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GitHub Actions vs GitLab CI

Choosing the right CI/CD platform for your workflow

Mini Tools Team
March 30, 2025
8 min read

Introduction

Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) have become essential components of modern software development workflows. Among the numerous CI/CD platforms available, GitHub Actions and GitLab CI stand out as two of the most popular integrated solutions, each offering unique advantages within their respective ecosystems.

In this 2025 comparison, we'll examine these two powerful platforms to help you determine which one better suits your team's development needs. Whether you're considering migrating between platforms or selecting a CI/CD solution for a new project, understanding the strengths and limitations of each option is crucial for optimizing your development pipeline.

Automation at the Heart of Modern Development

GitHub Actions Overview

GitHub Actions is GitHub's integrated CI/CD solution, allowing developers to automate workflows directly within their GitHub repositories. Since its introduction in 2018, GitHub Actions has grown significantly in popularity and capability.

Native GitHub Integration

Seamlessly integrated with GitHub repositories, eliminating the need to manage separate systems for version control and CI/CD.

Extensive Marketplace

Access to thousands of community-created actions that can be composed to create powerful workflows without writing custom code.

Matrix Builds

Efficiently test applications across multiple configurations, operating systems, and dependency versions simultaneously.

Self-Hosted Runners

Ability to run workflows on your own infrastructure, giving you control over hardware and security requirements.

GitLab CI Overview

GitLab CI is a part of GitLab's comprehensive DevOps platform. It offers a robust set of features that cover the entire software development lifecycle, from planning to monitoring.

Key GitLab CI Features

  • Built-in Container Registry: Simplifies Docker image management for CI/CD pipelines
  • Auto DevOps: Provides preconfigured CI/CD pipelines that automatically detect project types
  • Integrated Security Scanning: SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, and container scanning built into the CI pipeline
  • Complete DevOps Platform: Single application for the entire software development lifecycle

GitLab CI has been a pioneer in implementing the concept of pipeline-as-code with its .gitlab-ci.yml configuration file, allowing developers to define complex multi-stage pipelines directly in their repositories.

Workflow Syntax Comparison

The way you define workflows differs significantly between GitHub Actions and GitLab CI. Understanding these differences is crucial for effectively leveraging either platform:

GitHub Actions Workflow Structure

GitHub Actions uses YAML files stored in the .github/workflows directory. Each file represents a separate workflow with events, jobs, and steps:

name: Node.js CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    - name: Use Node.js
      uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        node-version: '16.x'
    - run: npm ci
    - run: npm test

GitLab CI Pipeline Structure

GitLab CI uses a single .gitlab-ci.yml file at the repository root. The pipeline is organized into stages and jobs:

stages:
  - build
  - test

build_job:
  stage: build
  script:
    - echo "Building the application..."
    - npm install
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/

test_job:
  stage: test
  script:
    - echo "Running tests..."
    - npm test

Key Syntax Differences

GitHub Actions Approach

  • • Multiple workflow files for different processes
  • • Event-driven triggering system
  • • Reusable components via Marketplace actions
  • • Environments for deployment targets

GitLab CI Approach

  • • Single pipeline file with staged progression
  • • Predefined variables for common tasks
  • • Includes for configuration reuse
  • • Environment-specific configuration with rules

Integration & Ecosystem

Both platforms offer extensive integration capabilities, but their approaches and ecosystems differ significantly:

GitHub Actions Ecosystem

  • Rich marketplace with thousands of community-contributed actions
  • Simple integration with other GitHub features (Issues, Projects, Pull Requests)
  • Strong third-party tool integration ecosystem
  • Separation of concerns (may require additional tools for complete DevOps)

GitLab Ecosystem

  • All-in-one DevOps platform with integrated features
  • Built-in container registry, package registry, and security scanning
  • Comprehensive project management features
  • Fewer third-party integrations but more cohesive platform

Pricing Models

Cost considerations are important when choosing a CI/CD platform, especially for teams with significant build requirements:

2025 Pricing Comparison

GitHub Actions

  • Free tier: 2,000 minutes/month for public repositories, 500 minutes/month for private repositories
  • Team plan: 3,000 minutes/month at $4/user/month
  • Enterprise plan: 50,000 minutes/month at $21/user/month
  • Additional minutes: Available for purchase

GitLab CI

  • Free tier: 400 CI/CD minutes/month
  • Premium tier: 10,000 minutes/month at $19/user/month
  • Ultimate tier: 50,000 minutes/month at $99/user/month
  • Self-hosted option: Run on your own infrastructure with no minute limits

