What Is GitLab? Features, Uses, and Benefits of This DevOps Platform

Key takeaways

GitLab is a DevSecOps platform that supports every stage of the software development life cycle.

• GitLab’s core workflow centers on a main branch that splits into individual issue branches, each handled separately to avoid overwriting others’ work.

• GitLab saved data governance firm Iron Mountain 20 hours of onboarding time per project by facilitating the scaling of its Agile framework [1].

• You can use GitLab for portfolio management, source code management, as well as continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD).

Discover the core features, practical applications, benefits, and potential limitations of GitLab. Afterward, if you’re ready to level up your DevOps skills, consider enrolling in the IBM DevOps and Software Engineering Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to practice Agile philosophy and Scrum methodology, build microservices, and deploy applications using containers and serverless technology. By the end, you’ll have earned a Professional Certificate and employed tools for automation, continuous integration, and continuous deployment.

What is GitLab, and why is it used?

GitLab is a modern development, security, and operations (DevSecOps) platform that supports every stage of the software development life cycle. The core functionality of GitLab centers on a primary idea (main or default branch), with individual issue branches for each team member. These individual issues are handled on separate branches to prevent overriding other team members' work.

How it helps teams collaborate on software development

GitLab supports team collaboration by providing a shared workflow for coding, reviewing, and deploying changes. Once developers commit their code, the project is automatically and continuously checked for issues through the Continuous Integration system. Editors approve code contributions by accepting Merge Requests and previewing changes in a staging environment. Once approved, the code is released for production, with feedback driving ongoing improvements. GitLab also lets remote developers, testers, and operations teams collaborate on projects on a single platform, creating a more streamlined development environment.

What is a GitLab repository?

A repository is part of a GitLab project where you store code and track changes using version control. Repositories cannot exist independently as the project they are part of defines their configuration options. To create a new GitLab repository, click “Create new” and “New project/repository.” Then, you can enter the project details (project name, project slug, visibility level, etc.) and click “Create project.”

What are the features of GitLab?

GitLab provides a variety of useful features, including portfolio management, source code management, continuous integration (CI), and continuous deployment (CD). GitLab is also updated every month with features to help teams ship high-quality code faster. Take a closer look at some of GitLab’s key features below:

Source code management and version control

You can use GitLab for version control, making it easy to manage branches, repositories, and code reviews. It also supports merge request checklists to ensure only approved code merges. GitLab also provides expansive source code management to help safeguard your code and user data. GitLab accomplishes this through merge requests, access controls, compliance pipelines, audit events, and secret detection. 

CI/CD pipelines for automated workflows

GitLab CI/CD enables organizations to use continuous practices, including continuous integration, delivery, and deployment. You can use built-in or custom CI/CD templates to automatically create pipelines that scan, build, test, package, and deploy your application, helping you maintain coding standards and compliance regulations.

Read more: Continuous Integration Systems: How They Work and Why They Matter

Security, monitoring, and project management tools

GitLab offers a wide range of security tools to ensure code safety, including container scanning, software composition analysis, application programming interface (API) security, vulnerability resolution, and more. A series of project management features within GitLab, such as epics (long-term goals), issues (specific tasks), labels (work priority), boards (visual workspace), milestones (target dates), and tasks (checklists within issues), offer end-to-end visibility over project progress.

What is GitLab used for?

GitLab is useful in development contexts that can benefit from any of the following: planning, source code management, continuous integration, security, compliance, artifact registry, continuous delivery, and observability. GitLab’s features are expansive enough to serve as a one-platform solution, reducing the need for third-party tools in software projects. A couple of use cases for GitLab are as follows:

Streamlining software development and deployments

You can use GitLab for deployment management, which supports multi-cloud, cloud-native, and legacy systems. Frameworks, such as Flux for GitOps (which offer continuous and progressive delivery solutions for Kubernetes), are also supported. Additionally, GitLab features “Auto DevOps,” which can automatically deploy and monitor applications using flexible CI/CD templates and integrations.

Collaboration between developers, QA, and operations

GitLab repositories act as a scalable single source of truth for code and projects, enabling teams to collaborate effectively while maintaining seamless workflows. For example, GitLab saved Iron Mountain 20 hours of onboarding time per project by scaling its Agile framework and enabling a unified view of DevOps [1].

Why GitLab stands out

GitLab stands out as an all-in-one platform for efficiently managing multiple pipelines. Additionally, GitLab provides numerous benefits for software teams, such as code collaboration, team security, and lower licensing costs. You can also choose from a range of pricing tiers to find the plan that best fits your needs.

All-in-one platform vs. multiple separate tools

GitLab offers enough features to serve as a single-platform solution, reducing reliance on multiple third-party tools. Managing multiple platforms can overwhelm software teams. GitLab simplifies development by integrating all essential tools and processes into a single platform.

What is the difference between GitLab and GitHub?

While both GitLab and GitHub are development platforms built around Git for distributed version control, GitHub is older and emphasizes community and collaboration. GitLab, on the other hand, is known for its DevOps features. GitLab offers both cloud and on-premises deployment options, while GitHub is cloud-native and also supports on-premises environments. The best fit depends on your firm’s IT infrastructure setup and scalability requirements.

Benefits for individual developers, teams, and organizations

If you are an individual developer (or a smaller team), you can make use of GitLab's Free pricing tier, which includes source code management and CI/CD, up to five licensed users, and 400 compute minutes per month. Alternatively, as a larger team or organization, you can use GitLab's Premium or Ultimate pricing tiers. These tiers come with a selection of benefits tailored for large-scale software development projects, including features such as team project management tools, vulnerability management, and unlimited licensed users [2].

Potential limitations

While GitLab does provide numerous features, it is not without drawbacks:

• Difficult to learn: GitLab may provide a steeper learning curve because of its extensive feature set.

• Slow browsing experience: GitLab can feel slow in the browser at times, and lacks an official mobile app.

• Cluttered user interface (UI): GitLab’s UI can appear extensive and confusing, especially if you are new to the platform.

Why learn GitLab?

Learning GitLab can help you develop expertise in programming, automation, Agile practices, and quality assurance. Furthermore, if your team switches to GitLab, it can significantly increase productivity in your development cycles.

Career opportunities and DevOps skills growth

Knowing how to use GitLab can be beneficial when looking for a job, as more than 100,000 organizations use GitLab, including companies like Ticketmaster and Ask Media Group [3]. The median annual total salary for a DevOps engineer in the US is $143,000 [4]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. Proficiency with DevOps tools, including GitLab, can also help you target related roles such as DevOps architect and software tester.

Learning pathways 

To start learning GitLab, you can explore the tool’s official documentation, which includes guided tutorials and installation instructions. GitLab also offers its own set of training certifications on GitLab University [5]. For beginners, GitLab recommends starting with the Certified Fundamentals Associate exam, which evaluates the foundational knowledge needed to operate GitLab effectively.

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• Structure your learning: How to Start Learning Software Development: A Custom Course Guide

• Explore tools: DevOps Learning Roadmap: Skills and Tools Guide

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