Developer Tools
Gitea
Free forge based on Git written in Go.
What it is
Gitea is a self-hosted, all-in-one software development service covering Git hosting, code review, team collaboration, a package registry and CI/CD, released as open source under the MIT licence. It is built to be lightweight and to answer quickly even on repositories with long histories and large files, which is what makes it practical on modest hardware where a heavier forge would not fit. It is fully Git compatible, so existing tools and workflows keep working, and access controls restrict who can read or modify a repository. It runs on a range of operating systems, and because it is self-hosted the repositories and the data behind them stay under your own control. A managed cloud edition and a Gitea Enterprise edition with SSO, audit logs and SLA support are sold alongside the free version.
Gitea pricing
Gitea publishes 1 plan. Paid tiers start at $9.5/user/mo.
| Plan | Price | What the vendor’s page says |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise self-managed | $9.5/user/mo | Enterprise self-managed $9.50–$19/user/month, 30-day trial, SAML SSO, audit logs |
Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-08. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget. Source Price verification log.
People also compare Gitea with…
Key features
All-in-one forge
Git hosting, code review, issues, pull requests, package registry and CI/CD in one service.
Lightweight to run
Built for quick response on large repositories and long histories, including on small hardware.
Full Git compatibility
Existing Git tools and workflows work unchanged against a Gitea server.
Access control
Repository permissions restrict who can read and modify code.
Self-hosted and MIT licensed
Open source under MIT with repositories and data kept on your own infrastructure.
Strengths and trade-offs
What works well
- Runs on very little hardware
- Familiar interface for GitHub users
- Open source with no seat limits
Where it falls short
- Fewer features than GitHub or GitLab
- You handle backups and upgrades
- Smaller plugin ecosystem
Who it is for
Teams that want their own Git host without running GitLab.
Pick it or skip it
Pick Gitea if
- Teams that want a lightweight, MIT-licensed, self-hosted Git service with CI and packages for free
- Organisations needing SAML SSO and audit logs: Enterprise self-managed at $9.50–$19/user/month
- Nonprofits and small organisations that qualify for discounts
Skip it if
- You want a hosted service with a published price — Gitea Cloud pricing was not shown on the page
- You need GitHub's marketplace and Copilot ecosystem
- You have nobody to maintain a server
Our verdict
The pragmatic self-hosted choice. GitLab does more; Gitea does enough with far less overhead.
Closest alternatives we track
Same category, ordered by verified starting price.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Gitea best for?
- Teams that want their own Git host without running GitLab.
- What are the main drawbacks of Gitea?
- The trade-offs we noted: Fewer features than GitHub or GitLab; You handle backups and upgrades; Smaller plugin ecosystem.
- When should you not use Gitea?
- Skip Gitea if: You want a hosted service with a published price — Gitea Cloud pricing was not shown on the page; You need GitHub's marketplace and Copilot ecosystem; You have nobody to maintain a server.
What we checked
- Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
- Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.Not checked
- Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.Yes
- SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.Yes
“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.
Evidence and freshness
Status: Open source, free — vendor page verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-08
- Gitea — Pricing ↗
Checked 2026-09-08 · Supports: open source free, MIT licence: code hosting, issues, pull requests, Actions, packages, Enterprise self-managed $9.50–$19/user/month, 30-day trial, SAML SSO, audit logs
Limit: Vendor pricing page was reviewed by an editor on this date; this record is not a ToolCompare benchmark. Prices and limits change. Gitea Cloud prices were not shown on the fetched page.
Compare Gitea with alternatives
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Same job, different pricing. Verified starting price first.
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Work at Gitea? Embed the verified-pricing badge
We read this pricing from Gitea’s own pricing page on 2026-09-08. The badge says that and nothing more: no rating, no payment. How the badge works
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