GitLab: a data-backed look

GitLab overview

GitLab combines Git repository management, continuous integration, and continuous deployment into a single application. Built-in security tools analyze dependencies, perform static and dynamic scans, and enforce license compliance before code reaches production.

Entire project portfolios live under GitLab groups, where issue boards, milestones, and epics track progress across teams. Whether hosted in GitLab’s SaaS offering or self-managed behind a corporate firewall, GitLab gives teams one place to manage code, pipelines, and deployments.

How much do businesses spend on GitLab?

The chart below illustrates average quarterly spending on GitLab across different business sizes.

Mid-market and enterprise organizations exhibit the highest spending levels, with significant fluctuations throughout the quarters. Spending peaked significantly in the third quarter before declining while maintaining elevated levels. This suggests major implementation projects followed by optimization as teams stabilize their usage.

Small and medium-sized businesses show moderate spending with consistent growth through the first three quarters, peaking in Q3 before declining modestly. This indicates the gradual adoption and expansion of GitLab's DevOps capabilities.

Micro businesses demonstrate volatile spending, with a notable Q2 dip followed by dramatic Q3 growth before declining significantly. This suggests experimental adoption phases as smaller teams evaluate the platform before committing to sustained usage.

Who is GitLab best for?

The chart below breaks down GitLab’s user base by industry and business size.

Micro businesses represent the largest segment at over two-fifths of all customers, demonstrating GitLab's appeal to startups and small development teams seeking comprehensive DevOps platforms.

Small and medium-sized businesses constitute nearly one-third of users, indicating effectiveness in serving growing teams that need integrated source control, CI/CD, and project management capabilities.

Mid-market and enterprise companies comprise over one-quarter of the user base. These larger organizations likely contribute disproportionately to revenue given their higher spending patterns.

GitLab key features

Integrated source control

• What it does: Hosts Git repositories with built-in branching, merge requests, and in-browser code review.
• Key benefit: Reduces context switching by keeping version control and pull-request workflows in the same interface.

Built-in CI/CD pipelines

• What it does: Executes build, test, and deploy stages using shared or custom runners.
• Key benefit: Automates the end-to-end release process from commit to production, ensuring consistent and repeatable deployments.

Auto DevOps

• What it does: Automatically detects project type and generates CI/CD jobs for build, test, containerization, and deployment with minimal config.
• Key benefit: Lets teams get started quickly without maintaining complex pipeline definitions, while allowing overrides for specialized workflows.

Security and compliance

• What it does: Scans code for vulnerabilities (SAST/DAST), checks licenses, and monitors dependencies during pipeline execution.
• Key benefit: Catches security issues early, reducing the risk of production incidents and simplifying audit requirements.

Package and container registry

• What it does: Hosts Docker images, Helm charts, and language-specific packages directly alongside source code in GitLab.
• Key benefit: Keeps build artifacts centralized, improving traceability and enforcing access controls without the need for a separate registry.

Project and group management

• What it does: Organizes projects into groups with shared permissions, issue boards, and milestones that span multiple repositories.
• Key benefit: Provides managers visibility into cross-project progress, ensures consistent roles and access, and tracks objectives across teams.

Analytics and reporting

• What it does: Offers dashboards for pipeline duration, test success rates, merge request metrics, and value stream analytics to show cycle times.
• Key benefit: Reveals where development slows down, helping teams prioritize improvements to boost efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.

GitLab pricing

GitLab Pros and Cons

GitLab is a good fit if:

• You want one platform to manage source code, CI/CD pipelines, and security scanning.
• Your team needs visibility across the entire DevOps lifecycle—from commit to production.
• You rely on features like container registry, license compliance, and static analysis.
• You prefer writing and managing infrastructure, pipelines, and approvals using YAML files.

Consider alternatives if:

• You need a standalone CI/CD service that focuses solely on builds and tests.
• Your organization already uses GitHub and wants native pipelines within that ecosystem.
• You require a lightweight, highly extensible automation server with a broad plugin ecosystem.
• You need deep IDE integration and granular build agent control rather than a hosted SaaS platform.