GitHub Buyer Guide

GitHub Buyer Guide

Interested in discovering how GitHub really performs? This buyer guide was compiled from real user reviews and lays out how the product performs for them. Get an accurate picture of GitHub from those who know it best.

Highlight the Right Reviews

Throughout the guide below, there are links directly to reviews. Select the reviewers most relevant to you, and those links will be highlighted in blue.






Software Development

Version Control Systems

Users generally praise GitHub’s version control systems capabilities. They appreciate the ease of tracking changes, collaborating on code with others, and maintaining a clear history of their work. The Git-based version control system on GitHub enables efficient code review processes, making it simpler to catch bugs and uphold high code quality standards. Additionally, users value the integrations with various tools and services, enhancing their overall workflow efficiency. Despite some minor challenges like handling merge conflicts, users find GitHub’s version control system to be a reliable and valuable asset in their software development endeavors. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“GitHub provides a powerful and flexible Git-based version control system that allows teams to track changes to their code over time, collaborate on code with others, and maintain a history of their work.”Engineer in Quality Assurance, Health, Wellness and Fitness, 501-1000 employees

“GitHub is easy to use and handle i.e. not much training you need to be if implemented in project. Also merging capability and solving merge conflicts is easy in GitHub.”Engineer in Information Technology, Telecommunications, 10,001+ employees

“The handling of merge-conflicts directly via Github web is difficult; The PullRequest code review tool is frequently troublesome in how it displays the diff between source and changed code.”Engineer in Information Technology, Marketing & Advertising, 501-1000 employees

Code Repositories

Reviewers consistently praise GitHub’s code repositories for their robust functionality and ease of use. Users appreciate the platform’s ability to efficiently manage source code, facilitate collaboration among team members, and streamline the code review process. GitHub’s code repositories are lauded for their reliability and effectiveness in version control, allowing developers to track changes, merge code changes, and maintain a clear history of their work. Additionally, GitHub’s code repositories are commended for their integration capabilities with other tools and services, enhancing the overall development workflow for teams. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“GitHub provides a powerful and flexible Git-based version control system that allows teams to track changes to their code over time, collaborate on code with others, and maintain a history of their work.”Engineer in Quality Assurance, Health, Wellness and Fitness, 501-1000 employees

“GitHub is the No1 solution for git hosting, Code reviews, online Collaboration (especially on Open Source projects). The integrations with 3rd party services are also a big advantage.”Engineer in Information Technology, Marketing & Advertising, 51-200 employees

“Not an easy tool for beginners. Prior command-line experience is expected to get started with GitHub efficiently.”Team Lead in Engineering, Aviation & Aerospace, 10,001+ employees

Source Code Management

Reviewers consistently praise GitHub’s robust source code management capabilities. Users appreciate the ease of hosting and collaborating on code repositories using Git, as well as the efficient tracking of code changes over time. The platform’s pull request system facilitates smooth code reviews and discussions, ensuring high code quality. Despite some minor drawbacks like limited support for large files and a learning curve for beginners, GitHub remains a top choice for organizations seeking reliable and effective source code management solutions. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)

“GitHub provides a powerful and flexible Git-based version control system that allows teams to track changes to their code over time, collaborate on code with others, and maintain a history of their work.”Engineer in Quality Assurance, Health, Wellness and Fitness, 501-1000 employees

“GitHub helps my organization to host Source code repository without hassle.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1001-5000 employees

“Not an easy tool for beginners. Prior command-line experience is expected to get started with GitHub efficiently.”Team Lead in Engineering, Aviation & Aerospace, 10,001+ employees

Project and Workflow Management

Project Management

Users generally praise GitHub’s project management capabilities for their effectiveness in planning, organizing, and tracking work across multiple repositories. The platform’s project boards enable teams to collaborate efficiently and stay on top of project progress. While some users suggest minor improvements in functionality, overall, GitHub’s project management tools are seen as valuable assets for enhancing workflow efficiency and team collaboration. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“GitHub’s project boards to plan, organize and track work across multiple repositories.”Engineer in Quality Assurance, Health, Wellness and Fitness, 501-1000 employees

“The project management could be a bit more robust by proving epics.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1-10 employees

