Gitea review

Gitea is a self-hosted server for Git repositories and the work around them, with a separate cloud-managed option. It sits alongside source code in a development stack: teams use it to host repositories, review code, track issues and projects, publish packages, and run CI/CD through Gitea Actions. It is not a client-side Git library or a command-line tool.

Teams can run it on Linux, Windows, macOS, FreeBSD or Kubernetes, with single-server and replication configurations. The vendor lists support for SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, TiDB and MS SQL. That gives self-hosters choices for fitting Gitea into an existing environment, but also leaves them responsible for deployment and operations. Gitea Cloud is the managed alternative for teams that want the vendor to host an instance. Enterprise is available for self-managed deployment and adds enterprise features and support.

Gitea's named integration surfaces are its API and webhooks. The vendor says teams can use them to extend functionality and build custom workflows; it also lists chat integrations for Slack, Discord, MS Teams and Lark, plus compatibility with external CI/CD services including Drone, Woodpecker, Argo CD and Jenkins. The homepage does not name an API protocol, SDK, programming language or CLI. Confirm SDK and CLI support in the vendor's documentation before making either a dependency.

For CI, Gitea Actions uses workflow syntax compatible with GitHub Actions. The vendor says workflows can use YAML and reuse existing GitHub Actions. That is a useful migration path for workflow definitions, not proof that every action or runner setup will work unchanged. Project tooling includes issues, labels, kanban boards, milestones, assignments, time tracking and dependencies. Package support covers more than 20 types, including Cargo, Composer, Container, Helm, Maven, NPM, NuGet and PyPI. Check the docs for the specific API operations, webhook events and package workflows your integration needs.

Open Source is free, self-hosted and MIT-licensed, with unlimited users and repositories. It includes code hosting, issue tracking, pull requests, project management, Gitea Actions and packages. The cost shifts to your own infrastructure and operations; the plan does not include managed hosting.

Enterprise (Self Managed) is listed at $19 per user per month, or $9.50 per user per month with annual billing and a one-year commitment. The first admin user is excluded from seat calculations, and the plan includes a 30-day trial. Gitea Cloud (Cloud Managed) is listed at $19 per instance per month, starting with two users; its two-user instance includes 2,000 Actions minutes per month and unlimited network traffic. The pricing information also lists a $79.17 monthly equivalent for 10 users billed annually. Object storage costs $10 per 100GB. The vendor doesn't publish other overage rates, so ask about additional Actions usage and other production charges before choosing a plan.

Gitea's Open Source edition is available under the MIT license, and teams can run it on their own infrastructure. That gives operators control over hosting and the service environment, but puts maintenance and availability work on them. Enterprise is also self-managed; Gitea Cloud is the managed option.

Because repositories are Git-based, Git repositories can be cloned to another Git host. That does not by itself move issues, pull requests, package data, permissions or configuration. The vendor's homepage does not describe a complete export process, so confirm how to export or migrate that data before depending on it. Reddit users discussing self-hosting often consider Forgejo, a Gitea fork; one commenter says the tools would likely have no tangible differences for their use case, while preferring Forgejo's community governance. Treat compatibility and migration as version-specific questions, not a guarantee.

The vendor lists replication configurations, multiple database options and deployment on Kubernetes, but gives no capacity or performance figures on its homepage. For a production deployment, test your own repository, package and CI workloads, and plan backups and recovery for both repositories and platform data. Gitea Actions being built in does not eliminate runner planning: a Reddit commenter warns that self-hosted runners may be needed, and that actions fetched from GitHub can leave builds dependent on GitHub availability.

Enterprise includes audit logs and SAML SSO in the vendor's pricing text; Gitea Cloud advertises support and an SLA, but check the contract for the specific terms. Reddit users describe Gitea as lightweight and functional, and one reports running it in a Docker container on Synology. Those are individual accounts, not service guarantees. Confirm security update practices, backup recovery, runner isolation and applicable compliance requirements with the vendor and your operators.