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Technology · head to head

GitHub vs Homebase

GitHub logo

GitHub

Technology

Where the world builds software

From
Free
Rated
-
Homebase logo

Homebase

HR & Recruiting

Scheduling, time tracking and HR for hourly teams

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GitHub acquired by Microsoft in 2018, reducing pure independence despite operational autonomy; Homebase free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GitHub and Homebase actually diverge.

Attributes where GitHub and Homebase differ
AttributeGitHubHomebase
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb
CategoryTechnologyHR & Recruiting
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in GitHub

  • Git repositories
  • Pull requests
  • Code review
  • Issues & projects
  • GitHub Actions CI/CD
  • GitHub Pages
  • Security scanning
  • Dependency management

Only in Homebase

Nothing recorded that GitHub does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

GitHub

  • Version controlnot Homebase
  • Code collaborationnot Homebase
  • CI/CD pipelinesnot Homebase
  • Project managementnot Homebase
  • Documentation hostingnot Homebase

Homebase

No use cases recorded yet. See the Homebase review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

GitHub

  • Acquired by Microsoft in 2018, reducing pure independence despite operational autonomy
  • Primary focus on source control differs from purpose-built project management tools like Jira
  • Pricing for enterprise features and private repositories adds up compared to some self-hosted alternatives

Homebase

  • Free Basic plan is capped at 10 employees and a single location
  • Paid plans are billed per location per month ($30, $70 or $120), so a multi-location business pays the rate again for each site
  • Payroll is a separate add-on at $39 per month plus $6 per month per employee paid
  • Tip Manager and Task Manager are further add-ons billed per location per month on top of the base plan

Pricing, plan by plan

GitHub

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited public/private repos
    • 2,000 CI/CD minutes/month
    • 500MB package storage
  • Team$4/month
    • Everything in Free
    • 3,000 CI/CD minutes/month
    • 2GB package storage
  • Enterprise$21/month
    • Everything in Team
    • 50,000 CI/CD minutes/month
    • 50GB package storage

Homebase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Homebase review.

Which should you pick?

Choose GitHub if

  • You need git repositories.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want pull requests.

Choose Homebase if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is GitHub or Homebase better?
Neither clearly leads. GitHub starts at Free and Homebase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GitHub or Homebase?
GitHub starts at Free and Homebase at Free.
Does GitHub or Homebase run on more platforms?
GitHub runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Homebase runs on Web.
Can I use GitHub for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is GitHub best used for?
GitHub is most often used for version control, code collaboration, ci/cd pipelines, project management. Of those, version control and code collaboration are not what Homebase is typically brought in for.
What can GitHub do that Homebase cannot?
GitHub covers Git repositories, Pull requests, Code review, Issues & projects.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GitHub: What is a Git repository and how does GitHub use it?

A repository is the centralized database that stores the complete collection of files and folders for a codebase, along with the revision history. GitHub uses Git to provide distributed version control access to repositories with version tracking, branching, and collaboration features.

Source
GitHub: How does GitHub authentication work?

When you connect to a GitHub repository from Git, you need to authenticate with GitHub using either HTTPS or SSH. GitHub supports multiple authentication methods including passwords, personal access tokens, SSH keys, and GitHub Apps.

Source
GitHub: How long has GitHub been operating?

GitHub was founded in 2008 and launched publicly on April 10, 2008, making it the dominant git hosting platform for nearly two decades.

Source
GitHub: Who owns GitHub and when did the acquisition occur?

Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion USD, with the deal announced June 4, 2018 and completed October 26, 2018. GitHub operates as an independent subsidiary within Microsoft.

Source

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