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Developer Tools · head to head

GitHub vs One Identity

GitHub logo

GitHub

Developer Tools

Where the world builds software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit GitHubFull review
One Identity logo

One Identity

Cybersecurity

Quest-owned identity governance, PAM and Active Directory management

From
On request
Free plan
No
Visit One IdentityFull review

The short version

  • GitHub is a development platform inspired.
  • GitHub starts at $4/mo; One Identity prices on request.
  • Only GitHub lists git repositories; only One Identity lists identity Manager.
  • Where GitHub falls short: acquired by Microsoft in 2018, reducing pure independence despite operational autonomy.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GitHub and One Identity actually diverge.

Attributes where GitHub and One Identity differ
AttributeGitHubOne Identity
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelSubscriptionQuote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, AndroidWeb, Windows, Linux
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity

Not yet recorded: founded for One Identity.

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 One Identity

  • Identity Manager
  • Safeguard
  • Active Roles
  • OneLogin
  • Password Manager
  • syslog-ng
  • Starling connectors

What people use each for

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

GitHub

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

One Identity

  • An organisation whose authoritative directory will remain on premises Active Directory and needs delegated administration with attribute-level controlnot GitHub
  • A government or defence environment requiring privileged session management on a hardened physical appliance rather than a cloud servicenot GitHub
  • A manufacturer with SAP and Active Directory needing provisioning governed under one certification processnot GitHub
  • An enterprise consolidating Active Directory after an acquisition and needing automated account lifecycle across both forestsnot GitHub

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

One Identity

  • The portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost
  • Identity Manager implementations are customisation-heavy and commonly run over a year, with the services spend exceeding the licence cost in the first year
  • Quest has changed private equity ownership more than once since the Dell separation, and buyers should ask directly about product investment commitments before signing a multi-year deal
  • Product documentation and support sit behind a customer portal, which makes independent evaluation before purchase harder than with vendors that publish openly
  • The cloud-native and developer experience trails the pure-play identity vendors, so organisations moving decisively to SaaS applications find the on premises heritage becomes a constraint rather than an asset

Pricing, plan by plan

GitHub

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

One Identity

On request
  • Identity ManagerOn request
    • Priced per managed identity
    • On premises or hosted
    • Access certification and provisioning
  • SafeguardOn request
    • Priced per privileged user or per appliance
    • Hardened appliance option for session management
    • Licensed separately from Identity Manager
  • Active RolesOn request
    • Priced per managed Active Directory account
    • Delegated administration and automated provisioning
    • Licensed separately

Which should you pick?

Choose GitHub if

  • You need git repositories.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want pull requests.
GitHub review

Choose One Identity if

  • You need identity manager.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want safeguard.
One Identity review

Questions people ask

Is GitHub or One Identity better?
Neither clearly leads. GitHub starts at Free and One Identity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GitHub or One Identity?
GitHub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GitHub and On request for One Identity.
Does GitHub or One Identity run on more platforms?
GitHub runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android. One Identity runs on Web, Windows, Linux.
Can I use GitHub for free?
Yes. GitHub has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. One Identity starts at On request.
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 One Identity is typically brought in for.
What can GitHub do that One Identity cannot?
GitHub covers Git repositories, Pull requests, Code review, Issues & projects. One Identity covers Identity Manager, Safeguard, Active Roles, OneLogin.

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
One Identity: Is One Identity the same company as Quest?

Yes. One Identity is Quest Software's identity and access management business unit, not a separate vendor.

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
One Identity: Does it include privileged access?

Safeguard provides it, but it is licensed separately from Identity Manager. Neither includes the other.

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
One Identity: Why choose this over SailPoint or Saviynt?

Almost always because of Active Directory depth via Active Roles or an appliance requirement for privileged sessions. For cloud-first estates the specialists are the stronger choice.

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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