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Alternatives · Project Management

GitLab alternatives

As of Nov 13, 2026, the best GitLab alternative for most people is Jira (3.2 GPA), second in our ranking of project management tools. The best free one is GitHub Issues (3.4 GPA).

GitLab compared with 5 alternatives: GitHub Issues, Jira, YouTrack, Zenhub and Assembla.

GitLab has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29 per user / month, billed annually. 4 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.

Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from

Black Friday: is there a GitLab sale?

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
GitLabThis toolFree plan · from $29/moYesWeb
GitHub IssuesFree plan · from $4/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
JiraFree plan · from $9.70/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
YouTrackFree plan · from $4.50/moYesWeb, iOS, Android
ZenhubFree plan · from $4.99/moYesWeb, Browser extension
AssemblaFree trial · from $12.50/moTrial onlyWeb

Price against what you get

GitLab starts at $29 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 3 of the 5 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: GitHub Issues, Jira and YouTrack.

Zenhub and Assembla start lower without scoring higher.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500$1kMore for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessGitLabGitHub IssuesJiraYouTrackZenhubAssembla

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of project management tools, and the best at every price

How each one differs from GitLab

  1. GitHub Issues

    Issue tracking and project planning built into GitHub

    • GitHub Issues starts at $4 per user / month (GitHub Team).
    • GitHub Issues also lists iOS and Android apps.
    • GitHub Issues also covers Markdown and Gantt & timelines.

    Suits: Software teams that already host their code on GitHub

    GitHub Issues vs GitLabGitHub Issues pricing and details

  2. Jira

    Issue and project tracking for software and business teams

    • Jira starts at $9.70 per user / month, billed monthly (Standard, 1 to 100 users).
    • Jira also lists iOS and Android apps.
    • Jira also covers tasks and Gantt & timelines.

    Suits: Software teams tracking bugs and development work

    Jira vs GitLabJira pricing and details

  3. YouTrack

    Issue tracker and project management tool from JetBrains

    • YouTrack starts at $4.50 per user / month, billed annually (Cloud, 11 or more users).
    • YouTrack also lists iOS and Android apps.
    • YouTrack also covers wiki, Gantt & timelines and time tracking.

    Suits: Software teams that want issue tracking linked to their IDE and build server

    YouTrack vs GitLabYouTrack pricing and details

  4. Zenhub

    Agile project management built on top of GitHub issues

    • Zenhub starts at $4.99 per user / month, billed yearly.
    • Zenhub also lists a browser extension.
    • Zenhub also covers reports.

    Suits: Software teams that plan their work directly on GitHub issues

    Zenhub vs GitLabZenhub pricing and details

  5. Assembla

    Managed Git, SVN and Perforce hosting with project management

    • Assembla starts at $12.50 per user / month, billed annually.
    • Assembla has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike GitLab.
    • Assembla also covers wiki and time tracking.
    • Assembla does not cover kanban boards and workflow automation, which GitLab does.

    Suits: Teams that still run SVN and want pull-request style review

    Assembla vs GitLabAssembla pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in GitLab

  • The Free plan on GitLab.com is capped at 5 users per top-level group.
  • Ultimate has no published price; it is quoted through sales.
  • AI features need the GitLab Credits add-on beyond the included promotional credits, which the page says are available for a limited time.
  • Project tracking is aimed at software delivery; it is not a general task manager for non-technical teams.
GitLab pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to GitLab?

The alternatives to GitLab in this directory are GitHub Issues, Jira, YouTrack, Zenhub and Assembla. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with GitLab.

Is there a free alternative to GitLab?

Yes. GitHub Issues, Jira, YouTrack and Zenhub have a free plan alongside paid ones.

Which GitLab alternatives work on Android?

The GitLab listing does not include an Android app. GitHub Issues, Jira and YouTrack list one.

Which GitLab alternatives work on iOS?

The GitLab listing does not include an iOS app. GitHub Issues, Jira and YouTrack list one.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

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