Bitbucket Server vs GitHub comparison

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Bitbucket Server

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 5, 2025

Bitbucket Server and GitHub are popular tools in software development and code repository management. GitHub appears to have the upper hand due to its strong community support and comprehensive security features.

Features: Bitbucket Server is known for seamless integration with Atlassian tools, a robust permission system, and the ability to integrate with third-party applications such as JIRA and Bamboo. GitHub is recognized for its advanced security features, robust version control, and a wide array of integrations supported by a strong open-source community.

Room for Improvement: Bitbucket Server needs better horizontal scalability, more robust access control features, and enhanced pipeline functionalities. GitHub could improve its AI-based code handling, streamline its UI for non-technical users, and address large file handling.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Bitbucket Server primarily offers on-premises deployment, with mixed customer support due to enterprise complexities. GitHub provides flexible deployment options across cloud environments and is often favored for its ease of use, though support could improve for larger teams.

Pricing and ROI: Bitbucket Server is costlier due to its user-based licensing model, making it suitable for enterprises with infrastructure investments. GitHub offers cost-effective solutions with flexible subscription plans, especially beneficial for small teams and startups. It is appreciated for its lower maintenance costs.

To learn more, read our detailed Bitbucket Server vs. GitHub Report (Updated: March 2025).

Bitbucket Server vs. GitHub

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Helped 845,406 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Bitbucket Server

Ranking in Version Control

2nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

GitHub

Ranking in Version Control

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Security Tools (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Version Control category, the mindshare of Bitbucket Server is 26.8%, up from 24.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of GitHub is 5.9%, down from 7.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Version Control

Featured Reviews

Dileep DK

Head of Engineering - Consumer Finance at DBS Bank

Facilitates efficient branching and integration with flexible workflow management

Bitbucket Server excels as a versioning system, effectively managing branching and code integration. It provides flexibility, allowing teams to customize workflows according to their specific needs. We maintain a master branch for production and separate branches for different features, which makes it easier to manage code changes. Additionally, its integration with Jenkins pipelines for automating builds and performing various checks enhances its utility.

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Pervez Roy

Solutions Architect at Small Systems LTD

Very good for collaboration on software projects

We use GitHub for code repository alongside Bitbucket GitHub is very good for collaboration on software projects. We prefer Bitbucket for commercial use, while GitHub is used for open source. You can get the differences, history of changes, and version control for various pull requests. You can…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The product’s most valuable features are private repositories and the ability to work as a proxy for implementing CI/CD pipelines."

"In terms of benefits, I feel that many companies are moving to Bitbucket Server since it can be deployed on an on-premises model at a time when everything is being moved to the cloud."

"I believe it's user-friendly for our developers, and it's effective in terms of traceability for tracking our actions."

"Bitbucket Server excels as a versioning system, effectively managing branching and code integration."

"It can efficiently promote code to different environments."

"It has consistently performed well without major issues, providing a reliable code management and collaboration environment."

"The most valuable feature of the Bitbucket Server is its ease of management. The solution is easy to manage once we migrate and set up the data. The solution offers a fast code push feature."

"Bitbucket Server easily integrates with Jira because they are both Atlassian products."

More Bitbucket Server pros

"The solution is scalable."

"The most valuable features of GitHub include its ability to integrate with Jira and multiple CI/CD platforms like Techton, allowing for seamless project management."

"You can get the differences, history of changes, and version control for various pull requests."

"The most valuable feature is help offered by the community for open-source projects."

"GitHub allows us the option to push files from a non-UA method or directly upload files from the UA. You can integrate GitHub with Jenkins to do CI/CD."

"We've found the technical support to be very helpful."

"The most valuable features are GitHub are the standard features, they are very useful."

"GitHub have a built-in software application development environment and this has been most useful."

More GitHub pros

Cons

"The UI could be enhanced."

"The user experience is tedious and long-winded. It could also be smoother from an admin's perspective."

"The solution's user interface could be improved because it's not very user-friendly or intuitive."

"The product's initial setup phase is complex."

"Currently, the interface could benefit from a more sophisticated code viewing option."

"There might be further integration ideas for continuous deployment."

"The product interface consists of multiple features that are complicated to navigate for new users."

"The improvements in the product could be made to expand third-party integrations and enhance support for open-source projects."

More Bitbucket Server cons

"If something has to be moved into approvals, and if they don't approve it in a few hours, then they should move the approval request to some other user, or they should have a way to escalate it."

"There are still areas for improvement with GitHub Actions and their deployment workflows, as they have made significant progress but are not yet polished."

"The solution could have better support for the Markdown language."

"Regarding improvements, I preferred the tool's earlier pricing model, which limited storage and the number of repositories instead of the number of users, which was more convenient from a customer perspective. I've also experienced issues with GitHub servers being unable to support moving repositories, which caused problems. For basic plans, no support was available to help resolve these issues. I think GitHub should provide more support for smaller businesses to help with these problems."

