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GitLab VS Kiln

Compare GitLab VS Kiln and see what are their differences

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GitLab logo GitLab

Create, review and deploy code together with GitLab open source git repo management software | GitLab

Kiln logo Kiln

Kiln is a complete source control management system based on Git and Mercurial.
  • GitLab Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-17
  • Kiln Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-04

GitLab

Website
about.gitlab.com
Pricing URL
Official GitLab Pricing
Release Date
2014 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
City
San Francisco
Founder(s)
Dmitriy Zaporozhets
Employees
1,000 - 1,999
Edit details

Kiln

Website
fogcreek.com
Pricing URL
-
Release Date
-
Edit details

GitLab features and specs

  • Integrated DevOps Platform
    GitLab provides a single application for the entire DevOps lifecycle, which simplifies the workflow and reduces the need for multiple tools.
  • CI/CD Capabilities
    It offers powerful Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) features, enabling automated testing and deployment.
  • Self-Hosted and SaaS Options
    GitLab can be hosted on your own servers or used as a cloud-hosted service, providing flexibility depending on your needs.
  • Strong Security Features
    GitLab includes various security features such as code quality analysis, vulnerability management, and compliance management.
  • Robust Community and Support
    There is a large community and extensive documentation available, along with professional support options.

Possible disadvantages of GitLab

  • Complexity for New Users
    The extensive features and functionalities can be overwhelming for newcomers, requiring a steep learning curve.
  • Resource Intensive
    Self-hosting a GitLab instance requires substantial server resources, which can be costly.
  • Price
    While there is a free tier, the advanced features are part of the paid plans, which can be expensive for small teams or startups.
  • User Interface
    Some users find the interface less intuitive and harder to navigate compared to other platforms like GitHub.
  • Performance Issues
    Large repositories or high usage can sometimes lead to performance issues, especially on self-hosted instances.

Kiln features and specs

  • Integrated Version Control
    Kiln provides both Git and Mercurial version control systems, allowing teams to work with their preferred system and offering flexibility for different project needs.
  • Code Review System
    Kiln includes a built-in code review process, enabling teams to provide feedback on code changes efficiently and ensuring code quality through peer review.
  • Seamless Integration
    It integrates well with other productivity and project management tools such as FogBugz, enhancing workflow by combining version control with issue tracking.
  • Secure Hosting
    Kiln offers secure hosting options, ensuring that code repositories are protected with multiple layers of security and backup systems.

Possible disadvantages of Kiln

  • Limited Market Presence
    Kiln is not as widely adopted as other version control platforms like GitHub or GitLab, which might affect user community support and available third-party resources.
  • Cost
    Kiln's pricing might be higher compared to some competitor offerings with similar features, potentially making it less attractive for smaller teams or individual developers.
  • Complexity for New Users
    Users who are not already familiar with Git or Mercurial might face a steep learning curve due to the platform’s dual system configuration.
  • Limited Third-Party Integrations
    Although Kiln integrates well with FogBugz, it may offer fewer integration options with other third-party tools compared to more popular platforms.

Analysis of GitLab

Overall verdict

  • Yes, GitLab is generally considered a good platform, especially for teams looking for an integrated set of tools for software development and DevOps. Its features and flexibility make it a strong choice for many organizations.

Why this product is good

  • GitLab is a popular DevOps platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for software development, including version control, issue tracking, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), and more. It is valued for its open-source model, strong security features, user-friendly interface, and a wide range of integrations. GitLab's all-in-one approach allows teams to manage their entire DevOps lifecycle from a single application, which can help improve collaboration and efficiency.

Recommended for

    GitLab is well-suited for developers, DevOps engineers, project managers, and teams that require robust CI/CD capabilities, strong security features, and an open-source platform that can be self-hosted or used as a cloud service. It is particularly beneficial for organizations looking for a comprehensive solution to streamline their development workflows.

