7 Reasons Bitbucket is Better Than GitHub [The Ultimate Smackdown for 2022] (2023)

GitHub and Bitbucket are two of the most popular code repositories out there. So let's pit them against each other, Bitbucket vs. GitHub. It's on!

If you're a developer, you almost certainly know them. And even if you weren't before, you probably know that Microsoft bought GitHub for an impressive $7.5 billion a few years ago.

In this article, we'll weigh the pros and cons of the two platforms and explain why - in our humble opinion - Bitbucket is the better bucket for your bits.

For people new to Bitbucket or Github, I've included a clarification in this introduction. If you are already familiar with the tools, feel free to skip this section.

Why do I need a code repository like Bitbucket or GitHub?

In short, for source control.

When updating a code base or collaborating with someone else, being able to undo changes and making the repository accessible to colleagues and collaborators alike is crucial.

So time for organized engineers!

But what are GitHub and Bitbucket? Well, both were launched in 2008…

What is GitHub?

GitHub is the most popular version control system out there, with around 57 million developers on board. It's also loved by the open source community - since public repositories are free.

As the name suggests, Github mainly supports Git (although it can also work with Mercurial and SVN). It is written in Ruby on Rails and Erlang. And it's available for Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone.

Features are:

• collaborative code review
• an integrated issue tracker
• Milestones and labels for projects
• Mark sentence order
• Branch Comparison Views
• Support for over 330 languages ​​and data formats
• Two-Factor Authentication
• and GitHub Pages, which allow you to self-publish and host within GitHub

It has integrations with everything from Asana to Zendesk, plus CloudBees, CodeClimate, Heroku, and Travis; and with cloud hosting providers such as AWS, Google Cloud and Windows Azure.

note: You can set up aJira-GitHub-Integration. And if you're interested in more integrations, check it outZendesk GitHub-IntegrationGuide.

Tell me about Bitbucket now

Bitbucket supports Git (but not SVN; and it no longer supports Mercurial VCS). It is written in Python and uses the Django web framework. And it is available for Mac, Windows Linux, iOS and Android.

Bitbucket is coming alongEnterprise-class security features including IP whitelisting and IPv6 support, and is SOC II, SOC III, PCI DSS, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27018, and GDPR compliant.

Important features are:

• Pull-Requests und Code-Reviews
• Branch comparison and commit history
• and unlimited private repositories for free (for up to five users)

The integration is offered for Bamboo, Crucible, Jenkins and Jira.

note: You can also set one upJira Bitbucket-Integration.

It supports external authentication with GitHub, Facebook, Google and Twitter.

At the enterprise level, it provides intelligent mirrors for distributed teams, accelerating cloning and retrieval and ensuring work is secure and synchronized

So now to the big Bitbucket vs. GitHub question we want to answer:

What actually makes Bitbucket better than GitHub?

1. Bitbucket is more flexible than GitHub

While GitHub is feature rich and allows you toCreate your own workflows, Bitbucket has probably built in more flexibility.

Bitbucket can also import from Git, CodePlex, Google Code, SourceForge, and SVN. GitHub, on the other hand, can import from Git, SVN, HG, and TFS. with Bitbucket,You can work exactly how you want without having to try and fit a square pin in a round hole.

2. Bitbucket has better prices

Bitbucket is completely free for up to five users. This includes unlimited private repositories, and since you can also have unlimited public repositories, it's hardly surprising that there are a number of large open-source projects on the platform.

Bitbucket also offers teachers and students unlimited private repositories for free—a hard price to say no to.

Upgrades increase the number of build minutes and the amount of storage for large files included in the package (price is $3 per month per user for a Standard account and $6 for Premium).

GitHub's free offering, on the other hand, offers unlimited public and private repositories with unlimited collaborators. However, the enterprise plan is slightly more expensive, costing $21 per month per user (more than triple the price of Bitbucket's most expensive plan).

3. Bitbucket is trustworthy

In recent years, commenters have been increasingly skeptical about Microsoft's connection to GitHub.

In fact, it may very well be the fact that GitHub offers access to a massive ecosystem of developers and is effectively a social network for programmers. This is especially important as it's still outside the purview of LinkedIn -- another recent Microsoft acquisition.

