Bitbucket vs GitHub: Key Differences, Pricing, and Best Use Cases Compared

Choosing between Bitbucket and GitHub can be tricky since both platforms support Git and offer powerful tools for developers. While GitHub dominates in open-source and community collaboration, Bitbucket appeals to teams that work with Atlassian products. In this article, we break down the core differences between Bitbucket vs GitHub. From user experience and integrations (including GitHub time tracking integration) to pricing and team features, you can make the right choice for your workflow.

🔍 What Is Bitbucket?

Bitbucket is a Git-based code hosting platform built by Atlassian. It is known for integrating deeply with tools like Jira and Trello. Bitbucket supports:

• Git and Mercurial (legacy support)
• Private repositories by default
• CI/CD pipelines natively

Often used by agile teams and enterprises, Bitbucket shines in PM-driven development environments.

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📘 What Is GitHub?

GitHub is the largest open-source development platform and a go-to for developers worldwide. It’s owned by Microsoft and offers:

• Extensive open-source community
• Powerful GitHub Actions for CI/CD
• Public and private repo hosting
• Seamless integration with Everhour, VS Code, Copilot, and more

GitHub is known for developer-first features and open collaboration.

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🆚 Bitbucket vs GitHub: Quick Comparison

Feature	Bitbucket	GitHub
Repo Hosting	Git (Mercurial legacy)	Git
Best For	Agile teams, Jira users	Open-source & enterprise
CI/CD	Bitbucket Pipelines	GitHub Actions
Private Repos	Unlimited (Free)	Unlimited (Free)
Pricing (Team)	From $3/user/month	From $4/user/month

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🎯 Core Differences Between GitHub and Bitbucket

Area	Bitbucket	GitHub
Parent company	Atlassian	Microsoft
Focus	Agile + enterprise	Developer-first, open-source
UI	Simple, Jira-focused	Developer-focused, clean
Marketplace	Atlassian Marketplace	GitHub Marketplace

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📁 Git Repositories: GitHub vs Bitbucket

Both platforms host Git repositories, but their approach is different.

1. GitHub emphasizes public collaboration. Great for community and open-source.
2. Bitbucket focuses on private repo development with tight integration to Jira.

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🔐 Permissions & Access Control

Bitbucket

• Granular branch permissions
• Built-in integration with Atlassian Identity for SSO

GitHub

• Role-based access
• GitHub Teams and Enterprise SAML/SCIM support

Both platforms support 2FA and audit logs on higher tiers.

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💬 Collaboration Features Compared

GitHub excels in:

• Code reviews (pull requests with suggestions)
• Discussions and community support
• Gists for code sharing

Bitbucket excels in:

• Inline comments on code
• Built-in Jira issue linking
• Markdown-based PR templates

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📦 Integrations & CI/CD Tools

Feature	GitHub	Bitbucket
Built-in CI/CD	GitHub Actions	Bitbucket Pipelines
Integrations	5,000+ via Marketplace	Deep Atlassian Stack
IDE integration	VS Code, JetBrains	VS Code, IntelliJ
Third-party support	Trello, Slack, Everhour	Jira, Trello, Everhour

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🧪 Bitbucket Gist vs GitHub Gist

GitHub Gist

• Create and share public or private code snippets
• Syntax highlighting, forks, comments

Bitbucket Snippets

• Similar functionality but less popular and has fewer integrations

GitHub Gist is still the gold standard for snippet sharing.

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💰 Bitbucket vs GitHub Pricing

Plan	GitHub	Bitbucket
Free	Unlimited public/private repos	5 users, unlimited repos
Mid-tier	Team – $4/user/month	Standard – $3.30/user/month
Top-tier	Enterprise – $21/user/month	Premium – $6.60/user/month

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👥 Best for Teams, Enterprises & Open Source

User type	Best platform
👨‍💻 Freelancers / Solo devs	GitHub
🧪 Agile teams	Bitbucket
🏢 Enterprise DevOps	Bitbucket (Jira/Confluence)
🌍 Open-source maintainers	GitHub

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🛡️ Security & Compliance

Both support:

• 2FA and SSO
• SOC2 compliance
• Audit logs
• Role-based access

Bitbucket has deeper Atlassian cloud security, while GitHub offers better public trust.

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🧩 GitHub vs Bitbucket: Which to Choose?

Choose GitHub if you:

• Contribute to open-source
• Value large developer communities
• Prefer GitHub Actions

Choose Bitbucket if you:

• Use Jira/Trello already
• Want affordable pricing for private teams
• Need branch-level permissions

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❓ Bitbucket vs GitHub FAQs

Is Bitbucket the same as GitHub?

No. Both are Git-based platforms, but GitHub emphasizes open collaboration while Bitbucket focuses on private teams.

Can I use GitHub for free?

Yes. You get unlimited private/public repos and collaborators.

Which is better: GitHub or Bitbucket?

Depends on your team’s needs. GitHub wins on community; Bitbucket wins for Jira users.

What’s the difference between Git and Bitbucket?

Git is a version control system. Bitbucket is a platform that hosts Git repositories.

Is Bitbucket open-source?

No. Bitbucket itself is proprietary but hosts open-source projects.

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🏁 Final Verdict: Bitbucket or GitHub?

Both Bitbucket and GitHub are top-tier code collaboration platforms. Your choice comes down to team structure and workflow preferences.

1. Go GitHub if you’re focused on open-source or want the richest developer ecosystem.
2. Go Bitbucket if you’re using the Atlassian stack and need Jira-first development.

💡 Pro Tip: Everhour integrates both with Github (for GitHub time tracking) and Bitbucket. Track developer hours, manage tasks, and boost productivity! All without leaving your workflow. Check out Bitbucket time tracking integration here!

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👉 Try our time tracker for GitHub and Bitbucket!

📤 New to version control? Learn how to push to GitHub in a few simple steps

❗ Learn how to delete a repository in GitHub!

Check out our breakdowns of Jira vs GitHub, Codeium vs GitHub Copilot, Jenkins vs GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot vs Microsoft Copilot, Azure DevOps vs GitHub, and GitHub Copilot vs ChatGPT for more information!