Agola vs GitLab Runner
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted git hosting & forges options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Agola
CI/CD redefined for cloud-native workflows
VS
GitLab Runner
Run CI/CD jobs for GitLab on your own infrastructure
| Feature | Agola | GitLab Runner |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Git Hosting & Forges | Git Hosting & Forges |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,622 | ★ 8,500 |
| First released | 2019 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Drone, GitHub Actions | GitHub Actions runner |
Why pick each one
Choose Agola if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
Choose GitLab Runner if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 8.5k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Agola or GitLab Runner better?
Neither is universally better. GitLab Runner has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Agola and GitLab Runner free and open-source?
Yes. Agola is licensed under Apache-2.0 and GitLab Runner under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Agola and GitLab Runner with Docker?
Agola: yes. GitLab Runner: yes.