Free
Free
per user per month
Best for: Individuals and tiny teams
- 5 users per top-level group
- 400 compute minutes
- 10 GiB storage
- source code management
- CI/CD
- SAST
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GitLab pricing in 2026: Premium seats, quote-only Ultimate and the cost of Credits
Every GitLab plan in plain numbers, what Credits add once the included allowance runs out, and what to settle before you renew.
The short answer
GitLab Premium costs USD 29 per user per month, billed annually. Ultimate is quote only, and Free covers up to five users per group. A 50-user team pays USD 17,400 a year on Premium at list price, before extra GitLab Credits at USD 1 each for AI and usage-based features.
- Cheapest paid planPremium, at USD 29 per user a month, billed annually.
- What most teams needPremium. Security-led companies end up pricing Ultimate.
- Biggest hidden costGitLab Credits at USD 1 each once the included allowance is used.
- Best way to saveAudit seats before renewal and benchmark against GitHub Team.
Written by Procurement VMS Editorial Team · Reviewed by Michael, Procurement Advisor Expert · Price data dated · 9 minute read
GitLab plans and prices
GitLab sells one platform for code, CI/CD, planning and security, and the pricing reflects that scope. Premium has a clear list price. Ultimate is now quote only, and AI features run on a credit currency.
This guide explains each plan from the GitLab pricing page and shows what a 50-person engineering team pays in practice.
Prices below were recorded on 21 September 2026. The headline figure is the lowest price you can get for that plan. Check the official page before you buy, because vendors change prices without notice.
Premium
USD29
per user per month
Best for: Engineering teams that need advanced CI/CD and planning
- 10,000 compute minutes
- 500 GiB storage
- 12 GitLab Credits per user per month
- advanced CI/CD
- team project management
- priority support
Ultimate
Custom
per user per month
Best for: Security and compliance heavy organizations
- 50,000 compute minutes
- 24 GitLab Credits per user per month
- application security testing
- supply chain security
- vulnerability management
- compliance
How billing works
Premium is USD 29 per user per month and is billed annually, with no monthly option on the page. Ultimate is quote only. AI and other usage-based features run on GitLab Credits at USD 1 each. Premium includes 12 and Ultimate 24 credits per user per month, described as a limited-time offer. The Free tier is capped at five users per top-level group, so a sixth person forces you onto a paid plan.
The tier trap
The full security scanning and vulnerability management suite, plus compliance frameworks, sits on Ultimate, and Ultimate has no public price. A security mandate moves you from USD 29 a seat to a sales negotiation.
Read this first. GitLab shows no dollar figure for Ultimate, and calls the included Credits a limited-time offer. We could not confirm the trial length. The third scenario below is an illustration of heavy credit use (10 extra credits per user per month), not a GitLab figure.
GitLab cost calculator
Move the slider to see what each plan costs at your size. The figures use the list prices on this page and leave out tax, add-ons and any discount you negotiate.
What a team of 50 really pays
Fifty users is where seat counts and credit use start to move the total. The third row shows how fast credits can add up.
| Scenario | Cost per year | Against the headline |
|---|---|---|
| Premium, billed annually (50 users) | USD17,400 | Headline price |
| Team grows to 60 users by renewal, Premium (60 users) | USD20,880 | +USD 3,480 |
| Premium plus 10 extra GitLab Credits per user per month at USD 1 (50 users) | USD23,400 | +USD 6,000 vs headline |
What each GitLab plan includes
Compare the plans side by side. Where a cell says Check page, the vendor's pricing page was not specific enough for us to fill it in.
| Feature | Free | Premium | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Users | 5 per top-level group | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Compute minutes per month | 400 | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Storage | 10 GiB | 500 GiB | 500 GiB |
| Included GitLab Credits per user per month | Check page | 12 | 24 |
| Application security testing | SAST | SAST | Full suite |
Features we could not place by plan: Advanced CI/CD and team project management, Vulnerability management and supply chain security, Compliance and governance. Check the official page for which plan includes each one.
Which GitLab plan should you pick?
Free
Pick it if you have five or fewer users and basic CI/CD is enough.
Premium
Pick it if your team needs advanced CI/CD, merge request controls and project management.
Ultimate
Pick it if you need built-in security scanning, vulnerability management and compliance controls.
Our view
GitLab Premium is fair value for teams that want source control, CI/CD and planning in one tool, though it costs far more per seat than GitHub Team. Price Ultimate only if you would otherwise buy separate security scanning and compliance tools.
You may be overpaying if
You pay for Premium seats for people who only read code or issues, or you bought Ultimate and never run its security scans in your pipelines.
How to pay less for GitLab
Audit seats before the true-up
Remove leavers and inactive users before renewal so you do not renew at peak headcount.
