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Gitea vs GitHub: When Should You Self-Host Your Git Server?

GitHub is great, but there are compelling reasons to run your own Git server. Gitea gives you GitHub's features without the lock-in.

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Why Consider Self-Hosted Git?


GitHub is the default for open source. But for private repositories, internal tools, and organizations with strict compliance needs, self-hosting makes a lot of sense.


Gitea Overview


Gitea is a lightweight, self-hosted Git service. It's written in Go, uses minimal resources, and provides a GitHub-like interface with pull requests, issues, CI/CD, and package registries.


Feature Comparison


Core Git Features

Both Gitea and GitHub provide:

  • Git repository hosting
  • Pull requests with code review
  • Issues and project boards
  • Wiki pages
  • Branch protection rules

    • CI/CD

  • GitHub: GitHub Actions (generous free tier for public repos)
  • Gitea: Gitea Actions (compatible with GitHub Actions workflows)

    • Package Registry

  • GitHub: GitHub Packages
  • Gitea: Built-in container, npm, PyPI, Maven registries

    • Cost

  • GitHub: Free for public repos, $4/user/month for Teams
  • Gitea: Free (self-hosted), $5/month for the server

    • When to Self-Host Git


    Compliance Requirements

    Financial services, healthcare, and government organizations often require code to be stored on controlled infrastructure.


    IP Protection

    Your source code is your most valuable asset. Self-hosting means no third party has access to it.


    Team Size Scaling

    GitHub charges per user. A 50-person team costs $200/month. Gitea costs $5/month regardless of team size.


    Air-Gapped Environments

    Some secure environments have no internet access. Gitea runs entirely on-premises.


    Full Control

    Custom authentication, storage backends, and integrations. No vendor-imposed limits.


    When to Stay on GitHub


  • Open-source projects (GitHub's social features are unmatched)
  • Small teams (<5 people) where per-user cost is manageable
  • You depend on GitHub-specific integrations
  • You need GitHub Copilot

    • Deploying Gitea on TinyPod


    1. Find Gitea in the app catalog

    2. Deploy with 0.5 cores and 512 MB RAM

    3. Access the web UI and run initial setup

    4. Create your first repository

    5. Add SSH keys for git operations


    Gitea uses minimal resources and can handle thousands of repositories on a single TinyPod server.