-user free plan and its build minutes and storage.
• Atlassian blog: Bitbucket Packages general availability: Bitbucket Cloud including a container registry on paid plans.
• Bitbucket Data Center page: Bitbucket having a self-managed edition sold through sales.
• GitLab documentation: Jira integrations: the two GitLab Jira integrations and the tiers that include them.
• Bitbucket Pipelines page: Pipelines being built into Bitbucket Cloud.
• Bitbucket features page: Bitbucket linking code changes to Jira work items and its security positioning.