GitHub is a web-based hosting service for version control using Git, providing collaboration features such as bug tracking, feature requests, task management, and wikis for every project. GitHub has become the largest host of source code in the world and is widely used by developers for open-source and private projects.
Core Features
- Git Repository Hosting: Host and manage Git repositories with unlimited public and private repositories
- Pull Requests: Code review and collaboration system for merging code changes
- Issues: Issue tracking system for bug reports, feature requests, and tasks
- Projects: Project management boards for organizing work
- Wiki: Built-in wiki for project documentation
- Actions: Integrated CI/CD platform for automating workflows
- Packages: Package hosting and management service
GitHub Plans
- Free: Personal accounts with unlimited public repositories and limited private repositories
- Pro: Enhanced features for individual developers
- Team: Team collaboration features for small organizations
- Enterprise: Advanced security and administrative features for large organizations
GitHub Ecosystem
- GitHub Desktop: Desktop application for Git operations
- GitHub CLI: Command-line interface for GitHub
- GitHub Mobile: Mobile application for GitHub
- GitHub Copilot: AI-powered code completion tool
- GitHub Codespaces: Cloud-based development environments
- GitHub Marketplace: Third-party integrations and tools
GitHub Actions
- Workflows: Automate, customize, and execute software development workflows
- Actions: Individual tasks that can be combined to create jobs
- Runners: Servers that run workflows
- Events: Triggers that start workflows
- Artifacts: Files produced during workflow runs
Collaboration Features
- Forking: Create copies of repositories to contribute to projects
- Pull Requests: Propose changes and collaborate on code reviews
- Code Review: Comment on code and approve changes
- Team Management: Organize users into teams with specific permissions
- Organization Management: Manage multiple repositories and teams
Security Features
- Two-Factor Authentication: Enhanced account security
- Code Scanning: Automated security analysis of code
- Secret Scanning: Detection of exposed secrets in repositories
- Dependency Review: Analysis of dependency changes for security issues
- Security Advisories: Private reporting and fixing of security vulnerabilities
- Branch Protection: Rules to protect important branches
GitHub for Developers
- Gist: Share code snippets and notes
- GitHub Pages: Host static websites directly from repositories
- GitHub Discussions: Community discussion platform for projects
- GitHub Sponsors: Platform for funding open-source projects
- GitHub Marketplace: Access to third-party tools and services
Popular GitHub Features
- README Support: Markdown rendering for project documentation
- GitHub Pages: Static website hosting from repositories
- Releases: Version management and release notes
- Tags: Git tags for versioning
- Branches: Git branching and merging capabilities
- GitHub Insights: Repository analytics and statistics
- Notifications: Real-time notifications for activity
GitHub vs GitLab
| Aspect | GitHub | GitLab |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Primarily focused on Git hosting and collaboration | Complete DevOps platform with built-in CI/CD |
| Hosting | Primarily cloud-based (with GitHub Enterprise for self-hosting) | Self-hosting option available |
| CI/CD | GitHub Actions for CI/CD (separate feature) | More comprehensive CI/CD capabilities built-in |
| Features | Git hosting and collaboration focused | All-in-one DevOps platform |
Use Cases
- Open Source Development: Host and collaborate on open-source projects
- Private Development: Secure hosting for private projects
- Education: Teaching and learning platform for programming
- Team Collaboration: Collaborate on software development projects
- Documentation: Host project documentation and websites
- CI/CD: Automate testing, building, and deployment processes
- Community Building: Build and engage developer communities