GitLab videos

+ Add

Introduction to GitLab Workflow

More videos:

  • Review - GitLab Review App Working Session

Kiln videos

+ Add

Buying your first Kiln (used or new)

More videos:

  • Review - Let's talk about KILNS
  • Review - Beginner Kiln Questions

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GitLab and Kiln)

GitLab

Kiln

Code Collaboration
95 95%
Code Collaboration
5% 5
Git
94 94%
Git
6% 6
Software Development
100 100%
Software Development
0% 0
Version Control
0 0%
Version Control
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using GitLab and Kiln. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GitLab and Kiln

GitLab Reviews

  1. Reinhard
    · Boss at CLOUD Meister ·
    perfect for Freelancers!
The Top 11 Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Tools
GitLab’s in-context testing solution simplifies the development process by automating both application and infrastructure management on a single platform.Why We Picked GitLab: We like GitLab’s automation of testing and compliance across development workflows. Its in-context testing minimizes license costs and reduces the learning curve.
Source: expertinsights.com
The Top 10 GitHub Alternatives
GitLab is a web-based DevSecOps (take that, Call of Duty) platform that allows software development teams to plan, build, and ship secure code all in one application. GitLab offers a range of features and tools to support the entire software development lifecycle, from project planning and source code management to continuous integration, delivery, and deployment.
Source: www.wearedevelopers.com
The Best Alternatives to Jenkins for Developers
CI/CD GitLab, as a complete DevOps platform, provides an integrated CI/CD solution along with its other features. If your team is already using GitLab for controlling versions and managing projects, the addition of GitLab CI/CD can be very smooth. The offering in CI/CD by GitLab is quite customizable and it backs up many programming languages as well as application test...
Source: morninglif.com
Top 7 GitHub Alternatives You Should Know (2024)
Most of the listed alternatives offer free tier plans for individuals or small teams. Tools like GitLab and Bitbucket allow users to host unlimited repositories without cost.
Source: snappify.com
Best GitHub Alternatives for Developers in 2023
While GitLab features an extensive set of capabilities, this can also serve as a weakness since beginners may find the developer tool overwhelming to begin with. The user interface compounds this issue by being outdated and unintuitive. GitLab could benefit from more third-party integrations, and its performance tends to struggle when dealing with large repositories or CI/CD...
Source: www.techrepublic.com

Kiln Reviews

7 Best GitHub Alternatives
Kiln is a paid source code host. You can try Kiln (with all the bells and whistles) free for 30 days. Packages start from $18 a month, billed yearly. Kiln offers Git and Mercurial Version Control. You will need to pay separately for the Code Review Module. Overall, Kiln is more suited for medium to large organizations of 100 -500 people.
Source: beebom.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GitLab seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 135 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GitLab mentions (135)

  • Cross-Compiling Haskell under NixOS with Docker
    I attended the AWS Summit 2025 in Singapore. I enjoyed the event. There were booths from various companies which I found interesting, such as GitLab and ClickHouse. More importantly, I got to meet very interesting people. - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • GitLab: templates for Merge Requests
    GitLab is a well-established tool that hardly needs any introduction. This article is more like some notes to my future self. - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • India Open Source Development: Harnessing Collaborative Innovation for Global Impact
    Indian developers have embraced platforms like GitHub and GitLab, which serve as global meeting points for coding projects. Developer communities such as FOSSAsia and Open Source India regularly organize hackathons, webinars, and code sprints that bring together enthusiasts to tackle both local and global problems. - Source: dev.to / 27 days ago
  • Open Source Funding: Strategies, Case Studies, and Best Practices
    In this article, we explore funding methods that empower projects such as Red Hat, GitLab, and Blender. Our discussion focuses on overlaying robust financial models with community-led efforts while incorporating advanced technologies like blockchain and smart contracts for secure, transparent fund distribution. With clear definitions, tables, bullet lists, and real-world examples, we aim to provide a holistic view... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • The Hidden Challenges of Building with AWS
    💡** My Take:** If you’re not ready to spend hours debugging AWS configurations, you might want to consider other cloud options, such as DigitalOcean or Gitlab for CI/CD. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
View more

Kiln mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Kiln yet. Tracking of Kiln recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GitLab and Kiln, you can also consider the following products

GitHub - Originally founded as a project to simplify sharing code, GitHub has grown into an application used by over a million people to store over two million code repositories, making GitHub the largest code host in the world.

Git - Git is a free and open source version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency. It is easy to learn and lightweight with lighting fast performance that outclasses competitors.

BitBucket - Bitbucket is a free code hosting site for Mercurial and Git. Manage your development with a hosted wiki, issue tracker and source code.

Atlassian Bitbucket Server - Atlassian Bitbucket Server is a scalable collaborative Git solution.

Gitea - A painless self-hosted Git service

Mercurial SCM - Mercurial is a free, distributed source control management tool.

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