Track credit use
Watch Credit use per team and cap usage-based features before overages build.
Write included credits into the contract
The 12 or 24 included Credits are promotional. Ask for them to be fixed for the whole term.
Get a competing quote
GitHub Team at USD 4 per user for the first 12 months, or Bitbucket Standard at USD 3.65, are credible benchmarks.
Set Ultimate against separate tools
If you pay for standalone SAST or SCA tools, use that spend to negotiate Ultimate.
Ask about programs
GitLab runs programs for startups, open source and education. Check eligibility before paying list.
Renewal email you can copy
Fill in the brackets and send it about 90 days before the renewal date. It works best next to your renewal tracker.
Subject: GitLab renewal on [renewal date] Hi [account manager], Our GitLab [plan] subscription renews on [renewal date]. Over the last 90 days, [active users] of the [paid users] we pay for used it. We would like to renew with [target users] on a [term] term. Before we sign, please send: 1. The current list price and the price you are offering us, line by line. 2. The cap on any price increase at the next renewal. 3. The notice period if we want to cut users or move to another plan. We are comparing this against [alternative] and plan to decide by [decision date]. If you can offer [target discount] percent off list, or a lower price for a longer term, we are ready to talk this week. Thank you, [name] [company]
Free PDF and Excel
GitLab pricing sheet and cost model
A one page summary of every plan, plus an Excel model that adds up your own seat count.
- All plans and prices on one page
- Excel model with your seat count and yearly cost
- Renewal checklist and the email above, ready to edit
- Date of the price data and the source links
GitLab alternatives and what they cost
If this vendor does not fit, these are the closest options and what they charge.
| Alternative | Starting price | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub | USD4 per user per month (Team, first 12 months) | You mainly need hosted repos, reviews and Actions Read our GitHub pricing guide |
| Bitbucket | USD3.65 per user per month (Standard) | You already run Jira and Confluence |
| Azure DevOps | USD6 per user per month after 5 free users (Basic) | You are a Microsoft shop |
Keeping GitLab spend under control
Platform tools like GitLab grow with the engineering team. New hires get seats on day one, leavers keep them for months, and usage-based features sit on a credit balance that nobody owns.
- Set budgets and alerts. Usage bills grow without anyone signing anything. Set a monthly budget and an alert at 80 percent of it.
- Tag cost to a team. Give every project an owner so a bill can be traced. Our spend management software guide covers the controls to look for.
- Review commitments before renewal. Committed spend discounts only pay off if you use the commitment. Compare 12 months of real use with the plan before you renew, using a renewal tracker.
- Count the full cost, not the list price. Support, egress, extra seats and add-ons change the real figure. Our total cost of ownership guide shows how to add it up.
Bottom line. Premium is the right plan for most teams. Price Ultimate against the security tools it would replace. Audit seats and credit use a quarter before renewal, and lock the included credits into the contract.
GitLab pricing questions
How much does GitLab cost per user?
GitLab Premium costs USD 29 per user per month billed annually, which is USD 348 per user per year. Ultimate has no public price and is quoted by sales. Free costs nothing for up to five users per top-level group.
Is there a free version of GitLab?
Yes. GitLab Free includes source code management, CI/CD, static application security testing, 400 compute minutes a month and 10 GiB of storage. It is limited to five users per top-level group, so larger teams need Premium or Ultimate.
How much is GitLab Ultimate?
GitLab no longer shows a public price for Ultimate. Sales quotes it. Ultimate adds application security testing, supply chain security, vulnerability management, compliance controls, 50,000 compute minutes and 24 GitLab Credits per user per month.
What are GitLab Credits?
Credits are a usage currency priced at USD 1 each. They pay for AI-powered and other usage-based features. Premium includes 12 and Ultimate 24 Credits per user per month as a limited-time offer, and use beyond that is billed.
Can you pay for GitLab monthly?
The pricing page lists Premium at USD 29 per user per month billed annually, with no monthly option. You commit to a year up front, so plan your seat count carefully because adding users mid-term raises the bill.
What is the cheapest alternative to GitLab?
Bitbucket Standard costs USD 3.65 per user per month, and GitHub Team is USD 4 per user per month for the first 12 months. Azure DevOps Basic is free for five users, then USD 6 per user per month.
How we put this page together
We start from the vendor pricing page and note the date. Where a figure comes from a third party instead, we say so on the page. Procurement VMS is a ratings and comparison site, not a software vendor, and nobody paid for a place in this guide. Spot a number that has changed? Tell us on the contact page and we will check it.
Take the GitLab cost model to your renewal meeting
You get a one page PDF and an Excel model with your seat count, the plans above and a renewal checklist.
Choosing software instead of renewing? See the ranked procurement software list.