In this guide
Quick answer
GitLab Premium costs $29 per user per month billed annually, Ultimate is quote only, and Free covers up to 5 users per group. A 50-user team pays $17,400 a year on Premium at list price, before extra GitLab Credits at $1 each for AI and usage-based features.
Key takeaways
- Cheapest paid option: Premium at $29 per user per month, billed annually.
- Most teams need Premium; security-led organizations end up pricing Ultimate.
- Biggest hidden cost: GitLab Credits at $1 each once included AI credits run out.
- Best way to save: audit seats before renewal and benchmark against GitHub Team.
GitLab sells a single platform for code, CI/CD, planning and security, and its pricing reflects that ambition. Premium has a clear list price, but Ultimate is now quote only and AI features run on a credit currency.
This guide explains every plan using GitLab's official pricing page and shows what a 50-person engineering team really pays.
How much does GitLab cost?
Free
$0
N/A monthly
5 users per top-level group, 400 compute minutes, 10 GiB storage, source code management, CI/CD, SAST
Premium
$29
N/A monthly
10,000 compute minutes, 500 GiB storage, 12 GitLab Credits per user per month, advanced CI/CD, team project management, priority support
Ultimate
Custom
50,000 compute minutes, 24 GitLab Credits per user per month, application security testing, supply chain security, vulnerability management, compliance
GitLab (Free, Premium, Ultimate). Source: about.gitlab.com, Prices verified 21 September 2026
Premium is $29 per user per month and is billed annually, with no monthly option on the page. Ultimate is quote only. AI and other usage-based features run on GitLab Credits at $1 each; Premium includes 12 and Ultimate 24 credits per user per month, described as a limited-time offer. The Free tier is limited to 5 users per top-level group, so a sixth person forces a paid plan.
What each GitLab plan includes
| Feature | Free | Premium | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Users | 5 per top-level group | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Compute minutes per month | 400 | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Storage | 10 GiB | 500 GiB | 500 GiB |
| Included GitLab Credits per user per month | Not included | 12 | 24 |
| Advanced CI/CD and team project management | Not included | Included | Included |
| Application security testing | SAST | SAST | Full suite |
| Vulnerability management and supply chain security | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Compliance and governance | Not included | Not included | Included |
GitLab cost calculator
Your estimate
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per year at list price
- per user per month
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- Billed
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- 3 years
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List prices only. Taxes, custom quotes and negotiated discounts are not included.
Hidden costs to budget for
| Scenario | Annual cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Premium, billed annually (50 users) | $17,400 | Headline price |
| Team grows to 60 users by renewal, Premium (60 users) | $20,880 | +$3,480 |
| Premium plus 10 extra GitLab Credits per user per month at $1 (50 users) | $23,400 | +$6,000 vs headline |
- GitLab Credits. AI and usage-based features draw on GitLab Credits at $1 each once the included 12 or 24 per user are used.
- Included credits are promotional. GitLab labels the included credits a limited-time offer, so check they are written into your renewal.
- Free tier user cap. Free stops at 5 users per top-level group; the sixth user means buying Premium for everyone.
- Annual only. Premium is billed annually, so the full year is committed up front.
- Ultimate is quote only. Security scanning, vulnerability management and compliance require a custom quote.
- Dedicated hosting. Data isolation and residency need GitLab Dedicated, a separate custom-priced offering.
Which GitLab plan should you choose?
- Free. Choose if you have 5 or fewer users and basic CI/CD is enough.
- Premium. Choose if your team needs advanced CI/CD, merge request controls and project management.
- Ultimate. Choose if you need built-in security scanning, vulnerability management and compliance controls.
Is GitLab worth the price?
GitLab Premium is fair value for teams that want source control, CI/CD and planning in one tool, though it costs far more per seat than GitHub Team. Ultimate is worth pricing only if you would otherwise buy separate security scanning and compliance tools.
You are likely overpaying if: You pay for Premium seats for people who only read code or issues, or you bought Ultimate but do not run its security scans in your pipelines.
How to pay less for GitLab
- Audit seats before true-up. Remove leavers and inactive users before renewal so you do not renew at peak headcount.
