OneDev: Free Open Source Alternative to GitHub and Bitbucket
In a world dominated by GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, finding a self-hosted and open-source DevOps platform that offers an all-in-one experience is rare.
Discover OneDev — a powerful, open-source alternative that combines Git repository hosting, issue tracking, CI/CD pipelines, code reviews, and user management under one unified interface.
Whether you're an indie developer, a startup looking to cut SaaS costs, or a privacy-conscious team, OneDev provides an attractive alternative without sacrificing features.
Watch our dedicated platform overview on our YouTube channel
Git Repository
At its core, OneDev offers robust Git repository management. You can push and pull code just like you would with GitHub or Bitbucket, but with full control over your data. The platform supports:
- Repository browsing with syntax highlighting
- Blame and history views
- Submodules
- LFS (Large File Storage) support
- Fine-grained access controls per branch, tag, or file path
The web-based UI is sleek and fast, making it easy to manage your codebase directly from your browser without relying on external tools.
Issues
OneDev comes with a fully integrated issue tracking system. It's flexible and supports custom fields, states, workflows, and even automation via scripting. Whether you're managing bugs, feature requests, or project tasks, OneDev allows you to:
- Customize workflows per project
- Link issues to code commits or pull requests
- Use filters and saved queries for easy navigation
- Visualize issues with Kanban boards
It eliminates the need to rely on external tools like Jira or Trello for agile project management.
Pull Requests
Code review is a first-class citizen in OneDev. Its pull request system offers a clean interface for reviewing and discussing code changes. Key features include:
- Inline commenting on code diffs
- Merge checks (e.g., successful builds, code review approvals)
- Customizable workflows and statuses
- Automatic issue linking
Developers can collaborate seamlessly, ensuring higher code quality before merging changes into the main branch.
Build & Packages
One of OneDev’s standout features is its CI/CD pipeline engine. Built directly into the platform, it allows you to:
- Define jobs using a YAML syntax (similar to GitHub Actions or GitLab CI)
- Set up parallel or sequential builds
- Run Docker-based builds or custom scripts
- Publish build artifacts and container images
With built-in support for Docker registries and other package formats, OneDev enables you to manage your entire DevOps lifecycle without third-party integrations.
User Management
Managing teams is simple with OneDev’s comprehensive user and permission system. Admins can:
- Create and manage user accounts or integrate with external authentication (LDAP, OAuth, etc.)
- Assign fine-grained roles at both global and project levels
- Define access rules for repositories, issues, CI jobs, and more
This makes OneDev suitable for both solo developers and large teams working across multiple projects.
Conclusion
OneDev is more than just a Git server — it's a full-fledged DevOps platform that stands tall next to giants like GitHub and Bitbucket.
What makes it shine is its open-source nature, self-hosting capability, and integrated toolset that reduces the need for context switching. If you're looking for a transparent, cost-effective, and private alternative to the mainstream platforms, OneDev deserves a serious look.
Whether you're building an internal tool, running a startup, or just tired of vendor lock-in, OneDev puts you back in control of your code and workflows.