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How to Choose: GitLab Self-managed or SaaS (gitlab.com)?

November 16, 2020 ¬ 8:52 amh.Tamir Gefen

Make the Right Choice for you: GitLab Self-managed vs SaaS (gitlab.com)

Last update: September 2022

I have been asked many times in recent weeks how to decide between gitlab.com (SaaS / public cloud) or self-managed (on your own private machine – sometimes it is also called “Self-hosted”).

This is a popular question since there are many organizations that want to switch to GitLab and GitLab has more than 550 features, while the vendor’s website isn’t so clear about the differences and does not help to reach an easy decision.

From the conversations I have had, it became clear to me that the easiest way to get a fairly quick decision on the issue is through a questionnaire and using the elimination method – because you need one positive answer and then the direction will be clear.

That’s why I decided to write down a questionnaire with some key questions to help make a quick decision.

A few notes before we begin:

Self-managed GitLab can be implemented in 2 ways: at your own data center (e.g. your company’s offices) or as your own private machine in any cloud provider /region you want.
We did not include all the guiding questions here so as not to overload the article. If you still face a dilemma, you can consult us (email us at gitlab@almtoolbox.com or see more options below).
Recently, the manufacturer announced that starting in June 2022, it will limit up to 5 free users to the namespace in the gitlab.com cloud. More information is here.
All types of licensing for GitLab (in the cloud or self-managed, etc.) can be purchased from us and we will be happy to help you choose the most suitable license for you (and there are significant advantages if you purchase from us).

Here is the questionnaire including the guiding questions:

Do you have to work in a closed network without an internet connection (“air-gapped”)? If so, choose Self-managed GitLab
Must access be behind a firewall and/or VPN? If so, choose Self-managed
Is full control over the server important to you? Do you need to control updates timing (so it will be made only when it’s convenient to your organization)? If so, choose Self-managed
Do you require (or will you be required) to have full privacy? If so, choose Self-managed
Is it important to you not to share the server with other organizations? If so, choose Self-managed
Is a connection to LDAP or Active Directory important to you? If so, choose Self-managed
(unless you have an SSO connection using Okta, OneLogin, etc. and behind them LDAP/AD, then you can also connect this to gitlab.com as well)
Do you need to gain control over server performance? If so, choose Self-managed
Is it important for you to produce your own High Availability (HA) or Disaster Recovery (DR) solutions for the server and whole GitLab environment? If so, choose Self-managed
Is it important to you to be able to design email headers and footers on your outgoing emails, as well as change text in the automatic emails you send (for your own branding)? If so, choose Self-managed
Is the ability to define auditor users who can only receive read-only permission important to you? If so, choose Self-managed
Is Smart Card support important to you? If so, choose Self-managed
Do you prefer not to maintain a GitLab server by yourself or hire an expert contractor to do this for you? If so, choose gitlab.com
Do you want to use only public Shared Runners for GitLab CI/CD runs? If so, choose gitlab.com
Is it important for you to see details about GitLab commits from within Jira? If so, choose Self-managed
Do you need the freedom to control and customize git hooks as much as you want?
If so, choose Self-managed