GitLab Source Code Management (SCM)
A single space for storing and jointly developing code: Git repositories, branching, code reviews, and merge rules. Helps keep change history transparent and quality manageable.
Brief description
GitLab is a leading DevSecOps platform that unifies the entire software development lifecycle in a single application. With it, teams can plan, develop, test, securely deploy, and maintain projects faster and more efficiently. GitLab offers cloud and enterprise solutions, enabling organizations of any size to automate CI/CD processes, increase development transparency, and accelerate product releases. Benefits for customers Centralized management of the entire software development process. CI/CD automation to speed up time to market for products. Built-in security tools for early detection of vulnerabilities. Increased team productivity and reduced costs of integrating multiple disparate tools.
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A single space for storing and jointly developing code: Git repositories, branching, code reviews, and merge rules. Helps keep change history transparent and quality manageable.
Embeds security and compliance directly into the development process: vulnerability checks, policy enforcement, auditing, and risk management.
Planning and managing work from tasks to strategic initiatives: boards, iterations, epics, roadmaps, and progress tracking.
Unified registries for packages and container images alongside code and CI/CD. Publish, store, control access, and manage the lifecycle of artifacts.
Delivery observability and analytics: metrics, logs, traces, error monitoring, as well as workflow analytics and DevOps metrics to improve release velocity and quality.
Automates building, testing, and delivering changes: pipelines, jobs, runners, environments, and deployments. Helps you release more often and more safely.
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GitLab is a platform for source code management and software delivery. It combines Git repositories, merge requests, code reviews, issues, CI/CD and DevSecOps tools. A team can store code, run tests after a commit, build the application and deploy it to the required environment. GitLab operates as a cloud service (GitLab.com) and as a self-managed installation on a company’s infrastructure.
The main difference lies in the organisation of DevOps processes within the platform. GitHub works with Git repositories and uses GitHub Actions for automation. In GitLab, CI/CD is closely integrated with Runners, Merge Requests and security scanning. Both platforms support modern development processes, so the choice depends on requirements for self-managed deployment, security, CI/CD, integrations and licensing, rather than just the repository interface.
CI/CD is the automation of integration, testing and the delivery of changes. In GitLab, the workflow is usually defined in `.gitlab-ci.yml`: after a commit, the Runner triggers a build, tests and other tasks. The next stage may deploy the application to staging or production. This reduces manual operations and makes the process repeatable. If the build fails, the team sees the result before the change reaches the production environment.
Yes, GitLab Self-Managed is installed on infrastructure managed by the organisation itself. This could be an on-premises data centre or a chosen cloud environment. The company controls the servers, network, storage, Runners and update schedule. This option is useful where there are internal requirements regarding code hosting and data access, but it requires administration, backups and monitoring.
A GitLab licence via GEO-MENTOR is selected based on the number of users, the deployment model and the required features. GEO-MENTOR is a GitLab reseller and can assist with choosing between SaaS or Self-Managed, configuring CI/CD and integrating cloud infrastructure. To get started, simply define your current stack, the number of teams, security requirements and the expected load on the Runner. An implementation and licensing plan is then drawn up.
GitLab is a unified DevSecOps platform for source code management (SCM), CI/CD, security and development processes. The project was launched in 2011 in Ukraine by Dmytro Zaporozhets and Sid Sijbrandij, and by June 2026 the platform had over 30 million registered users. GitLab is used by NASA, Goldman Sachs, Siemens, NVIDIA and other major IT companies. Unlike GitHub, where CI/CD is implemented via GitHub Actions, GitLab brings together repositories, pipelines and DevSecOps tools within a single environment.
| Parameter | GitLab | GitHub |
| Core model | DevSecOps platform | Git hosting and collaborative development |
| CI/CD | Built-in GitLab CI/CD | GitHub Actions |
| Security | SAST, DAST, Secret Detection | Security features and GitHub Advanced Security |
| Deployment | SaaS, Self-Managed, Dedicated | Cloud and on-premises options |
GitLab covers the entire software lifecycle – from task planning and code management to automated delivery and production monitoring. The platform brings together four key areas: SCM, CI/CD, Security and Monitoring, so the main stages of development can be carried out in a single environment without constantly switching between separate tools.
The platform allows you to store code in private Git repositories, work with branches and carry out code reviews via merge requests. Protected branches and approval rules are available for change control, whilst code can be edited via the Web IDE or through integrations with VS Code and JetBrains. The platform also features built-in Issues, Wiki and Snippets, meaning that some of the DevOps team’s tasks can be carried out without connecting to separate services.
Built-in CI/CD automates the building, testing and deployment of applications according to a script in the .gitlab-ci.yml file. Tasks are executed by GitLab Runner, which can be linked to a project, a group or the entire installation. To get started quickly, Auto DevOps is available – a set of ready-to-use ‘out-of-the-box’ pipelines for typical build, test and deploy stages. For example, after each commit, the system can run a build and tests, send the build to staging, and leave the transition to production subject to manual approval. The pipelines support Docker, Kubernetes, AWS and GCP.
GitLab brings security checks directly into the development process, rather than leaving them solely for the pre-release stage. The platform checks for vulnerabilities with every merge request. According to GitLab, vulnerabilities are detected 50 per cent earlier compared to using standalone tools. Pipelines can include SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, container scanning and secret detection to check code, dependencies and containers. The Ultimate edition also offers compliance management and audit events, which help monitor compliance with requirements and track user actions. The range of advanced features depends on the licence selected.
GitLab can be used in two main formats: SaaS via gitlab.com or Self-Managed on your own infrastructure. SaaS reduces the workload on the in-house IT team, whilst Self-Managed provides greater control over data storage, updates and security policies.
| Criterion | GitLab SaaS | GitLab Self-Managed |
| Hosting | GitLab’s cloud infrastructure | Own servers or a private cloud |
| Management | The core infrastructure is managed by the platform | The infrastructure is managed by the customer’s team |
| Updates | Carried out centrally | Planned and installed independently |
| Data control | Depends on the cloud service model | Data remains within the chosen infrastructure |
| Suitable for | Teams with no requirement for on-premises installation | Companies with requirements regarding data localisation and internal security |
Self-Managed is more commonly chosen by organisations that prioritise independent control over access, networking and source code storage. To determine the appropriate deployment model and configuration, please contact our engineering experts – GEO-MENTOR’s specialists will help you take into account your security requirements, infrastructure and number of users.
GEO-MENTOR acts as a platform reseller and helps select a configuration tailored to the company’s needs. The GitLab licence is determined based on the deployment model, the number of users and infrastructure requirements. GEO-MENTOR’s services include:
GEO-MENTOR can set up a complete DevOps stack: GitLab handles CI/CD, whilst AWS or Google Cloud handles the infrastructure.
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GEO-MENTOR is a certified Dassault Systèmes partner for CAD and PLM solutions. Our approach includes audit → selection → implementation → training → support. We offer:
A key advantage of our company, GEO-MENTOR, is that we are the only organisation in Ukraine with partnerships with Dassault Systèmes, AWS, Google Cloud, Altium and Bentley. This combination of expertise allows us to integrate CAD, PLM, cloud infrastructure, GitLab and engineering solutions into a single project. Select CAD/PLM solutions for your industry and receive a clear and effective implementation plan tailored to your organisation’s needs.