GitHub

GitHub is a platform for hosting code and collaborating on software development. Built around the Git version control system, it lets developers store repositories, review changes through pull requests, track work with issues and projects, automate builds and deployments, and share open-source software. GitHub is owned by Microsoft. It is the centre of the open-source world. Most major open-source projects are hosted on GitHub, and a developer's GitHub profile often functions as a portfolio. Pull requests, which let contributors propose changes and discuss them line by line before merging, became the standard workflow for code review across the industry, used by individuals, startups and the largest companies alike. The platform has grown into a full development suite. GitHub Actions provides continuous integration and delivery, running tests, builds and deployments automatically on every change, with a large marketplace of reusable actions. Codespaces offers cloud development environments that start in seconds, and Packages hosts software packages and container images. GitHub Advanced Security scans code, dependencies and secrets for vulnerabilities, with Dependabot keeping dependencies up to date. GitHub Copilot, its AI coding assistant, suggests code, answers questions, reviews pull requests and can act as a coding agent that completes tasks and opens pull requests on its own, and it has become one of the most widely used AI developer tools. GitHub offers a free plan with unlimited public and private repositories, and paid plans for teams and enterprises with advanced collaboration, security and compliance features, while Copilot is priced separately. Common considerations are dependence on a single vendor for source code and workflows, and costs for Actions minutes and advanced security at scale. Alternatives include GitLab, an all-in-one DevSecOps platform that can be self-hosted; Bitbucket from Atlassian, integrated with Jira; Azure DevOps for Microsoft-centric enterprises; Gitea and Forgejo for lightweight self-hosted Git; Codeberg for community-run hosting; and SourceHut for minimalist workflows. Choose GitHub when you want the most widely used home for code, collaboration and open source.