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    Head to head · Developer tools

    GitHub vs GitLab: Market Share & Payment Activity (October 2026)

    Updated · Latest data October 2026

    GitHub
    Data for October 2026
    Payment-activity rank
    #7
    Spend rank
    #8
    versus
    GitLab
    Data for October 2026
    Payment-activity rank
    #190
    Spend rank
    #41

    GitHub accounts for 2.08% of all software purchases on Cledara (#7 overall); GitLab holds 0.06% (#190), and has dropped 14 rank positions in the last 12 months.

    Quick answer

    As of October 2026, GitHub ranks #7 and GitLab #190 in Cledara's software popularity ranking. They account for 2.08% and 0.06% of all software purchases respectively. Over the last 12 months, GitHub dropped 2 positions and GitLab dropped 14 positions, based on real software purchases by companies using Cledara.

    Market share

    Market share over time

    Each product's monthly share of all software payment activity on Cledara, so you can see who is gaining ground and when.

    GitHubGitLabShare (%)
    Jan 2022Nov 2022Sep 2023Jul 2024May 2025Mar 20260%0.75%1.5%2.25%3%
    View the chart data
    Monthly market share by payment activity (%)
    MonthGitHubGitLab
    Jan 20222.3%0.1%
    Feb 20222.2%0.1%
    Mar 20222.2%0.1%
    Apr 20222.2%0.1%
    May 20222.1%0.2%
    Jun 20222%0.2%
    Jul 20222%0.1%
    Aug 20222%0.1%
    Sep 20222%0.1%
    Oct 20222%0.1%
    Nov 20222%0.1%
    Dec 20222%0.1%
    Jan 20232%0.1%
    Feb 20232%0.1%
    Mar 20232.1%0.1%
    Apr 20232.1%0.1%
    May 20232.2%0.1%
    Jun 20232.2%0.1%
    Jul 20232.3%0.1%
    Aug 20232.3%0.1%
    Sep 20232.3%0.1%
    Oct 20232.4%0.1%
    Nov 20232.4%0.1%
    Dec 20232.5%0.1%
    Jan 20242.5%0.1%
    Feb 20242.6%0.1%
    Mar 20242.6%0.1%
    Apr 20242.7%0.1%
    May 20242.7%0.1%
    Jun 20242.8%0.1%
    Jul 20242.8%0.1%
    Aug 20242.8%0.1%
    Sep 20242.8%0.1%
    Oct 20242.8%0.1%
    Nov 20242.8%0.1%
    Dec 20242.8%0.1%
    Jan 20252.8%0.1%
    Feb 20252.7%0.1%
    Mar 20252.7%0.1%
    Apr 20252.6%0.1%
    May 20252.6%0.1%
    Jun 20252.5%0.1%
    Jul 20252.5%0.1%
    Aug 20252.5%0.1%
    Sep 20252.4%0.1%
    Oct 20252.4%0.1%
    Nov 20252.3%0.1%
    Dec 20252.3%0.1%
    Jan 20262.3%0.1%
    Feb 20262.2%0.1%
    Mar 20262.2%0.1%
    Apr 20262.2%0.1%
    May 20262.1%0.1%
    Jun 20262.1%0.1%
    Jul 20262.1%0.1%
    Aug 20262%0.1%
    Sep 20262%0.1%
    Oct 20262.1%0.1%
    Ranks

    Spend rank vs payment-activity rank

    GitHub
    Payment-activity rank#7
    Spend rank#8
    Payment-activity share2.1%
    Spend share1.9%
    12-month payment-activity rank change: down 2
    GitLab
    Payment-activity rank#190
    Spend rank#41
    Payment-activity share0.1%
    Spend share0.4%
    12-month payment-activity rank change: down 14
    Overlap

    How many companies pay for both GitHub and GitLab?

    57.3%

    of companies paying for GitLab also pay for GitHub

    Each figure is measured from that product’s own buyers across their full payment history, so the two percentages read in opposite directions. A high overlap means the tools are often bought together; a low one means companies tend to pick one.

    Stacks

    Which stack does each tool live in?

    GitHub

    • OpenAI 79.7%
    • Figma 77.6%
    • Adobe 72.8%
    • LinkedIn 70.2%
    • Microsoft 70%

    GitLab

    • Figma 72.6%
    • OpenAI 72.6%
    • Slack 72.6%
    • Amazon Web Services 71.8%
    • Atlassian 70.1%
    Analysis

    What the data shows for GitHub vs GitLab

    GitHub is the more popular of the two, ranking #7 as of October 2026, ahead of GitLab at #190. Both lost ground over the past year, but GitHub held up better: it dropped 2 positions, against 14 positions for GitLab. Over the past year, GitHub's share of all software purchases has fallen from 2.38% to 2.08%, while GitLab's has fallen from 0.08% to 0.06%. GitHub also ranks higher by spend (#8 versus #41), so it leads on both how often companies buy it and how much they pay. By spend, GitHub takes 1.88% of all software spend and GitLab 0.36%. 57.3% of companies paying for GitLab also pay for GitHub, so for many teams this is not an either-or choice. For buyers, the rankings show which product the market is choosing and which has the momentum; pair that with a trial against your own workflows and budget to make the final call.

    GitHub vs GitLab: frequently asked questions

    Which is more popular, GitHub or GitLab?

    GitHub is more popular: it ranks #7 in Cledara's software popularity ranking, ahead of GitLab at #190 as of October 2026. The ranking counts every purchase and renewal over the last 12 months, so it reflects the tool companies keep paying for.

    How have GitHub and GitLab changed in popularity?

    GitHub has dropped 2 rank positions in the last 12 months, while GitLab dropped 14 positions. That has widened GitHub's lead over GitLab.

    Can you use GitHub and GitLab together?

    Yes, and many companies do: 57.3% of companies paying for GitLab also pay for GitHub. For many teams the two are not an either-or choice.

    Which is bigger by spend, GitHub or GitLab?

    GitHub ranks higher by spend: GitHub is #8 and GitLab #41. The spend ranking orders every software product by how much companies pay for it over the last 12 months.

    Is GitHub better than GitLab for code hosting use cases?

    GitHub is the more popular choice (#7 against #190), and GitHub wins more of the budget by spend. Use that market signal to shortlist, then trial both against your own code hosting workflows and budget.

    How does your company compare?

    This page shows the market. Cledara shows how your own software stack and spend compare, and helps you manage every subscription in one place.

    Learn more about Cledara

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