Performance & Scalability

Performance characteristics can vary significantly between platforms, impacting your team's productivity:

Startup & Execution Times

In benchmark tests conducted in early 2025, we observed the following performance characteristics:

GitHub Actions

  • • Average job startup time: 30-45 seconds
  • • Good caching mechanisms reduce build times
  • • Parallel job execution works efficiently
  • • VM-based runners can be slower to initialize

GitLab CI

  • • Average job startup time: 15-30 seconds
  • • Strong Docker caching capabilities
  • • Pipeline optimization features built-in
  • • Self-hosted runners provide consistent performance

Ideal Use Cases

Each platform excels in different scenarios. Consider these typical use cases when making your decision:

Best Fits by Platform

GitHub Actions Excels For:

  • Open-source projects leveraging GitHub's community

  • Teams already using GitHub for repository management

  • Projects requiring unique or specialized workflows

  • Organizations comfortable with using multiple tools for DevOps

GitLab CI Excels For:

  • Teams seeking an integrated DevOps platform solution

  • Organizations with complex security and compliance requirements

  • Projects requiring built-in container registry integration

  • Teams that prefer self-hosting CI/CD infrastructure

Detailed Cost Analysis & ROI Comparison

Understanding the true cost of each platform requires looking beyond simple per-minute pricing. Total cost of ownership includes setup time, maintenance overhead, training, and potential productivity gains. Here's a comprehensive analysis based on 2025 market data:

Small Teams (5-15 developers)

GitHub Actions Cost Breakdown

GitHub Team Plan:$4/user/month
Included CI minutes:3,000 minutes
Additional minutes:$0.008/minute
Monthly estimate (5 users):$20-35
*Assumes moderate usage (4,000-5,000 minutes/month)

GitLab CI Cost Breakdown

GitLab Premium:$19/user/month
Included CI minutes:10,000 minutes
Additional minutes:$0.005/minute
Monthly estimate (5 users):$95
*Premium plan required for advanced CI features

Enterprise Teams (50+ developers)

GitHub Enterprise Cloud

  • • $21/user/month base cost
  • • 50,000 included CI minutes per organization
  • • Advanced security features included
  • • SAML SSO and audit logging
  • • 99.9% SLA with premium support
Typical Enterprise Cost:
$1,050-2,100/month (50-100 developers)

GitLab Ultimate

  • • $99/user/month base cost
  • • 50,000 included CI minutes per group
  • • Full DevOps platform included
  • • Advanced security scanning
  • • Compliance management tools
Typical Enterprise Cost:
$4,950-9,900/month (50-100 developers)

Hidden Costs & ROI Considerations

Additional GitHub Costs

  • • Third-party integrations for security scanning
  • • Separate project management tools
  • • Container registry (GitHub Packages)
  • • Advanced deployment tools

Additional GitLab Costs

  • • Higher base pricing per user
  • • Self-hosted infrastructure costs
  • • Training for comprehensive platform
  • • Potential over-licensing for simple needs

Enterprise Features Deep Dive

Enterprise adoption requires robust security, compliance, and scalability features. Both platforms offer enterprise-grade capabilities, but with different approaches and coverage areas.

Security & Compliance

FeatureGitHub EnterpriseGitLab Ultimate
SAML SSO✅ Built-in✅ Built-in
Security Scanning✅ CodeQL, Dependabot✅ SAST, DAST, Container scanning
Compliance Management⚠️ Limited (audit logs)✅ Comprehensive compliance dashboard
LDAP Integration✅ Enterprise Server only✅ Cloud and self-hosted
IP Allowlisting✅ Enterprise Cloud✅ Premium and above

Scalability & Performance

GitHub Actions Scaling

  • • Concurrent job limits: 20 (Team) to 180 (Enterprise)
  • • Self-hosted runners for unlimited scaling
  • • Matrix builds for parallel execution
  • • Workflow dispatch for manual triggering
  • • Runner groups for organizational control
Best for:
Teams needing flexible scaling with existing GitHub workflow

GitLab CI Scaling

  • • Unlimited concurrent pipelines on self-hosted
  • • Auto-scaling with Kubernetes integration
  • • Pipeline efficiency analytics
  • • Distributed caching mechanisms
  • • Multi-project pipelines
Best for:
Large organizations with complex, interdependent projects

Migration Strategy Guide

Migrating between CI/CD platforms is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning. Here's a comprehensive guide for both migration directions, based on successful enterprise migrations in 2025.

