Apache Allura vs Gogs
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted git hosting & forges options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Apache Allura | Gogs |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 68 · Good | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Git Hosting & Forges | Git Hosting & Forges |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 148 | ★ 47,824 |
| First released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Replaces | GitHub, SourceForge | GitHub, Bitbucket |
What are Apache Allura and Gogs?
Apache Allura
Apache Allura is the software behind SourceForge, providing repository hosting, ticket tracking, wikis, and discussion forums. It supports Git, Mercurial, and Subversion repositories.
- Multi-VCS repository hosting
- Ticket tracking and wikis
- Discussion forums
- Pluggable tool architecture
Gogs
Gogs is a lightweight, easy-to-install Git hosting service written in Go. It runs on minimal hardware including a Raspberry Pi and ships as a single binary.
- Single binary deployment
- Runs on low-power hardware
- Built-in issue tracker
- Webhook support
Apache Allura vs Gogs: key differences
Apache Allura is written in Python, while Gogs is built with Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Apache Allura versus MIT for Gogs. Gogs is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Apache Allura. Apache Allura is the more established project (first released 2012), while Gogs arrived in 2014. Gogs has the considerably larger community, at 47,824 GitHub stars versus 148.
Why pick each one
Choose Apache Allura if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Choose Gogs if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Simple to install
Watch out for
- Slower feature development than forks
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Allura or Gogs better?
Gogs is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Apache Allura if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Apache Allura and Gogs free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Allura is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Gogs under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Allura and Gogs with Docker?
Apache Allura: yes. Gogs: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Apache Allura or Gogs?
Gogs has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Apache Allura. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.