GitHub is the world's largest code hosting platform with over 100 million developers. Acquired by Microsoft in 2018, it remains the central hub for open source development and team collaboration.
GitHub is where developers build software together. Host code, manage projects, and collaborate with millions of developers worldwide.
Quick Answer
GitHub is a developer tools tool. GitHub is the world's largest code hosting platform with over 100 million developers. It offers a free tier. Paid plans start at $4/mo.
Overview
GitHub Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Details |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited public/private repos |
| Team | $4/user/mo | Protected branches, code owners |
| Enterprise | $21/user/mo | SAML SSO, audit log, advanced security |
| Copilot | +$10/mo | AI code suggestions (add-on) |
GitHub offers Free (unlimited public/private repos, limited features), Team ($4/user/month), and Enterprise ($21/user/month). GitHub Copilot is an additional $10/month or $19/month for business.
Key Features
Core features include Git repository hosting, pull requests for code review, and issues for project tracking. GitHub Actions provides CI/CD automation. Copilot adds AI-powered code suggestions. Security features include dependency scanning and secret detection.
- Git repositories
- Pull requests
- Issues
- GitHub Actions
- GitHub Copilot
- GitHub Pages
- Security features
- Discussions
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Industry standard
- Great collaboration
- Free for public repos
- Copilot AI
Cons
- Owned by Microsoft
- Pricing for private repos
- Outages impact many
Use Cases
Developers use GitHub for personal projects, open source contributions, and team collaboration. Companies use it for internal code hosting, CI/CD, and documentation. Students learn version control and build portfolios.
Our Verdict
GitHub is essential for modern software development. Its free tier is generous, and Team/Enterprise plans provide value for organizations. Copilot is increasingly important for developer productivity.
Alternatives to GitHub
View all alternativesRelated
More Developer Tools Tools
Developer Tools
Vercel
Vercel is the platform for frontend developers, providing speed and reliability to ship web applications with zero configuration.
Developer Tools
Netlify
Netlify is a platform for deploying and hosting modern web projects. Automated builds, deploy previews, and serverless functions.
Frequently Asked Questions about GitHub
Yes, GitHub is free for public repositories and includes unlimited private repositories with up to 3 collaborators. Paid plans add more features and collaborators.
Git is the version control system. GitHub is a platform that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features like pull requests, issues, and CI/CD.
GitHub Copilot ($10/month) can significantly boost productivity for developers. Its AI suggestions are especially helpful for boilerplate code and learning new frameworks.
Paying for GitHub? StackTidy catches it the moment you're charged — and flags it if your team stops using it.
See what StackTidy can findTrack Your GitHub Subscription
Paying for GitHub? StackTidy detects if your team stops using it before the next renewal.
Track with StackTidy