GitLab
Complete DevSecOps platform with Git hosting, CI/CD and security — a European alternative to GitHub.
Overview
GitLab is a Amsterdam, Netherlands-based European company building ci/cd, code hosting, developer tools, and open source software since 2011. As an EU-headquartered provider, GitLab operates under GDPR and is outside the reach of the US CLOUD Act, making it a privacy-friendly alternative to well-known US incumbents for European teams.
Why European teams pick GitLab
Teams in Europe pick GitLab when they want a ci/cd provider that bills in EUR, supports their local data-protection officer requirements, and keeps customer data under Netherlands law, operating since 2011. Compared with well-known US incumbents, GitLab avoids cross-border data transfers under Schrems II and the US CLOUD Act, which is often the deciding factor for European procurement and legal teams.
See more EU ci/cd tools or browse other startups from Netherlands.
About
GitLab is a Dutch-founded DevSecOps platform that combines Git repository hosting, CI/CD pipelines, container registry, package registry, security scanning (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, secret detection), and project management into a single application. Founded in 2011 in the Netherlands, it is one of the largest EU-originated enterprise software companies and powers development workflows for over 30 million registered users. GitLab can be run entirely self-hosted on EU infrastructure such as Hetzner or OVHcloud, giving teams complete data sovereignty with no dependency on US cloud providers. Its CI/CD system is widely regarded as more powerful and flexible than GitHub Actions for complex pipelines. GitLab CE (Community Edition) is fully open-source under the MIT licence.
Details
- Founded
- 2011
- Headquarters
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
Other EU startups like GitLab
- FjordIDNorway — Managed OIDC/OAuth2 identity platform hosted on Hetzner in Germany. Drop-in Auth0 replacement with EU data residency and zero US subprocessors.
- RailwayUnited Kingdom — Instant deployment infrastructure for developers — popular across European teams.
- LiveblocksFrance — APIs for adding collaborative real-time features to your app — a French alternative to Firebase Realtime.
- PocketbaseBulgaria — Open-source backend in a single file — a European alternative to Firebase.
- NocoDBGermany — Open-source Airtable alternative that turns databases into smart spreadsheets.
- BaserowNetherlands — Open-source no-code database and Airtable alternative — built in the Netherlands.
Frequently asked questions
What is GitLab?
GitLab is a Dutch-founded DevSecOps platform that combines Git repository hosting, CI/CD pipelines, container registry, package registry, security scanning (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning, secret detection), and project management into a single application. Founded in 2011 in the Netherlands, it is one of the largest EU-originated enterprise software companies and powers development workflows for over 30 million registered users. GitLab can be run entirely self-hosted on EU infrastructure such as Hetzner or OVHcloud, giving teams complete data sovereignty with no dependency on US cloud providers. Its CI/CD system is widely regarded as more powerful and flexible than GitHub Actions for complex pipelines. GitLab CE (Community Edition) is fully open-source under the MIT licence.
What does GitLab do?
GitLab is complete devsecops platform with git hosting, ci/cd and security — a european alternative to github. It is listed under ci/cd, code hosting, developer tools, and open source on EU Alts because its core functionality serves teams looking for a European ci/cd tool with EU data residency, typically as a switch away from well-known US incumbents.
Is GitLab a good European ci/cd alternative?
GitLab is a fit for European businesses evaluating ci/cd options where data residency and GDPR alignment matter — typical buyers include EU-based SaaS teams, public-sector projects, regulated industries (healthcare, finance, legal), and any organisation that needs to demonstrate that customer data does not leave the EU. It also overlaps with code hosting and developer tools use cases.
Is GitLab GDPR compliant?
GitLab is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands and falls under EU jurisdiction, so it processes user data under the GDPR by default. Customer data processing is supervised by Netherlands's data protection authority, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP). Because the company is not US-incorporated, it is not subject to the US CLOUD Act — meaning US authorities cannot compel GitLab to disclose customer data the way they can with well-known US incumbents. For European buyers, that often simplifies DPIA paperwork and standard contractual clauses.
How do teams switch from well-known US incumbents to GitLab?
Most teams move to GitLab from well-known US incumbents because they want EU data residency without giving up the core ci/cd workflow. GitLab's Netherlands base means a single jurisdiction for both the company and (typically) its hosting infrastructure, so you can drop Schrems II transfer impact assessments for this part of your stack. Plan the migration in stages: export your data from the US incumbent, pilot GitLab with a small team, then move the rest once the integration coverage you need is confirmed.
Where is GitLab based?
GitLab is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The company was founded in 2011. Its main website is https://gitlab.com.