Bitbucket Server vs GitHub comparison

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Bitbucket Server

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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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 845,040 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

"It is an easily scalable solution."

"The most valuable feature is that it has its own pipelines."

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

"The platform's most valuable features are the code reviews and the ability to add comments to the code."

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

"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."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is server management."

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

More Bitbucket Server pros

"I appreciate saving from Visual Studio Code that implements changes directly on GitHub."

"The tool also helps organize collaboration by allowing users to share a repository with other developers."

"The best feature is the ability to track the history of all code changes, and it's easy to use. Additionally, as it's open source, anyone can use that feature resulting in distributed development. This opens the door to collaboration with different code and developer, feature, and master branches of development."

"The flexibility of this solution has been most valuable. It operates on a pay per use basis where you can ramp up or decrease usage."

"The code sharing and updated history are valuable features."

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

"The ease of use is valuable."

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

More GitHub pros

Cons

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

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

"The tasks on Bitbucket must be automatically integrated into Jira."

"At the moment, there are not many details on how to proceed with the troubleshooting if one of the users faces an issue with the product."

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

"Bitbucket Server has limited user support for its free version. It is expensive."

"The UI could be enhanced."

More Bitbucket Server cons

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

"As of now, if I would like to learn about GitHub or its features, I would have to look on YouTube. It would be nice if they were able to send out a newsletter with explanations of new features that they are offering and what features are available."

"GitHub could add some more security features."

"We are not able to access GitHub from our VPN."

"GitHub uses basic configuration, but messaging is not clear."

"The initial setup requires heavy documentation which can be challenging for new developers."

"While using the solution when merging two code branches the code becomes a bit messy. This should be improved in the future."

"It is difficult to merge a code or restore it to an older version."

More GitHub cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

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

"We pay around $6 per user."

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

"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."

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

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

More Bitbucket Server pricing and cost advice

"GitHub is an open-source product, but when using the free-to-use version, anyone can see the code we're working on."

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

"My company purchased it. Before, we used to receive the free version, but then they purchased some of the features."

"If there are only 10 people using a particular repository, then GitHub is free. But if we increase the number of users, we need to pay the normal charge for GitHub."

"It’s an open-source solution."

"The product is reasonably priced."

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

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

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

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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