GitHub Code Scanning vs GitLab comparison

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97% willing to recommend

GitHub Code Scanning

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 8, 2024

GitLab and GitHub Code Scanning both excel in the code scanning arena, showing distinct strengths. GitHub takes the lead due to its advanced features and high perceived value, despite pricing concerns.

Features: GitLab is known for integration capabilities, straightforward scanning actions, and user satisfaction in deployment. GitHub stands out with comprehensive vulnerability databases, real-time alerts, and its extensive feature set.

Room for Improvement: GitLab could improve scalability, customization options, and adaptation. GitHub users report the need for enhanced third-party tool integration, expanded compatibility, and a smoother deployment process.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: GitLab scores highly for ease of deployment and responsive customer support, guiding users effectively during setup. GitHub, though challenging to deploy, has knowledgeable support that helps mitigate this challenge.

Pricing and ROI: GitLab offers competitive pricing and satisfactory ROI through a cost-effective setup. GitHub is perceived as more expensive, yet users find its pricing justified by the comprehensive features and value it provides in vulnerability detection.

To learn more, read our detailed GitHub Code Scanning vs. GitLab Report (Updated: April 2025).

GitHub Code Scanning vs. GitLab

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Helped 850,028 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

GitHub Code Scanning

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

17th

Average Rating

9.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

GitLab

Ranking in Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

7th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (9th), Build Automation (1st), Release Automation (2nd), Rapid Application Development Software (12th), Software Composition Analysis (SCA) (5th), Enterprise Agile Planning Tools (2nd), Fuzz Testing Tools (2nd), DevSecOps (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Static Application Security Testing (SAST) category, the mindshare of GitHub Code Scanning is 1.0%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GitLab is 2.7%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

Featured Reviews

VishalSingh

Consulting & Solutions, BA/BD in Enterprise IT on Open Source, Red Hat & EDB at KEEN AND ABLE COMPUTERS PVT LTD

Traverses the entire network, scanning every system to determine which ports are open

You can use the tool locally on your system or in the cloud. I rate it a nine out of ten. It's a very good tool for people who want to start using GitHubCode Scanning, especially for software development or team collaboration. GitHubCode Scanning allows teams to collaborate by uploading files to repositories. For example, if someone is developing an application, they can host the code on GitHub Code Scanning. Other developers can then download the code for testing purposes. If bugs are found, fixes can be applied using the GitHub Code Scanningrepository, and everyone on the team can see the changes. Software developers often use GitHub Code Scanning for version control, and it's essential for CI/CD pipelines to work.

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Gaurav Chandel

AWS DevOps/ Site Reliability Engineer at Tata Consultancy

Boosted productivity with automated pipelines and seamless collaboration

There are some challenges with repository file management as GitLab may struggle to manage larger files. Improvements could be made regarding size management and file partitioning. Also, the UI has remained the same for a couple of years and could benefit from an update with AI features and better customization.

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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

"The solution helps identify vulnerabilities by understanding how ports communicate with applications running on a system. Ports are like house numbers; to visit someone's house, you must know their number. Similarly, ports are used to communicate with applications. For example, if you want to use an HTTP web server, you must use port 80. It is the port on which the web application or your server listens for incoming requests."

"We use GitHub Code Scanning mostly for source code management."

"GitHub Code Spaces brings significant value with its simplicity and ease of use."

"This product is always evolving, and they listen to the customers."

"The CI/CD process is very efficient."

"Continuous integration with deployment is very powerful, which is a significant reason for migrating from TFS to GitLab."

"It is very useful for reviews. We are using branch merging operations and full reset operations. It is also very useful for merging our code and tracking another branch. The graph diagrams of Git are very useful. Its interface is straightforward and not too complex for us."

"If you want to maintain your issues in GitLab and raise your book of work and features, then GitLab is a great tool for collaboration and integration with code deployment and CICD pipelines."

"Git hosting has an integration with ACD which is why we liked this solution in the first place."

"GitLab is being used as a repository for our codebase and it is a one stop DevOps tool we use in our team."

"The scalability is good."

More GitLab pros

Cons

"GitHub Code Scanning should add more templates."

"One area for improvement could be the ability to have an AI system digest the reports generated from code scanning and provide a summary. Currently, the reports can be extensive, and users may overlook details, such as outdated libraries, which could be highlighted for attention."