This concern was particularly evident with a huge surge in migrations from repositories to Bitbucket, which came immediately after the announcement that Microsoft had acquired GitHub:

Meanwhile, Bitbucket has been part of the Atlassian family since 2010 and is an important part of the offering for the engineering community.

Given that, Atlassian is unlikely to try to rock the boat or squeeze the product for revenue. And there's no reason this situation is going to change any time soon.

4. Smarter semantic search

Small things can make the difference. A good example of this is the fact that Bitbucket's search looks through your syntax to find definitions that match your query, not just variable names.

This makes searching much faster and more powerful than it would otherwise be. And isn't that what good software is supposed to do?

5. Invaluable wiki functionality

One extremely useful aspect of Bitbucket is that each repository can have its own wiki, available at the click of a button. This functionality means you can put all the information and notes you need in the platform and have them at your fingertips throughout your development cycle. In addition, you can use the wiki to house your software documentation permanently - regardless of whether you need it publicly or privately.

Of course, if you have more complex needs, you can integrate Bitbucket and Confluence to work with even more powerful publishing tools.

6. Bitbucket has powerful Jira integration

"Atlassian is to software what Apple designs"– FORBES

Since Atlassian went public in 2017 with an estimated market value of over $10 billion (USD), the exponential growth of its product range seems almost unstoppable. And Jira is their flagship product.

Jira was originally developed as a bug tracker, but is now flexible enough that it can now be used for tasks such as issue tracking, service desk delivery, and project management.

note: Learn more about Jira by downloading ourIntuitive Jira guide for users.

Bitbucket integrates seamlessly with the task-tracking tool Jira — perhaps unsurprising given that both are owned by Atlassian. So when you use the two tools together, you can set code commits to update Jira issues automatically.

You can also create branches directly from Jira, allowing for fast, fluid workflows. This is one of Bitbucket's greatest advantages, as it links the entire development process with a set of integrated, synchronized tools.

Even better, the integration can be set up in seconds. And who doesn't want code deployment and task tracking to work in perfect harmony?

7. Bitbucket has powerful Trello integration

Bitbucket even offers an easy-to-use integration for Trello if you don't want to get into Jira.

Because yes,Trellois also part of the Atlassian software family. So if you want to combine the power of Bitbucket with Trello's accessible interface, then Atlassian has you covered.

However, if we can talk you around, you can read why Jira is better than Trello (even for non-developers).here.

Cons of Bitbucket

We know it looks like we've picked a little on GitHub in this post. But of course it has its strengths.

To add some nuance to our arguments, let's acknowledge that GitHub has the following strengths:

1. Community

It's hard to argue that GitHub is more universal than Bitbucket - and it brings with it a vibrant developer community. There are also some easy-to-use tools for finding and sharing code. However, GitHub's current leadership status isn't one that will necessarily stay the same forever.

2. Plugins

While there's a lot going on on Bitbucket -- and there are plenty of native plugins to extend the platform -- GitHub has the edge in this category.

However, Bitbucket has some great apps andBitbucket Connectmakes deep integrations easy.

An example of a great Bitbucket app isQuellbaum, created by Atlassian, which provides a graphical interface and visualizations for your projects.

There are those tooLockerApp - that allows you to pull information and comment, merge and request code reviews, all from within the channel.

Additionally, if you look at the broader landscape of the Atlassian Marketplace, there is an absolutely massive selection of apps that can help you work with other Atlassian products.

Conclusion

To summarize the benefits we discussed, Bitbucket:

• Is absolutely more flexible - with access to a wider range of version control systems
• Has powerful Jira integration - to make task tracking easier
• Has powerful Trello integration
• Arguably has better prices depending on your needs
• Features smarter semantic search
• And is not part of a larger power game in Silicon Valley! ;D

If you're looking for an alternative to GitHub, or if you're looking for a more flexible code repository, Bitbucket might be where you start and end your search.

Likewise, the Bitbucket pricing structure may make more sense for you with a small team.

And if you're already using Jira for task tracking, plugging in Bitbucket is an easy step into programming nirvana.

Suggested reading:

• Jira Bitbucket integration: the complete guide for 2020
• Jira Pricing Analysis: How much does a Jira license cost?
• How to implement a Jira migration (a step-by-step guide)
• How to set up the perfect Jira notification system
• Jira Confluence Integration: The Complete Guide for 2020
• 10 Expert Tips to 10X Productivity in Jira