"The descriptions within Github could be more user-friendly to show the trees of Gitflow."

"The UI is a little outdated, so that could be improved."

"If you are uploading or cloning a large file, with more than 25 megs, it's pretty slow."

"The merging features can be improved."

More GitHub cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution comes as a part of the suite."

"The tool's licensing costs are yearly. Prices can become expensive if you have a lot of users."

"There is a cost to use this solution but it is based on how many users are using it. If you have 50 users or 1,000 users the price will be very different."

"One needs to pay towards the licensing charges associated with the product."

"Bitbucket Server is quite expensive compared to other products."

"The platform offers a free version for public repositories, which benefits open-source projects."

"As for licensing, Bitbucket is one of the more affordable options."

"We pay around $6 per user."

More Bitbucket Server pricing and cost advice

"The basic licensing model is free, and if you need to have technical support and such things, then it does cost something. You only need to pay extra if you need technical support."

"We pay a licensing fee for GitHub, which could be cheaper."

"The licensing model for GitHub is user-based. Whenever the new developer joins we have to get a new license and register their ID. The overall price of the solution is reasonable."

"It’s an open-source solution."

"I haven't had to pay anything for GitHub, I use the free version."

"It is open-source. There is no license for GitHub."

"GitHub is a cost-effective solution."

"There are no licensing fees for the features that we use."

More GitHub pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Version Control solutions are best for your needs.

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Comparison Review

it_user185772

Senior Software Architect with 5,001-10,000 employees

Oct 27, 2015

GitHub vs. GitLab vs. BitBucket Server (Formerly Stash)

Originally posted at http://technologyconversations.com/2015/10/16/github-vs-gitlabs-vs-bitbucket-server-formerly-stash/ This article will try to compare GitHub, GitLab and BitBucket Server (previously called Stash) installed on your own servers. Similar comparison of cloud offerings is outside…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Bitbucket Server?

The product is easy to maintain.

What needs improvement with Bitbucket Server?

While Bitbucket Server performs well, the improvement lies not in the tool itself yet in the discipline of the team using it. The tool does not impose restrictions, allowing for flexibility in work...

What is your primary use case for Bitbucket Server?

Bitbucket Server is used for private code management and source code management. It facilitates versioning, allowing us to maintain a master branch which reflects the code in production, and manage...

What do you like most about GitHub?

The control is the most valuable feature as developers can work on a single code.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for GitHub?

The pricing of GitHub depends on the choice of solutions, such as building one's own GitHub Runners to save money or using GitHub's Runners with extra costs. The pricing is considered reasonable an...

What needs improvement with GitHub?

There are still areas for improvement with GitHub Actions and their deployment workflows, as they have made significant progress but are not yet polished. Occasionally, stability can be an issue, t...

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Product Reports

Bitbucket Server

Download Bitbucket Server product report

Download GitHub product report

Also Known As

Stash

No data available

Overview

Bitbucket Server is a preferred choice for managing source code and version control, facilitating development workflows like CI/CD, task tracking, and collaboration among teams.

Organizations use Bitbucket Server to handle multiple repositories, manage code pipelines, and support various development workflows including CI/CD deployment. Integration with Jenkins and Jira enhances the software development lifecycle, meeting specific project requirements. Key features include user-friendly management, ease of use, and private repositories, fostering efficient code promotion and collaboration. However, improvements are needed in command-line functionality, UI, log handling, and integration with third-party tools.

What are Bitbucket Server's key features?

User-friendly management: Simplifies source code and repository management.
Version control: Effective tool for tracking and managing code changes.
Code collaboration: Facilitates teamwork and peer reviews.
CI/CD pipeline support: Enables automated deployment processes.
Seamless integration: Works well with tools like Jenkins and Jira.
Private repositories: Secure storage for project code bases.

What benefits should users expect?

Performance: Reliable and stable performance for development tasks.
Task tracking: Efficient management of development workflows.
Code promotion: Smooth transition of code across environments.
Enhanced collaboration: Improved teamwork and communication.

In industries like software development and IT services, Bitbucket Server implementation varies. Companies may integrate it into DevOps workflows for continuous integration and deployment. It's also used in sectors requiring stringent version control and collaboration, ensuring efficient project management and delivery.

Atlassian

GitHub is a web-based Git repository hosting service. It offers all of the distributed revision control and source code management (SCM) functionality of Git as well as adding its own features. Unlike Git, which is strictly a command-line tool, GitHub provides a Web-based graphical interface and desktop as well as mobile integration. It also provides access control and several collaboration features such as bug tracking, feature requests, task management, and wikis for every project.

Sample Customers

Netflix, Nasa, Rakuten, Best Buy, Philips, Nordstrom, Intuit, Zillow, Citi.

Dominion Enterprises, NASA, Braintree, SAP, CyberAgent

Bitbucket Server vs. GitHub