Gitea: Open-Source Git Repository Management Self-Hosted Alternative to GitHub

What is Gitea?

Gitea is a lightweight, easy-to-use open-source Git repository management system designed for self-hosted Git service. Built with Go for performance and simplicity, Gitea provides Git hosting, collaboration, and CI/CD integration capabilities similar to GitHub but deployable entirely on your infrastructure. Over 50,000 organizations worldwide use Gitea for private code hosting and team collaboration.

Unlike GitHub ($4-21/user/month) where repositories are hosted on GitHub servers, Gitea enables organizations to host repositories on-premises or self-hosted infrastructure. Complete data ownership, enhanced security, and compliance make Gitea ideal for enterprises with strict data governance requirements.

Gitea serves as the central Git repository system for development teams. Developers push code to repositories. Teams collaborate on code reviews. CI/CD systems pull code and run automated builds. Organizations maintain complete control over code assets.

Key Features and Capabilities

Repository Management

Git Hosting: Host unlimited Git repositories on your infrastructure
Repository Cloning: Clone repositories via HTTPS, SSH, or Git protocols
Repository Permissions: Fine-grained permission control at repository level
Forking: Fork repositories for independent development
Template Repositories: Use repositories as templates for new projects
Repository Mirroring: Mirror repositories from other Git services

Collaboration Features

Pull Requests: Create and review pull requests for code changes
Code Review: Inline comments on specific lines of code
Approvals: Require approvals before merging pull requests
Branch Protection: Protect important branches with merge requirements
Issues: Track issues, bugs, and feature requests
Milestone Tracking: Organize issues into milestones
Labels: Categorize and filter issues with labels

CI/CD Integration

Webhook Support: Trigger external CI/CD systems on push events
Gitea Actions: Built-in CI/CD similar to GitHub Actions
Status Checks: Display CI/CD status on pull requests
Deployment Integration: Deploy directly from repository events

Administrator Features

User Management: Manage user accounts and permissions
Organization Management: Create organizations for team collaboration
LDAP Integration: Authenticate users against LDAP directory
OAuth Support: OAuth provider and consumer support
API: Full REST API for automation and integration
Monitoring: Monitor system health and resource usage

System Requirements and Technical Specifications

Server Requirements

Operating System: Linux (Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, CentOS 7+), Windows, or macOS
Go Runtime: Built in Go, binary executable provided
Database: SQLite (default), MySQL 5.7+, or PostgreSQL 9.6+
RAM: 512MB minimum for testing, 2GB+ recommended for production
Storage: 50GB+ for repositories depending on usage
CPU: Single-core minimum, dual-core recommended
Git: Git 2.0+ for repository operations

Client Requirements

Modern web browser: Chrome 70+, Firefox 65+, Safari 12+, Edge 79+
Git client for local development
SSH key or username/password for authentication

Installation and Deployment

Docker Installation

# Run Gitea with Docker
docker run -d 
  --name gitea 
  -p 3000:3000 
  -p 2222:22 
  -v gitea_data:/data 
  gitea/gitea:latest

# Access at http://localhost:3000

Linux Binary Installation

# Download Gitea binary
wget https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases/download/latest/gitea-linux-amd64

# Make executable
chmod +x gitea-linux-amd64

# Create data directory
mkdir -p /var/lib/gitea

# Run Gitea
./gitea-linux-amd64 web --config=/etc/gitea/app.ini

# Access at http://localhost:3000

Production Configuration

# Configure reverse proxy with Nginx for SSL
# Set up PostgreSQL for production reliability

# Configure LDAP integration for enterprise authentication
# Set up SSH key-based access

# Enable automated backups of repositories and database

Use Cases and Real-World Applications

Enterprise Code Hosting

Enterprises host proprietary code on Gitea for complete control. Data governance requirements are met with on-premises deployment. Compliance audits are simplified with audit logs.

Air-Gapped Environments

Organizations with network isolation use Gitea for offline development. Teams collaborate without internet connectivity. Code remains within secure network boundaries.

Regulatory Compliance

Regulated industries use Gitea for compliant code management. HIPAA, SOC 2, and FedRAMP compliance is achievable with on-premises deployment. Audit trails support compliance investigations.

Development Teams

Development teams use Gitea for code collaboration and version control. Code reviews improve quality. CI/CD integration automates testing and deployment.