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  1. Stackups
  2. DevOps
  3. Code Collaboration
  4. Code Collaboration Version Control
  5. GitLab vs SVN (Subversion)

GitLab vs SVN (Subversion)

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

GitLab
GitLab
Stacks63.4K
Followers54.5K
Votes2.5K
GitHub Stars0
Forks0
SVN (Subversion)
SVN (Subversion)
Stacks791
Followers629
Votes43
GitHub Stars614
Forks188

GitLab vs SVN (Subversion): What are the differences?

GitLab and SVN (Subversion) are both widely used version control systems. Let's explore the key differences between them:

  1. Distributed vs. Centralized: GitLab is a distributed version control system, which means that each developer has a complete copy of the entire repository. This allows for offline work and easy branching and merging. On the other hand, SVN is a centralized version control system, which relies on a central server that stores the repository. Developers need to be connected to the server to access and update files.

  2. Branching and Merging: GitLab provides advanced branching and merging capabilities. Developers can create branches and work on them independently, making it easy to experiment and work on multiple features simultaneously. GitLab also offers powerful merging tools that allow for easy integration of changes from different branches. SVN, on the other hand, has a more limited branching and merging model. It follows a trunk-branch approach, where only one branch is typically used for development, and merging can be more challenging and error-prone.

  3. Performance and Scalability: GitLab is known for its performance and scalability. It is designed to handle large codebases and repositories with millions of files and commits. GitLab's distributed nature also allows for faster operations as most tasks can be done locally without relying on a central server. SVN, on the other hand, may struggle with large repositories and can be slower when dealing with a high number of files and commits.

  4. Integration and Tooling: GitLab offers a wide range of integrations and tooling support. It has a robust ecosystem of plugins and extensions, allowing seamless integration with other development tools and services. GitLab also provides an extensive API that can be used to automate tasks and build custom integrations. SVN, on the other hand, has fewer integration options and may require additional configuration to work with other tools.

  5. Community and Collaboration: GitLab has a thriving community and is known for its strong emphasis on collaboration. It provides built-in features for code reviews, issue tracking, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD). GitLab also supports collaboration workflows with features like merge requests and code discussions. SVN, on the other hand, lacks some of these collaboration features and may require additional tools or plugins to achieve similar functionality.

  6. Hosting and Cost: GitLab offers a cloud-based SaaS version, as well as a self-hosted version that can be deployed on-premises or on a private server. The self-hosted version of GitLab is free, open-source, and provides full control over the infrastructure. SVN, on the other hand, is typically self-hosted and requires server infrastructure to set up and maintain. This can result in additional costs for hardware, maintenance, and administration.

In summary, GitLab is a modern, distributed version control system designed for collaborative software development, offering features like branching, merging, and code review. SVN, or Subversion, is a centralized version control system, which is older and lacks some of the distributed features of GitLab, making it less flexible for modern development workflows.

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Advice on GitLab, SVN (Subversion)

Anonymous
Anonymous

May 25, 2020

Decided

Gitlab as A LOT of features that GitHub and Azure DevOps are missing. Even if both GH and Azure are backed by Microsoft, GitLab being open source has a faster upgrade rate and the hosted by gitlab.com solution seems more appealing than anything else! Quick win: the UI is way better and the Pipeline is way easier to setup on GitLab!

624k views624k
Comments
Weverton
Weverton

CTO at SourceLevel

Jul 28, 2020

Review

Using an inclusive language is crucial for fostering a diverse culture. Git has changed the naming conventions to be more language-inclusive, and so you should change. Our development tools, like GitHub and GitLab, already supports the change.

SourceLevel deals very nicely with repositories that changed the master branch to a more appropriate word. Besides, you can use the grep linter the look for exclusive terms contained in the source code.

As the inclusive language gap may happen in other aspects of our lives, have you already thought about them?

944k views944k
Comments
Weverton
Weverton

CTO at SourceLevel

Aug 3, 2020

Review

Do you review your Pull/Merge Request before assigning Reviewers?

