GitHub, on the other hand, is a web-based platform that is owned by Microsoft. GitHub is widely used by individual developers, open-source projects, and teams of all sizes. GitHub uses the Git version control system and is the largest code host, with over 100 million repositories of code. It only supports Git, which is the most commonly used VCS.
GitHub vs Bitbucket: Full Comparison
Comparison of features in Bitbucket and GitHub is a crucial aspect when deciding on which platform to use for a software development project. Both Bitbucket and GitHub offer a wide range of features that are designed to make software development more efficient and collaborative.
Both GitHub and Bitbucket offer pull requests and merge checks, which allow developers to collaborate on code and review changes before they are merged into the main branch.
Version control systems support
Bitbucket used to support both Git and Mercurial version control systems, allowing developers to choose the system they are most comfortable with. But in 2020 Bitbucket ended its support with mercurial. Now both Bitbucket and GitHub natively only support Git as its VCS.
UI and command-line interfaces
Both platforms offer web-based and command-line interfaces, making it easy to access and manage code from anywhere. Bitbucket has a more streamlined UI that focuses on the essentials of code management, such as source code, commits, and pull requests. GitHub, on the other hand, has a more complex UI that is optimized for social coding. The layout is more cluttered, with more emphasis on community features such as forks, stars, and followers. Since GitHub’s interface is simple enough to use by new coders, even novices can make use of Git.
Issue tracking
Both Bitbucket and GitHub have built-in issue-tracking tools that allow developers to track and manage bugs and issues. Bitbucket has JIRA integration and Github has built-in issue-tracking tools.
Documentation
Bitbucket has built-in Confluence integration for documentation, making it easy for teams to collaborate on documentation and knowledge management. GitHub does not have this feature.
Access Control
Bitbucket offers more granular control over who can access and make changes to a project, which makes it a good option for organizations that have strict security and compliance requirements. GitHub offers more flexibility in terms of collaboration and open-source development.
Community and ecosystem
GitHub has a large and active community of developers and users, which makes it a great platform for open-source projects and individual developers. Additionally, GitHub has a wide range of integrations and add-ons available through the GitHub Marketplace. Bitbucket, on the other hand, does not have as large of a community as GitHub. And often only Business and enterprise teams use Bitbucket.
Code insights
Both Github and Bitbucket provide code insights, which give developers an overview of their code, including the number of lines of code, the number of commits, and the number of contributors.
Direct Integration
Bitbucket offers direct integration with other Atlassian tools such as JIRA and Confluence, which allows for seamless collaboration and streamlined workflow across different stages of the development process. Some direct integration available for Bitbucket are Jira, Bamboo, Crucible, and JenkinsExternal.
GitHub does not have direct integration with many common tools, but it has a wide range of integrations and add-ons available through the GitHub Marketplace, which allows developers to customize and extend the platform to suit specific needs. But still, Github has some direct integration available ie. Zendesk, Azure, Cloudbees, Google Cloud, Amazon, Code Climate, and Heroku.
Automation
Both Github and Bitbucket offer automation tools such as webhooks, APIs, and integrations with other tools that allow developers to automate repetitive tasks and streamline their workflow.
Pricing Structures
Bitbucket offers a free plan that includes unlimited public and private repositories, up to five users, and basic collaboration tools. The next plan is called "Standard" and costs $3 per user/month and includes more advanced collaboration tools, additional features such as built-in JIRA and Confluence integration, and advanced permissions and access control. The last plan is called "Premium" and costs $6 per user/month and includes additional features such as 24/7 support, compliance and security features.