“Some of the extended features, like ‘Projects’, can be a little too lightweight and users may spend too much time setting it up and not end up using it.”Engineer in Professional Services, Internet, 11-50 employees

Collaboration Tools

Users generally praise GitHub’s collaboration tools for enhancing team productivity and code management. Reviewers consistently highlight the ease of integrating GitHub with other tools and services, making collaboration more efficient. However, some users express concerns about the learning curve for beginners and the limitations when working with larger files. Despite these challenges, GitHub’s collaboration tools are widely regarded as a valuable asset for facilitating team collaboration and code version control. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

Issue Tracking Systems

User sentiment regarding GitHub’s issue tracking system is varied. While some users appreciate its functionality for tracking bugs, feature requests, and tasks, others express concerns about the system needing improvements in terms of search capabilities and text editing features. Additionally, there are mentions of challenges with noisy notifications and difficulties in configuring the system to meet specific needs. Despite these mixed opinions, GitHub’s issue tracking system remains a valuable tool for many users in managing their projects effectively. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)

“In my opinion, support is horrible – well it doesn’t exist so; Issue tracking needs some revamp for searching and text editor; In my opinion, they must stop acting like God and delete users and their history!”C-Level Executive in Corporate, Computer Software, 51-200 employees

“CONS: Notifications are noisy by default and hard to configure to do what you want.; No cross-repo issue tracking, hard to see all open pull requests at once.; We pay per seat, which means sometimes we introduce extra friction because we can’t give everyone access to our GitHub.”Team Lead in Engineering, Transportation/Trucking/Railroad, 11-50 employees

“GitHub is uniquely suited in situations where distributed teams need to collaborate on the same codebase. It allows non-destructive work in the form of branches that allow you to merge working code when it’s ready. Different software teams can work on different parts of the codebase and each have an approver that serves as the gatekeeper for the merged code.”C-Level Executive in Engineering, Hospitality, 11-50 employees

Development Practices and Tools

Code Review Processes

Users generally praise GitHub’s code review processes for their efficiency in catching bugs and ensuring high code quality. The pull request system, along with features like inline commenting and suggested changes, facilitates smooth collaboration among team members. However, some users find reviewing large pull requests to be a bit tedious and suggest improvements in tracking recent changes within files. Despite minor drawbacks, GitHub’s code review processes are widely appreciated for their role in enhancing code collaboration and maintaining code integrity. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

Development Tools and Platforms

Reviewers generally praise GitHub’s development tools and platform capabilities. Users appreciate the ease of integration with third-party applications like Jira, Azure DevOps, and various IDEs, which enhances their workflow efficiency. The GitHub Actions feature for automation, build, testing, and deployment across different platforms and languages is highlighted as a significant advantage. However, some reviewers express concerns about the lack of robust CI/CD functionalities compared to other platforms like GitLab. Despite this, GitHub remains a popular choice for hosting source code repositories and fostering collaboration among developers. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“GitHub Action for your automation, build, test and deployment any platform and any languages; GitHub help store our artifacts and dependency with in Github using GitHub packages; You can integrate with the other third party applications like jira, Azure DevOps etc..”Consultant in Information Technology, Information Technology & Services, 201-500 employees

“Lack of rich CI/CD which is better by all means in GitLab.; GitHub should focus on CI/CD they are very good at source code repository hosting.; Dosen’t provide [Source] self managed offering. We can’t download, install, and setup our own GitHub server if we want to use GitHub we can use Github.com only.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1001-5000 employees

“GitHub makes it easy to research and find what code changed and when.; GitHub is easy to integrate with other tools.; GitHub is reliable and dependable. I’ve used it for nine years without issue.”Engineer in Information Technology, Oil & Energy, 501-1000 employees

DevOps Practices

Users generally praise GitHub’s capabilities in devops practices. They appreciate the ease of integration with various third-party applications and DevOps tools, such as JIRA, Azure DevOps, and Jenkins. The ability to automate build, test, and deployment processes using GitHub Actions is highlighted as a valuable feature. Additionally, users find GitHub’s version control and container registry functionalities beneficial for managing their development pipelines efficiently. Despite some concerns about pricing for licenses and the platform’s vulnerability to security threats, users acknowledge GitHub as a reliable tool for implementing devops practices effectively. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

