GitHub leads for teams already in the GitHub ecosystem. Atlassian Bitbucket excels for those using Jira. GitLab offers a complete DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD and code review tools, suiting organisations seeking integrated development workflows.
The ranking, in detail
01

The world's leading platform for hosting and collaborating on Git repositories
GitHub is the dominant code hosting and collaboration platform, offering powerful pull request workflows, inline comments, code suggestions, and deep integration with CI/CD systems. It serves millions of developers and organisations worldwide.
From FreeBest for Open source projects, teams collaborating remotely, and enterprises needing integrated GitHub Actions
95.0
02

Git repository management with native Jira integration
Bitbucket offers Git repository hosting with sophisticated code review tools, pull request workflows, and built-in branch permissions. It integrates seamlessly with Jira, Confluence, and other Atlassian products for agile teams.
From Free (for small teams); $5 USD/month for small businessesBest for Atlassian product users, agile teams using Jira, teams requiring advanced permissions
92.7
03

The complete DevOps platform with integrated version control, CI/CD, and deployment
GitLab provides a unified platform combining Git repositories, sophisticated merge request workflows, built-in CI/CD pipelines, security scanning, and project management. It offers both SaaS and self-hosted options.
From FreeBest for Enterprises requiring integrated DevOps workflows, security scanning, and self-hosted deployment options
90.3
04

Lightweight, flexible code review system with powerful workflow customisation
Gerrit is an open-source code review tool focusing on change-set based review workflows. It emphasises detailed code inspection, flexible voting systems, and integration with Git-based repositories, popular in large enterprises.
From Free (open source; self-hosted)Best for Large enterprises with custom review workflows, teams valuing detailed code inspection
88.0
05

Lightweight, self-hosted Git service focusing on simplicity and minimal resource requirements
Gitea is a minimalist, open-source Git service offering pull requests, code review comments, and repository management. It's designed for self-hosted deployment with minimal resource requirements.
From FreeBest for Small teams and organisations requiring self-hosted Git solutions with minimal infrastructure overhead
85.7
06

Powerful web-based code review tool with cross-repository support
Review Board is a standalone, web-based code review platform supporting multiple version control systems including Git, Subversion, and Perforce. It offers sophisticated diff viewing, commenting, and workflow automation.
From Free (open source; self-hosted)Best for Enterprises with legacy VCS systems, teams needing cross-repository code review
83.3
07

Feature-rich Git platform written in Scala with pull request support
Gitbucket is a self-hosted Git platform offering pull requests, issue tracking, and wiki functionality. Written in Scala, it provides GitHub-like features while remaining lightweight and deployable.
From Free (open source; self-hosted)Best for Teams seeking GitHub-like features in a self-hosted environment
81.0
08

Integrated development platform with advanced code review, documentation, and project management
Phabricator is an open-source platform combining code review (Differential), repository browsing, bug tracking, and project management in one system. It's self-hosted and used by large tech organisations.
From Free (open source; self-hosted)Best for Large enterprises requiring integrated development workflows, organisations already invested in Phabricator ecosystem
78.7
09

Distributed version control system with integrated wiki, bug tracker, and forum capabilities
Fossil is a lightweight, self-contained distributed VCS offering code review capabilities alongside version control. It emphasises simplicity and self-hosting with minimal external dependencies.
From FreeBest for Small projects and organisations wanting integrated version control and documentation systems
76.3
10

Painless self-hosted Git service with simplified pull request support
Gogs is a lightweight, self-hosted Git service emphasising simplicity and minimal system requirements. It offers basic pull request functionality and issue tracking in a streamlined interface.
From Free (open source; self-hosted)Best for Small teams, self-hosted environments, developers prioritising simplicity
74.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between pull requests and merge requests?
Pull requests (GitHub terminology) and merge requests (GitLab terminology) are functionally equivalent tools for proposing code changes, facilitating review, and merging code. GitHub uses 'pull requests' whilst GitLab uses 'merge requests'. The underlying workflow and purpose are identical.
Which code review platform is best for enterprises?
GitHub, GitLab, and Atlassian Bitbucket are the primary enterprise choices. GitHub dominates market share with excellent scalability. GitLab offers integrated CI/CD and security scanning. Bitbucket excels for organisations already using Jira. Gerrit suits enterprises with custom approval workflows.
Can I self-host these platforms instead of using cloud versions?
GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket offer self-hosted versions. Gerrit, Gitea, Review Board, Gitbucket, Phabricator, Fossil, and Gogs are entirely self-hosted open-source options. Self-hosting provides data control but requires infrastructure management and maintenance responsibility.