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 844,944 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 most valuable feature of this solution is server management."

"Integration of Bitbucket with JIRA & Bamboo is well done by Atlassian."

"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."

"The initial setup is straightforward. It takes half an hour to deploy."

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

"Bitbucket Server supports code collaboration by providing commands developers can use to check in code. Through comments, developers can specify the purpose of the code check-in. Additionally, Bitbucket allows tagging of code for releases."

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

"Our code is secure."

More Bitbucket Server pros

"The most valuable aspects of GitHub are version control and parallel development. I also appreciate the forking part, which allows us to release a specific set of features to the environment."

"I would rate the stability a ten out of ten."

"The solution can scale."

"It provides Draft Pull Requests for review purposes without needing immediate merging and GitHub Actions for CI/CD implementation."

"GitHub is convenient and easy to use."

"For branching, it works well, especially in an agile environment."

"I use this solution to store my code in a repository so we can manage version control which is useful."

"The features that I have found most valuable are that it can support you for most of the road map and it can automate some tasks which works really well with collaboration with the teams. They are really interested in how they organize the history of the code itself which is good."

More GitHub pros

Cons

"The product requires patching and version improvements. Some functions do not work properly when we move from one version to another. We need a technical improvement. Also, communicating with other Atlassian products becomes cumbersome when we move from one version to another. I want Bitbucket Server to include a dashboard similar to Jira's. Atlassian must also develop a tool to scan our complete base for vulnerabilities."

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

"The response time of the product's support team may not be good enough to meet the expectations of users, making it an area where improvements are required."

"The platform's integration with other cloud services should be improved."

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

"Some of the capabilities that I am looking for from a command line are not really available."

"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

"The solution's cost is high and should be reduced."

"I decided not to use GitHub but developed my tool because I found it more efficient. I'm familiar with my tools, making them easier to use. I like being able to customize them to fit my workflow and the way I think.. Software development is like a personal workshop, and I tailor my version control to match my approach."

"Scalability is an area with a shortcoming, because of which it has room for improvement."

"GitHub could improve by being more user-friendly."

"There can be conflict issues when two developers work on the same file or line of code, and it would be great to see that improved, possibly with an AI solution."

"The initial setup and implementation could be easier, I had some difficulties with it at first but I don't have a development background."

"The ticketing system is not working."

"I cannot recall coming across any shortcomings of the product."

More GitHub cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We opted for the on-premises solution, and while it's quite expensive, I believe there's room for improvement in terms of pricing. The licensing is based on the number of users, but I'm not entirely certain about the details."

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

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

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

"We pay around $6 per user."

"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."

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

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

More Bitbucket Server pricing and cost advice

"The tool offers a free program. As you go, you can upgrade from the community version to the professional one. I believe it costs about ten dollars per person, per month."

"If I consider the market standards, the product's price is pocket-friendly."

"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."

"GitHub is an open-source application. It's free to use."

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

"I think, in terms of price, GitHub is okay compared to other tools."

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

"The product is reasonably priced."

More GitHub pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

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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

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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