Is GitHub free? What it actually costs in 2026
Yes, there is a free tier — with limits.
Free tier for individuals and small teams; Team at $4/user/month; Enterprise at $21/user/month (billed annually). Add-ons such as GitHub Advanced Security and Copilot are priced separately (verified at github.com/pricing).
What you are locked into
Repositories use standard Git, so code and history are portable, but issues, pull requests, Actions workflows, project boards, and the integration ecosystem are GitHub-specific and require conversion when moving. Enterprise governance features and the Copilot/Advanced Security add-ons deepen the tie to GitHub's platform and pricing.
If you would rather not pay: Forgejo
Forgejo
Community-governed, copyleft self-hosted Git forge.
Free / self-host
See all 4 GitHub alternatives comparedCompare the free options head-to-head
Pricing is verified against the vendor's published figures and dated above. Vendors change prices — confirm current numbers with GitHub, Inc. (Microsoft) before you commit. More code hosting & git forges decisions on Macrostack.