SHSelfHostIndex

GitLab vs Laminar

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ci/cd & build options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
GI GitLab Git-repository manager providing wiki, issue-tracking and CI/CD VS LA Laminar Lightweight and modular continuous integration service
FeatureGitLabLaminar
CategoryCI/CD & BuildCI/CD & Build
LicenseMITGPL-3.0
LanguageC++
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM2,000 MB128 MB
Deploymentbare-metalbare-metal, source
GitHub stars—★ 352
First released20232016
ReplacesGitHubJenkins

Why pick each one

Choose GitLab if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
GitLab details

Choose Laminar if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Written in C++
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Laminar details

Frequently asked questions

Is GitLab or Laminar better?

Neither is universally better. Laminar has the larger community, while GitLab is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are GitLab and Laminar free and open-source?

Yes. GitLab is licensed under MIT and Laminar under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run GitLab and Laminar with Docker?

GitLab: check the project docs for container support. Laminar: check the project docs for container support.

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