If you work in a team opening a Pull Request (or Merge Request) looks appropriate. However, have you ever thought about opening a Pull/Merge Request when working by yourself? Here's a checklist of things you can review in your own:

  • Pick the correct target branch
  • Make Drafts explicit
  • Name things properly
  • Ask help for tools
  • Remove the noise
  • Fetch necessary data
  • Understand Mergeability
  • Pass the message
  • Add screenshots
  • Be found in the future
  • Comment inline in your changes

Read the blog post for more detailed explanation for each item :D

What else do you review before asking for code review?

1.19M views1.19M
Comments

Detailed Comparison

GitLab
GitLab
SVN (Subversion)
SVN (Subversion)

GitLab offers git repository management, code reviews, issue tracking, activity feeds and wikis. Enterprises install GitLab on-premise and connect it with LDAP and Active Directory servers for secure authentication and authorization. A single GitLab server can handle more than 25,000 users but it is also possible to create a high availability setup with multiple active servers.

Subversion exists to be universally recognized and adopted as an open-source, centralized version control system characterized by its reliability as a safe haven for valuable data; the simplicity of its model and usage; and its ability to support the needs of a wide variety of users and projects, from individuals to large-scale enterprise operations.

Manage git repositories with fine grained access controls that keep your code secure;Perform code reviews and enhance collaboration with merge requests;Each project can also have an issue tracker and a wiki;Used by more than 100,000 organizations, GitLab is the most popular solution to manage git repositories on-premises;Completely free and open source (MIT Expat license);Powered by Ruby on Rails
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Statistics
GitHub Stars
0
GitHub Stars
614
GitHub Forks
0
GitHub Forks
188
Stacks
63.4K
Stacks
791
Followers
54.5K
Followers
629
Votes
2.5K
Votes
43
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 508
    Self hosted
  • 431
    Free
  • 339
    Has community edition
  • 242
    Easy setup
  • 240
    Familiar interface
Cons
  • 28
    Slow ui performance
  • 9
    Introduce breaking bugs every release
  • 6
    Insecure (no published IP list for whitelisting)
  • 2
    Built-in Docker Registry
  • 1
    Review Apps feature
Pros
  • 20
    Easy to use
  • 13
    Simple code versioning
  • 5
    User/Access Management
  • 3
    Complicated code versionioning by Subversion
  • 2
    Free
Cons
  • 7
    Branching and tagging use tons of disk space

What are some alternatives to GitLab, SVN (Subversion)?

GitHub

GitHub

GitHub is the best place to share code with friends, co-workers, classmates, and complete strangers. Over three million people use GitHub to build amazing things together.

Git

Git

Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency.

Bitbucket

Bitbucket

Bitbucket gives teams one place to plan projects, collaborate on code, test and deploy, all with free private Git repositories. Teams choose Bitbucket because it has a superior Jira integration, built-in CI/CD, & is free for up to 5 users.

RhodeCode

RhodeCode

RhodeCode provides centralized control over distributed code repositories. Developers get code review tools and custom APIs that work in Mercurial, Git & SVN. Firms get unified security and user control so that their CTOs can sleep at night

AWS CodeCommit

AWS CodeCommit

CodeCommit eliminates the need to operate your own source control system or worry about scaling its infrastructure. You can use CodeCommit to securely store anything from source code to binaries, and it works seamlessly with your existing Git tools.

Gogs

Gogs

The goal of this project is to make the easiest, fastest and most painless way to set up a self-hosted Git service. With Go, this can be done in independent binary distribution across ALL platforms that Go supports, including Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.

Gitea

Gitea

Git with a cup of tea! Painless self-hosted all-in-one software development service, including Git hosting, code review, team collaboration, package registry and CI/CD. It published under the MIT license.

Mercurial

Mercurial

Mercurial is dedicated to speed and efficiency with a sane user interface. It is written in Python. Mercurial's implementation and data structures are designed to be fast. You can generate diffs between revisions, or jump back in time within seconds.

Upsource

Upsource

Upsource summarizes recent changes in your repository, showing commit messages, authors, quick diffs, links to detailed diff views and associated code reviews. A commit graph helps visualize the history of commits, branches and merges in your repository.

Beanstalk

Beanstalk

A single process to commit code, review with the team, and deploy the final result to your customers.

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