Bitbucket Server vs GitHub comparison

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Bitbucket Server

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 13, 2025

GitHub and Bitbucket Server are leading solutions in software development. GitHub appears to have the upper hand due to its superior features and flexible pricing considered worth the cost.

Features: GitHub offers extensive integration capabilities, strong version control, and advanced security features. Notable features include GitHub Actions for automation, robust pull request strategies, and a comprehensive collaboration platform. Bitbucket Server integrates seamlessly with Atlassian products like Jira and Bamboo, excels in CI/CD pipelines, and offers customizable server management with the Atlassian Plugin Framework.

Room for Improvement: GitHub can improve its search functionality, markdown support, and integration with Jenkins. There is a need for better project management and DevOps tools integration. Bitbucket Server requires easier navigation, enhanced code collaboration tools, and more efficient real-time synchronization. Improvements in its Jira integration and support system are also suggested.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Bitbucket Server primarily targets on-premises deployments with mixed customer service reviews. GitHub offers a variety of deployment options, including public and hybrid cloud solutions, and generally received favorable customer support feedback, though enhancements in technical support are recommended.

Pricing and ROI: GitHub provides attractive pricing, especially for open-source projects, with options supporting scalability. Bitbucket Server, while perceived as costly, offers valuable secure collaboration features and is beneficial for cloud solutions. Both platforms align their pricing models with user scaling needs, each offering distinct advantages.

To learn more, read our detailed Bitbucket Server vs. GitHub Report (Updated: July 2025).

Bitbucket Server vs. GitHub

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Helped 862,624 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Bitbucket Server

Ranking in Version Control

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

GitHub

Ranking in Version Control

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (7th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Version Control category, the mindshare of Bitbucket Server is 23.6%, down from 26.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GitHub is 6.9%, up from 6.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Version Control

Featured Reviews

Dileep DK

Head of Engineering - Consumer Finance at DBS Bank

Facilitates efficient branching and integration with flexible workflow management

Bitbucket Server excels as a versioning system, effectively managing branching and code integration. It provides flexibility, allowing teams to customize workflows according to their specific needs. We maintain a master branch for production and separate branches for different features, which makes it easier to manage code changes. Additionally, its integration with Jenkins pipelines for automating builds and performing various checks enhances its utility.

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Pervez Roy

Solutions Architect at Small Systems LTD

Very good for collaboration on software projects

We use GitHub for code repository alongside Bitbucket GitHub is very good for collaboration on software projects. We prefer Bitbucket for commercial use, while GitHub is used for open source. You can get the differences, history of changes, and version control for various pull requests. You can…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It has consistently performed well without major issues, providing a reliable code management and collaboration environment."

"Bitbucket Server excels as a versioning system, effectively managing branching and code integration."

"Bitbucket Server supports code collaboration by providing commands developers can use to check in code. Through comments, developers can specify the purpose of the code check-in. Additionally, Bitbucket allows tagging of code for releases."

"Our code is secure."

"The product is easy to maintain."

"Integration of Bitbucket with JIRA & Bamboo is well done by Atlassian."

"It is an amazingly stable solution."

"The product’s most valuable features are private repositories and the ability to work as a proxy for implementing CI/CD pipelines."

More Bitbucket Server pros

"The versioning of the code and the tracking of changes are definitely some of my top features."

"A great feature is being able to have different repositories and different kinds of projects in a single solution at a single time. It's just a click away."

"The technical support of the solution is good, and our company has used it for GitHub upgrades."

"I like the CI/CD features."

"The features of GitHub are very nice and helpful for developers."

"GitHub is a fundamental tool in the software industry."

"GitHub is good for collaboration because everyone can access it or we can restrict access to a few users. If I upload a file and share the URL, it's not restricted to a set number of users. Everyone with the link can download the files."

"This product is very good for storing and versioning code."

More GitHub pros

Cons

"The product requires patching and version improvements. Some functions do not work properly when we move from one version to another. We need a technical improvement. Also, communicating with other Atlassian products becomes cumbersome when we move from one version to another. I want Bitbucket Server to include a dashboard similar to Jira's. Atlassian must also develop a tool to scan our complete base for vulnerabilities."

"Enhancing the real-time reflection of changes online is an area that could benefit from improvement."

"The product interface consists of multiple features that are complicated to navigate for new users."

"It would have been better to use Bitbucket Server if it had something similar to the concept called GitHub Actions since it allows GitHub to provide seamless integration of CI/CD pipelines."

"Bitbucket Server has limited user support for its free version. It is expensive."

"Bitbucket Server can experience performance issues when pushing a large amount of code. This process may take a considerable amount of time."

"The solution's user interface could be improved because it's not very user-friendly or intuitive."

"The UI could be enhanced."

More Bitbucket Server cons

"Github needs more storage."

"The merging features can be improved."

"There is a bit of a learning curve."

"There is room for improvement in terms of interface."