“GitHub helps us securely host our source code repositories without any hassle. GitHub’s built-in container and package registry.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1001-5000 employees

“It could easily be considered as Master of version control tools. It is very easy to integrate with third parties. It provides visibility in scrum planning.”Engineer in Information Technology, Telecommunications, 10,001+ employees

“Navigating around a GitHub repo can be a little confusing until you’re used to it. For small team projects or open-source libraries GitHub is a great and affordable option.”Team Lead in Engineering, Insurance, 1001-5000 employees

Support and Documentation

Documentation and Community Support

Reviewers across various testimonials have consistently highlighted GitHub’s documentation and community support as valuable assets. Users appreciate the well-documented user support database and self-service guides available online, which aid in resolving issues efficiently. Additionally, GitHub’s active support team has been commended for their prompt assistance when required. The platform’s intuitive interface and abundance of FAQ resources contribute to a positive user experience in navigating documentation and seeking community support. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“GitHub has been helping a lot in this field. With the help of git version control system, we can easily switch between two versions of our product with a single click.”Engineer in Information Technology, Information Technology & Services, 11-50 employees

“We have never used GitHub customer support, every question we’ve had we managed to answer through their documentation.”Team Lead in Engineering, Transportation/Trucking/Railroad, 11-50 employees

“They have a very active support team and are ready to help as and when required. The support is not that very costly and the Support Engineers are highly skilled in their domain.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1001-5000 employees

Open Source Contributions

Reviewers consistently praise GitHub’s support for open source projects. Users generally believe that GitHub’s open source contributions functionality is a strong point, with many highlighting the platform’s ability to facilitate collaboration and contributions to open source projects. The open source community benefits greatly from GitHub’s features, such as hosting repositories for free and providing a platform for developers to showcase their talent and engage with various open source initiatives. While some reviewers mention limitations, such as pricing for licenses and potential security vulnerabilities, the overall sentiment leans towards GitHub being a valuable tool for open source contributions. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“GitHub package repository and Container Registry is also very useful. No doubt GitHub is an awesome source code management, also it offers to host repositories for free which is a great support to the open-source community and contributors.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1001-5000 employees

“If you’re fine with hosting your repositories on a SaaS based source control platform it’s good to GO! But in case you want to set up your own source control server and host source code repositories then GitHub is not for you.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1001-5000 employees

“GitHub is great for any organization who uses Git and needs to store its code somewhere accessible to all their developers. It’s also great for an organization with open source projects.”Manager in Engineering, Consumer Services, 11-50 employees

Integration, Deployment, and Operations

Integration and Deployment

Reviewers consistently praise GitHub’s integration and deployment capabilities. Users appreciate the ease of connecting their code to various third-party tools through GitHub Actions, streamlining their CI/CD processes. The platform’s integration with other DevOps tools and its built-in continuous integration features, such as GitHub Actions, have been highlighted as valuable assets by reviewers. Additionally, GitHub’s ability to host source code repositories without hassle and its integration with automated testing and deployment have been commended for saving time and enhancing efficiency in software development workflows. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“GitHub helps my organization to host Source code repository without hassle. Dependa Bots and Integrations with third-party apps are great, A lot of options are available.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1001-5000 employees

“GitHub Action for your automation, build, test and deployment any platform and any languages; GitHub help store our artifacts and dependency with in Github using GitHub packages; You can integrate with the other third party applications like jira, Azure DevOps etc..”Consultant in Information Technology, Information Technology & Services, 201-500 employees

“Continuous integration leads to problems; Worst team experience at same project; Nested commands”Engineer in Information Technology, Information Technology & Services, 1-10 employees

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

Reviewers have varying opinions on GitHub’s CI/CD capabilities. While some users appreciate the ease of integration with CI/CD tools and the efficient code review features, others express concerns about the lack of robust CI/CD functionalities compared to other platforms like GitLab. The ability to automate deployment pipelines and the flexibility to connect with third-party tools are highlighted as strengths, but there are also mentions of limitations such as the absence of a self-managed offering. Despite mixed feedback, GitHub’s CI/CD features are generally acknowledged for streamlining testing and deployment processes within the development workflow. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)

