Softwr

Technology · head to head

GitHub vs Rippling

GitHub logo

GitHub

Technology

Where the world builds software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rippling logo

Rippling

Recruitment & ATS

Manage HR, IT, and Finance in one place

From
$8/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only GitHub has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GitHub acquired by Microsoft in 2018, reducing pure independence despite operational autonomy; Rippling the Internet Archive's capture of Rippling's homepage on 10 January 2021 named distinct product modules, Employee Platform, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, App Management, Device Management, and a PEO offering, all sold via 'Request Demo' with no price figure published.
  • They diverge on capability: GitHub covers Git repositories, Rippling covers Payroll.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GitHub and Rippling actually diverge.

Attributes where GitHub and Rippling differ
AttributeGitHubRippling
Starting priceFree$8/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, MobileWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryTechnologyRecruitment & ATS
Founded20082016

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Rippling

  • Payroll
  • Benefits Administration
  • Device Management
  • App Management
  • Time Tracking
  • Learning Management
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

GitHub

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

Rippling

No use cases recorded yet. See the Rippling 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

Rippling

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Rippling's homepage on 10 January 2021 named distinct product modules, Employee Platform, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, App Management, Device Management, and a PEO offering, all sold via 'Request Demo' with no price figure published.

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

Rippling

$8/month
  • Core$8/month
    • Employee Management
    • Onboarding
    • Offboarding
  • Pro$12/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced Analytics
    • Custom Reports

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.
GitHub review

Choose Rippling if

  • You need payroll.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want benefits administration.
Rippling review

Questions people ask

Is GitHub or Rippling better?
Neither clearly leads. GitHub starts at Free and Rippling at $8/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GitHub or Rippling?
GitHub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for GitHub and $8/month for Rippling.
Does GitHub or Rippling run on more platforms?
GitHub runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile. Rippling runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use GitHub for free?
Yes. GitHub has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rippling starts at $8/month.
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 Rippling is typically brought in for.
What can GitHub do that Rippling cannot?
GitHub covers Git repositories, Pull requests, Code review, Issues & projects. Rippling covers Payroll, Benefits Administration, Device Management, App Management. Both handle Slack.

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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on GitHub

More on Rippling

Keep looking

Other head to heads