"I would like to see some AI functionality included in GitHub, similar to the features seen in GitLab, to enhance productivity."

"GitHub should provide more integration in their next release, including integrating with Jenkins, CI/CD and Jira."

"While using the solution when merging two code branches the code becomes a bit messy. This should be improved in the future."

"We would like this solution to have a more user-friendly interface."

More GitHub cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"One needs to pay towards the licensing charges associated with the product."

"As for licensing, Bitbucket is one of the more affordable options."

"The tool's licensing costs are yearly. Prices can become expensive if you have a lot of users."

"Bitbucket Server is quite expensive compared to other products."

"There is a cost to use this solution but it is based on how many users are using it. If you have 50 users or 1,000 users the price will be very different."

"We opted for the on-premises solution, and while it's quite expensive, I believe there's room for improvement in terms of pricing. The licensing is based on the number of users, but I'm not entirely certain about the details."

"The solution comes as a part of the suite."

"We pay around $6 per user."

More Bitbucket Server pricing and cost advice

"GitHub is an open-source application. It's free to use."

"If I consider the market standards, the product's price is pocket-friendly."

"The licensing model from GitHub is very clear."

"The tool offers a free program. As you go, you can upgrade from the community version to the professional one. I believe it costs about ten dollars per person, per month."

"The basic licensing model is free, and if you need to have technical support and such things, then it does cost something. You only need to pay extra if you need technical support."

"We have an enterprise licensing agreement, and I am not part of the finance department so I can't say how much it costs."

"I haven't had to pay anything for GitHub, I use the free version."

"We are currently paying nothing for GitHub."

More GitHub pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Version Control solutions are best for your needs.

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Comparison Review

it_user185772

Senior Software Architect with 5,001-10,000 employees

Oct 27, 2015

GitHub vs. GitLab vs. BitBucket Server (Formerly Stash)

Originally posted at http://technologyconversations.com/2015/10/16/github-vs-gitlabs-vs-bitbucket-server-formerly-stash/ This article will try to compare GitHub, GitLab and BitBucket Server (previously called Stash) installed on your own servers. Similar comparison of cloud offerings is outside…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

16%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Bitbucket Server?

The product is easy to maintain.

What needs improvement with Bitbucket Server?

While Bitbucket Server performs well, the improvement lies not in the tool itself yet in the discipline of the team using it. The tool does not impose restrictions, allowing for flexibility in work...

What is your primary use case for Bitbucket Server?

Bitbucket Server is used for private code management and source code management. It facilitates versioning, allowing us to maintain a master branch which reflects the code in production, and manage...

What do you like most about GitHub?

The control is the most valuable feature as developers can work on a single code.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GitHub?

I am not aware about the pricing, so I will not be able to give feedback.

What needs improvement with GitHub?

Sometimes we do not get the exact solution, and the suggested solution does not work, so GitHub could improve in that area. We have used GitHub mainly for the code generation part. That is the only...

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Product Reports

Bitbucket Server

Download Bitbucket Server product report

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Also Known As

Stash

No data available

Overview

Bitbucket Server is a preferred choice for managing source code and version control, facilitating development workflows like CI/CD, task tracking, and collaboration among teams.

Organizations use Bitbucket Server to handle multiple repositories, manage code pipelines, and support various development workflows including CI/CD deployment. Integration with Jenkins and Jira enhances the software development lifecycle, meeting specific project requirements. Key features include user-friendly management, ease of use, and private repositories, fostering efficient code promotion and collaboration. However, improvements are needed in command-line functionality, UI, log handling, and integration with third-party tools.

What are Bitbucket Server's key features?

User-friendly management: Simplifies source code and repository management.
Version control: Effective tool for tracking and managing code changes.
Code collaboration: Facilitates teamwork and peer reviews.
CI/CD pipeline support: Enables automated deployment processes.
Seamless integration: Works well with tools like Jenkins and Jira.
Private repositories: Secure storage for project code bases.

What benefits should users expect?

Performance: Reliable and stable performance for development tasks.
Task tracking: Efficient management of development workflows.
Code promotion: Smooth transition of code across environments.
Enhanced collaboration: Improved teamwork and communication.

In industries like software development and IT services, Bitbucket Server implementation varies. Companies may integrate it into DevOps workflows for continuous integration and deployment. It's also used in sectors requiring stringent version control and collaboration, ensuring efficient project management and delivery.

Atlassian

GitHub is a web-based Git repository hosting service. It offers all of the distributed revision control and source code management (SCM) functionality of Git as well as adding its own features. Unlike Git, which is strictly a command-line tool, GitHub provides a Web-based graphical interface and desktop as well as mobile integration. It also provides access control and several collaboration features such as bug tracking, feature requests, task management, and wikis for every project.

Sample Customers

Netflix, Nasa, Rakuten, Best Buy, Philips, Nordstrom, Intuit, Zillow, Citi.

Dominion Enterprises, NASA, Braintree, SAP, CyberAgent

Bitbucket Server vs. GitHub