- Track credit use. Monitor GitLab Credit consumption per team and cap usage-based features before overages build.
- Write included credits into the contract. The 12 or 24 included credits are promotional; ask for them to be fixed for the term.
- Get a competing quote. GitHub Team at $4 per user for the first 12 months or Bitbucket Standard at $3.65 are credible benchmarks.
- Bundle Ultimate against separate tools. If you pay for standalone SAST or SCA tools, use that spend to negotiate Ultimate.
- Ask about programs. GitLab runs programs for startups, open source and education; check eligibility.
Copy-ready renewal email
Hi [Account manager], Our GitLab [plan] renewal is on [renewal date]. We have [active users] active users of [licensed users], and used [credits used] GitLab Credits last quarter. We want to renew at [target users] users on a [term] term, keep the included credits fixed for the term, and cap any increase at [cap]. We are also pricing GitHub. Can you share your best offer by [date]?
GitLab alternatives and what they cost
| Tool | Entry price | Cheaper when |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub | $4 per user per month (Team, first 12 months) | You mainly need hosted repos, reviews and Actions |
| Bitbucket | $3.65 per user per month (Standard) | You already run Jira and Confluence |
| Azure DevOps | $6 per user per month after 5 free users (Basic) | You are a Microsoft shop |
The bigger picture: why GitLab bills drift
GitLab bills drift because seats grow with every new engineer and credits are consumed invisibly by pipelines and AI features. Engineering owns the instance, finance sees one annual invoice, and nobody checks usage until the renewal quote arrives.
Usage spikes surprise finance
GitLab bills move with usage, and nobody owns the budget line.
Spend by vendor, team and category against budget, synced with your ERP.
Shadow accounts on cards
Engineers open new GitLab accounts or workspaces outside procurement.
Purchase requests with approvals
New tools and upgrades are requested and approved before anyone buys.
Commitments renew unnoticed
Annual commits and plan renewals roll over before anyone reviews usage.
Contract management with renewal alerts
Commit terms, renewal dates and owners tracked with alerts ahead of time.
Variable invoices are hard to check
Usage invoices rarely match the original PO amount.
AP automation with PO matching
Invoices matched to POs and receipts, with exceptions held before payment.
Security reviews start from zero
SOC 2 reports and DPAs for GitLab live in someone's inbox.
Vendor onboarding and compliance
Vendor documents collected once, tracked for expiry and kept audit-ready.
The bottom line
Premium is the right plan for most teams, and Ultimate is worth pricing only against the security tools it would replace. Audit seats and credit use a quarter before renewal and lock included credits into the contract. Zapro keeps that renewal habit running for every tool you buy.
GitLab pricing FAQs
How much does GitLab cost per user?
GitLab Premium costs $29 per user per month, billed annually, which is $348 per user per year. Ultimate has no public price and is quoted by sales. The Free tier costs nothing for up to 5 users per top-level group.
Is there a free version of GitLab?
Yes. GitLab Free includes source code management, CI/CD, static application security testing, 400 compute minutes a month and 10 GiB of storage, but is limited to 5 users per top-level group. Larger teams need Premium or Ultimate.
How much is GitLab Ultimate?
GitLab no longer lists a public price for Ultimate; it is quoted by sales. Ultimate adds application security testing, supply chain security, vulnerability management, compliance controls, 50,000 compute minutes and 24 GitLab Credits per user per month.
What are GitLab Credits?
GitLab Credits are a usage currency priced at $1 each that pays for AI-powered and other usage-based features. Premium includes 12 and Ultimate 24 credits per user per month as a limited-time offer. Usage beyond that is billed.
Can you pay for GitLab monthly?
The pricing page lists Premium at $29 per user per month billed annually, with no monthly option, so you commit to a year up front. Plan seat count carefully, because adding users mid-term increases the bill.
What is the cheapest alternative to GitLab?
Bitbucket Standard costs $3.65 per user per month, and GitHub Team is $4 per user per month for the first 12 months. Azure DevOps Basic is free for 5 users, then $6 per user per month.