GitHub Actions to GitLab CI Migration

Phase 1: Assessment & Planning (2-4 weeks)

  1. Inventory existing workflows: Document all GitHub Actions workflows, their triggers, and dependencies
  2. Identify GitLab equivalents: Map GitHub Actions to GitLab CI jobs and available runners
  3. Assess custom actions: Plan replacements for marketplace actions not available in GitLab
  4. Security scanning migration: Plan transition from GitHub's Dependabot to GitLab's security scanners

Phase 2: Parallel Implementation (4-8 weeks)

  1. Set up GitLab projects: Mirror repository structure and configure access controls
  2. Convert workflow syntax: Transform .github/workflows/*.yml to .gitlab-ci.yml format
  3. Test in staging: Run parallel pipelines to validate functionality
  4. Train development teams: Conduct workshops on GitLab CI syntax and concepts
Critical Migration Challenges:
  • • GitHub Actions Marketplace dependencies require manual replacement
  • • Different secret management approaches need security review
  • • Workflow triggering logic may need restructuring
  • • Integration points with external systems require updating

GitLab CI to GitHub Actions Migration

Phase 1: Repository Migration (1-2 weeks)

  1. Code repository transfer: Use GitHub's import tools or git remote migration
  2. Issue and merge request migration: Export GitLab issues to GitHub issues/PRs
  3. Access control mapping: Recreate team permissions and branch protection rules
  4. Wiki and documentation: Transfer project documentation and wikis

Phase 2: CI/CD Transformation (3-6 weeks)

  1. Pipeline deconstruction: Break down .gitlab-ci.yml into multiple GitHub workflow files
  2. Job-to-action mapping: Find GitHub Actions equivalents for GitLab CI jobs
  3. Artifact management: Migrate from GitLab artifacts to GitHub Packages or external storage
  4. Environment variables: Transfer GitLab CI variables to GitHub Secrets and Variables
Migration Advantages:
  • • Access to extensive GitHub Actions Marketplace
  • • Often reduced complexity for simple CI/CD needs
  • • Better integration with existing GitHub-based workflows
  • • Potential cost savings for smaller teams

Migration Timeline & Budget Planning

Small Team Migration (5-15 developers)

Timeline:4-8 weeks
Developer hours:80-160 hours
Estimated cost:$8,000-16,000

Enterprise Migration (50+ developers)

Timeline:12-24 weeks
Developer hours:400-800 hours
Estimated cost:$50,000-120,000

Migration Success Factors

  • Executive Sponsorship: Ensure leadership commitment throughout the migration
  • Gradual Rollout: Migrate projects incrementally rather than all at once
  • Comprehensive Testing: Maintain parallel systems during transition period
  • Team Training: Invest in proper training before switching platforms
  • Documentation: Maintain detailed migration logs and rollback procedures
  • Monitor Performance: Track build times and success rates during migration
  • Stakeholder Communication: Regular updates to all affected teams
  • Contingency Planning: Prepare rollback strategies for critical issues

Ideal Use Cases

Choosing between GitHub Actions and GitLab CI depends on your specific requirements, team structure, and existing infrastructure. Here's a detailed breakdown of when each platform excels:

GitHub Actions Excels For:

  • Open-source projects leveraging GitHub's community

  • Teams already using GitHub for repository management

  • Projects requiring unique or specialized workflows

  • Organizations comfortable with using multiple tools for DevOps

GitLab CI Excels For:

  • Teams seeking an integrated DevOps platform solution

  • Organizations with complex security and compliance requirements

  • Projects requiring built-in container registry integration

  • Teams that prefer self-hosting CI/CD infrastructure

Conclusion

Both GitHub Actions and GitLab CI are mature, feature-rich CI/CD platforms that can effectively support modern software development practices. Your choice should be guided by your team's specific needs, existing toolchain, and workflow preferences.

GitHub Actions offers an excellent solution for teams already invested in the GitHub ecosystem, with its extensive marketplace providing ready-made components for almost any workflow. It shines in its simplicity and integration with the world's largest code hosting platform.

GitLab CI, as part of GitLab's complete DevOps platform, provides a more comprehensive, integrated experience. Its strength lies in unified project management, built-in security features, and a cohesive approach to the entire software development lifecycle.

Making Your Decision

Consider these factors when making your final choice:

  • Where your code is currently hosted (migration costs can be significant)
  • Whether you need an all-in-one solution or prefer best-of-breed tools
  • Your team's familiarity with each platform's syntax and concepts
  • Pricing implications for your specific build volume and team size