cgit vs Phorge
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | cgit | Phorge |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 800 | ★ 700 |
| First released | 2006 | 2022 |
| Replaces | GitHub | GitHub, Jira |
What are cgit and Phorge?
cgit
cgit is a hyperfast web frontend for Git repositories written in C. It provides a read-only browsing interface ideal for publicly publishing source code.
- Extremely fast browsing
- Tiny resource footprint
- Caching layer for big repos
- Read-only repository viewer
Phorge
Phorge is a community-maintained continuation of Phabricator, providing code review, repository hosting, task management, and wikis. It keeps the platform alive with ongoing bug fixes and improvements.
- Actively maintained Phabricator fork
- Differential code review
- Maniphest tasks
- Integrated wiki
cgit vs Phorge: key differences
Cgit is written in C, while Phorge is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for cgit versus Apache-2.0 for Phorge. Cgit is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Phorge. Cgit is the more established project (first released 2006), while Phorge arrived in 2022.
Why pick each one
Choose cgit if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is cgit or Phorge better?
cgit is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Phorge if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are cgit and Phorge free and open-source?
Yes. cgit is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Phorge under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run cgit and Phorge with Docker?
cgit: check the project docs for container support. Phorge: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, cgit or Phorge?
cgit has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Phorge. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.