GitLab VS MATE

Compare GitLab VS MATE and see what are their differences

Rating: 5.0 · 1 review

Rating: 0 reviews

STATUS: Project Governance

STATUS: Project Governance — lightweight project governance for professional project managers and consultants. Keep RAID, decisions and actions live, then export client-ready status reports. For iPhone, iPad and Mac. sponsored

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, GitLab seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 145 times since March 2021.

social mentions: 145 vs 0
Code Collaboration popularity: 100% vs 0%
alternatives listed: 240+ vs 40

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

	GitLab	MATE
Website	about.gitlab.com	mate-desktop.com
Pricing	Official pricing	—
Company	Startup from the United States · 1,000 - 1,999 employees · 2014	—
Listed in	Code Collaboration Git Repo Management Project Management +1	Linux Desktop Environments Operating Systems Headless CMS +1

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

GitLab 5 features

MATE 5 features

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

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.

User-Friendly Interface
MATE provides a simple and intuitive interface, which is especially appealing to users who are familiar with traditional desktop environments. It mimics the look and feel of GNOME 2, making it easy for new users to adapt.
Lightweight Performance
The MATE desktop environment is designed to be less resource-intensive compared to other contemporary desktop environments, which makes it suitable for older hardware and systems with limited resources.
Highly Customizable
MATE allows for a high degree of customization, enabling users to tailor the desktop environment to their personal preferences, from panel configurations to themes and extensions.
Active Development
MATE is actively maintained and developed, ensuring regular updates, security patches, and new features that keep the environment modern and compatible with the latest software.
Stable and Reliable
As a fork of GNOME 2, MATE has a well-established codebase that emphasizes stability and reliability, making it a solid choice for users who value consistency in their desktop environment.

Possible disadvantages

Less Modern Features
While MATE is stable and reliable, it may lack some of the modern features and visual effects found in more contemporary desktop environments, which could be a downside for users seeking the latest desktop innovations.
Community and Support
Although MATE has an active development team, it may not have as vast a community or as many resources for troubleshooting and support as more popular desktop environments like GNOME or KDE.
Default Appearance
The default appearance of MATE might feel dated to some users who prefer a more modern or sleek design, though this can be mitigated through customization.
Limited Integration with Cutting-edge Technologies
MATE may have limited integration with the latest technologies and applications compared to other desktop environments that prioritize early adoption of new features and standards.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

GitLab

MATE

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.

No analysis of MATE yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

GitLab 2 videos + Add

MATE 3 videos + Add

Introduction to GitLab Workflow

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100

GitLab

MATE

100% 100%

Code Collaboration

0% 0%

Desktop Environments

100% 100%

Git

0% 0%

Linux

100% 100%

User comments

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

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

GitLab 5.0 · 1 review

MATE no reviews yet

The Top 11 Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Tools
expertinsights.com · Mar 2025

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...
The Top 10 GitHub Alternatives
www.wearedevelopers.com · Jun 2024

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...
The Best Alternatives to Jenkins for Developers
morninglif.com · May 2024

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...

9 Best Linux Desktop Environments to Use in 2023
geekflare.com · Jan 2023

MATE is actively being developed in order to enable new technologies while maintaining a conventional desktop experience. Ubuntu MATE features low system requirements, making it appropriate for current workstations,...
The 8 Best Ubuntu Desktop Environments (22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Linux)
linuxconfig.org · Apr 2022

Development of Mate was started by Arch Linux as a fork and continuation of GNOME 2 in response to the negative reception of GNOME 3. Therefore, this desktop is the first choice for many users that liked GNOME 2.
Top 10 Best Desktop Environments in 2020
www.journaldev.com · Jan 2021

MATE was created as a response to the drop in user experience when Gnome 3.x was launched. Being a fork, it’s very similar to Gnome’s predecessor and adds more features along with additional community support. This...

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

GitLab 145 mentions

MATE 0 mentions

Choosing free on-prem git server - Gitea is the winner!
So now choosing free git server from a vary short list of options. Bonobo Gogs vs Gitea vs Gitlab. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
Git and Unity: A Comprehensive Guide to Version Control for Game Devs
We use GitHub here as an example, but there are also other hosts you could explore like GitLab and BitBucket. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
Proudly Found Elsewhere
Expertise. The SaaS provider is declaring: "I am good at XYZ; I can deliver it better than any of my competitors, and I constantly work to improve how I deliver it." Who do you think can better run GitLab, your already overworked... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago

Tracking MATE since Mar 2021.

Alternatives to GitLab and MATE

When comparing GitLab and MATE, 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.

Compare GitHub to GitLab or MATE:

GitHub vs GitLab GitHub vs MATE
Xfce
Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for UNIX-like operating systems. It aims to be fast and low on system resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly.

Compare Xfce to GitLab or MATE:

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

Compare BitBucket to GitLab or MATE:

BitBucket vs GitLab BitBucket vs MATE
GNOME
An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.

Compare GNOME to GitLab or MATE:

GNOME vs GitLab GNOME vs MATE
Jira
The #1 software development tool used by agile teams. Jira Software is built for every member of your software team to plan, track, and release great software.

Compare Jira to GitLab or MATE:

Jira vs GitLab Jira vs MATE
LXDE
Why will you like it? Less resource needs. You can use it on your less-pricey embedded board or salvaged computer. Component-based design. Don't want something in LXDE, or you don't want to use LXDE but only part of it?

Compare LXDE to GitLab or MATE:

LXDE vs GitLab LXDE vs MATE