GitLab CE vs Apache Allura
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?
GitLab CE
Complete DevOps platform you can self-host
VS
Apache Allura
Open-source forge for managing source code and projects
| Feature | GitLab CE | Apache Allura |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Git Hosting & Forges | Git Hosting & Forges |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Ruby | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, helm, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 24,000 | ★ 148 |
| First released | 2011 | 2012 |
| Replaces | GitHub, Bitbucket | GitHub, SourceForge |
Why pick each one
Choose GitLab CE if…
- All-in-one DevOps platform
- Powerful CI/CD
- Mature and feature-rich
Choose Apache Allura if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is GitLab CE or Apache Allura better?
Neither is universally better. GitLab CE has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are GitLab CE and Apache Allura free and open-source?
Yes. GitLab CE is licensed under MIT and Apache Allura under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GitLab CE and Apache Allura with Docker?
GitLab CE: yes. Apache Allura: yes.