OneDev vs SourceHut
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted git hosting & forges options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
OneDev
Self-hosted Git server with CI/CD and kanban
VS
SourceHut
The hacker's forge, 100% free and open source
| Feature | OneDev | SourceHut |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Git Hosting & Forges | Git Hosting & Forges |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,258 | ★ 2,000 |
| First released | 2016 | 2018 |
| Replaces | GitHub, GitLab | GitHub, GitLab |
What are OneDev and SourceHut?
OneDev
OneDev is a self-hosted Git server with built-in CI/CD, issue tracking, and kanban boards in a single application. It targets small teams wanting an integrated platform without heavy resource use. It is deployed via Docker or a binary.
- Built-in CI/CD engine
- Kanban issue boards
- Code search and review
- Symbol navigation
SourceHut
SourceHut is a software development suite consisting of Git/Mercurial hosting, mailing lists, CI, bug tracking, and more. It is designed to be lightweight, JavaScript-free, and email-driven.
- Email-driven workflow
- No JavaScript required
- Git and Mercurial support
- Integrated CI builds
OneDev vs SourceHut: key differences
OneDev is written in Java, while SourceHut is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for OneDev versus AGPL-3.0 for SourceHut. OneDev is the more established project (first released 2016), while SourceHut arrived in 2018. OneDev has the considerably larger community, at 15,258 GitHub stars versus 2,000. OneDev lists first-class Docker deployment; SourceHut does not.
Why pick each one
Choose OneDev if…
- All-in-one in one process
- Strong code navigation
- Lighter than GitLab
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Java memory footprint
Choose SourceHut if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is OneDev or SourceHut better?
OneDev is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider SourceHut if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OneDev and SourceHut free and open-source?
Yes. OneDev is licensed under MIT and SourceHut under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OneDev and SourceHut with Docker?
OneDev: yes. SourceHut: check the project docs for container support.