“The rollout of GitHub actions has enabled our teams to reduce dependencies on external CI/CD services and increase engineering by having less systems to utilize/manage.”Executive in Engineering, Information Services, 51-200 employees

“Another feature we really like on GitHub is the CI/CD automation with GitHub actions. It’s so easy to connect your code to any 3rd party tool out there.”Engineer in Information Technology, Marketing & Advertising, 51-200 employees

“Cons: Lack of rich CI/CD which is better by all means in GitLab. GitHub should focus on CI/CD they are very good at source code repository hosting.”Engineer in Engineering, Computer Software, 1001-5000 employees

Quality, Security, and Collaboration

Testing and Quality Assurance

Users generally appreciate GitHub’s testing and quality assurance capabilities, noting that the platform contributes positively to code quality and helps in identifying and resolving merge conflicts efficiently. Some users find the code review tools to be effective in maintaining high standards of quality assurance, while others mention that GitHub’s version control system aids in streamlining testing processes. Despite some minor challenges with large pull requests and merge operations, overall sentiment leans towards GitHub being a reliable platform for ensuring code quality and managing testing procedures effectively. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“Positive impact in terms of code quality, by enabling solid PR tools, it enables conversations around the code quality among the developers.”Engineer in Information Technology, Farming, 10,001+ employees

“GitHub is a place where we can keep the artifacts such as source code, lookup data, and other callable information. GitHub can be integrated with deployment tools such as Jenkins, TeamCity and any cloud DevOps tools.”Engineer in Information Technology, Financial Services, 10,001+ employees

“The PullRequest code review tool is frequently troublesome in how it displays the diff between source and changed code.”Engineer in Information Technology, Marketing & Advertising, 501-1000 employees

Security and Access Control

Reviewers have varying opinions on GitHub’s security and access control capabilities. Some users appreciate the platform’s ability to provide both public and private access, allowing for secure storage of code and data. They find the version control feature valuable in maintaining the integrity of their projects. However, others express concerns about the cost of GitHub and potential security vulnerabilities due to data being stored in the cloud. Despite these mixed reviews, GitHub continues to be a popular choice for many organizations seeking a secure and accessible repository for their code. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

“GitHub has security issues because it uploads data on the cloud which is vulnerable to attack.”Engineer in Information Technology, Telecommunications, 10,001+ employees

“GitHub provides public and private access. Public is free. Private charges. For proof of concept projects, development, or testing, we can use PUBLIC access which is cheap or free.”Engineer in Information Technology, Financial Services, 10,001+ employees

“The minimal cost has been well worth the security of knowing that nothing is going to happen with our repository.”Engineer in Information Technology, Information Technology and Services, 11-50 employees

Code Sharing and Collaboration

Reviewers consistently highlight GitHub’s code sharing and collaboration capabilities as a key strength of the platform. Users appreciate the ease of sharing code with team members and external collaborators, as well as the efficient workflow enabled by features like pull requests and code review tools. The ability to track changes, manage versions, and collaborate effectively on projects has been a significant factor in users’ positive experiences with GitHub. Additionally, the platform’s integration with CI/CD tools and its support for multi-platform environments have further enhanced the collaborative coding experience for users. (Source Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

“GitHub is not used in any official capacity but there are numerous staff (developers), instructors and staff that use this industry-standard platform for sharing code and working collaboratively on websites and apps.”Consultant in Information Technology, Education Management, 10,001+ employees

“We use Github extensively for version control and team collaboration in all of our development/architecture projects. It’s primarily used by our product team but we also use it to share information with the success team and collect feedback.”Engineer in Engineering, Marketing and Advertising, 11-50 employees

“In our org, GitHub is not just used by developers but also by PMO teams to version control the documents which has a fabulous controlling which helps in maintaining the content of the files.”Consultant in Information Technology, Management Consulting, 10,001+ employees

About the Author

TrustRadius Product Guides are created by synthesizing user reviews to identify commonly discussed topics. These guides highlight common use cases, frequently used features, and more. While this is a beta feature, it is our mission is to provide you with the best information possible to make confident and trusted technology decisions. If you feel something is missing or incorrect, please let us know.

Sign up to receive more buyer resources and tips.