"We are having a few problems integrating with Jira at the moment, which is something that our IT department is investigating."

"The documentation is confusing."

"GitLab could improve by having more plugins and better user-friendliness."

"There is room for improvement in GitLab Agents."

"Technologies are always changing. Nowadays, new things like serverless computing and workload management have emerged. We have noticed a few gap items for faster service delivery. For example, we do user interface testing in the latest team and automate it using some tools. Recently, we integrated a tool with user interface testing, which can simulate a multi-user environment. So, we would like to see more integration with different platforms."

"GitLab can improve its user interface to make conflict resolution more user-friendly."

"The solution could improve by providing more integration into the CI/CD pipeline, an autocomplete search tool, and more supporting documentation."

"There was a problem with the build environment when we were looking at developing iOS applications. iOS build require Mac machines and there are no Mac machines provided by GitLab in their cloud. So to build for mobile iOS application, we needed to use our own Mac machine within our own infrastructure. If GitLab were to provide a feature such that an iOS application could also be built through GitLab directly, that would be great."

More GitLab cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The minimum pricing for the tool is five dollars a month."

"GitHub Code Scanning is a moderately priced solution."

"The solution's pricing is acceptable."

"The solution is based on a licensing model that includes technical support and is paid annually."

"My company uses the free version of GitLab, which is GitLab Community Edition. There is a licensed version also available for GitLab."

"We are using the free version of GitLab."

"I don't mind the price because I use the free version."

"I think that we pay approximately $100 USD per month."

"The initial setup cost is excellent and you can add the premium features later."

"GitLab is a free solution to use."

More GitLab pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Static Application Security Testing (SAST) solutions are best for your needs.

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850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Educational Organization

24%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about GitHub Code Scanning?

We use GitHub Code Scanning mostly for source code management.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GitHub Code Scanning?

The minimum pricing for the tool is five dollars a month.

What needs improvement with GitHub Code Scanning?

One area for improvement could be the ability to have an AI system digest the reports generated from code scanning and provide a summary. Currently, the reports can be extensive, and users may over...

What do you like most about GitLab?

I find the features and version control history to be most valuable for our development workflow. These aspects provide us with a clear view of changes and help us manage requests efficiently.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GitLab?

The pricing of GitLab is reasonable, aligning with what I consider to be average compared to competitors.

What needs improvement with GitLab?

Certain features in Jira are not available in GitLab, such as the functionality to have weights at the milestone and epic levels. Hopefully, these features will be resolved with work items in GitLa...

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Compared 29% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

Aikido Security vs GitHub Code Scanning

Compared 10% of the time

Polaris Software Integrity Platform vs GitHub Code Scanning

Compared 5% of the time

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Compared 26% of the time

GitHub CoPilot vs GitLab

Compared 14% of the time

SonarQube Server (formerly SonarQube) vs GitLab

Compared 7% of the time

AWS CodePipeline vs GitLab

Compared 5% of the time

Tekton vs GitLab

Compared 5% of the time

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Product Reports

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

Download GitHub Code Scanning product report

Download GitLab product report

Also Known As

No data available

Fuzzit

Overview

Code scanning is a feature that you use to analyze the code in a GitHub repository to find security vulnerabilities and coding errors. Any problems identified by the analysis are shown in GitHub.

GitHub

GitLab is a complete DevOps platform that enables teams to collaborate and deliver software faster.

It provides a single application for the entire DevOps lifecycle, from planning and development to testing, deployment, and monitoring.

With GitLab, teams can streamline their workflows, automate processes, and improve productivity.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

1. NASA 2. IBM 3. Sony 4. Alibaba 5. CERN 6. Siemens 7. Volkswagen 8. ING 9. Ticketmaster 10. SpaceX 11. Adobe 12. Intuit 13. Autodesk 14. Rakuten 15. Unity Technologies 16. Pandora 17. Electronic Arts 18. Nordstrom 19. Verizon 20. Comcast 21. Philips 22. Deutsche Telekom 23. Orange 24. Fujitsu 25. Ericsson 26. Nokia 27. General Electric 28. Cisco 29. Accenture 30. Deloitte 31. PwC 32. KPMG

GitHub Code Scanning vs. GitLab