Which is cheaper, Depot or GitLab?

Depot is 1.5x cheaper than GitLab. Depot starts at $20/mo, GitLab starts at $0/mo.

Does Depot have a free tier?

No, Depot does not have a free tier.

Depot has drop-in switching cost. GitLab has significant switching cost. Depot is easier to switch away from.

Ci Cd

Depot

← More affordable

Fast container builds and CI runners with persistent caching and GitHub Actions integration

Switching Cost: drop-in

GitLab

DevSecOps platform with source control, CI/CD, security scanning, and project management

Switching Cost: significant

Budget-wise, Depot is clearly more affordable at roughly a 1.5x price difference.

The free tier advantage goes to GitLab, which offers a no-cost entry point that Depot lacks.

Cost modeling varies: flat-rate drives Depot pricing, while GitLab uses per-seat.

GitLab stands out for teams needing a free tier — zero upfront costs for prototyping and testing is a genuine advantage.

GitLab stands out for teams needing a free tier — zero upfront costs for prototyping and testing is a genuine advantage.

Price Difference

1.5x

Depot is cheaper by $9/mo

Free Tier

GitLab

Has a free tier option

Pricing Model

Different

Tools charge using different pricing philosophies

Switching Costs

Depot

Lower switching costs for easier migration