GitLab for open source svg

Join the GitLab for Open Source Program

Our top tiers, and 50,000 CI minutes, are free for Open Source projects

GitLab exists today in large part thanks to the work of hundreds of thousands of open source contributors around the world. To give back to this community, we want to help their teams be more efficient, secure, and productive by allowing them to use GitLab's top capabilities.

We are experiencing delays at this time and apologize for longer than usual waiting times. If your request is urgent, please email opensource@gitlab.com and add "Urgent: [your request]" in the subject line.

Program Requirements

  1. OSI-approved open source license -- All of the code you host in this GitLab group must be published under OSI-approved open source licenses
  2. Non-profit -- Your organization must not seek to make a profit. Accepting donations to sustain your efforts is ok
  3. Publicly visible -- Your GitLab.com group or self-hosted instance and your source code must be publicly visible and publicly available

If you believe your project meets all program requirements, we welcome your application!

Note: Unfortunately, we are not able to accept all open source projects that are affiliated with the US Federal government. If you are affiliated, please let us know and we will work with you to see if your project qualifies.

Application process

Apply to the program

  1. Submit the application form on the right side of this page to help us verify that you meet all program requirements. For help setting up a qualifying group or project, see the relevant FAQ below
  2. You can expect an initial response from our team within 5-10 business days. You may be asked to provide additional information

What to expect

If your application is accepted, we’ll work with you to grant your license. Here's how:

  1. Sign a quote. The balance will be zero unless you decide to add on paid support. You will be prompted to sign this electronically
  2. Accept the Terms and Conditions that will be sent to your email along with the quote
  3. Receive the license key (for Ultimate) or further authentication instructions (for Gold)

Renewal process

Email a renewal request

    You will need to email us annually to renew your membership.

    You will receive reminders before your membership expires. Please begin the process at least one month in advance to ensure sufficient processing time.

    When you are ready to renew, please send an email to opensource@gitlab.com with the following information:

    Subject: Renewal Request | Date of Expiration (MM/YYYY)

  1. Name of your organization or project
  2. Number of seats you're renewing. If needed, you can request additional seats
  3. Any change of ownership to the account. If needed, please let us know at this time

Our program requirements may change from time to time, and we'll need to make sure that you continue to meet them. If you do not, we'll work with you to make transitions as smooth as possible. If you do not renew your membership for any reason, your account will be downgraded.

What to expect

If your renewal request is accepted, you'll be asked to sign a zero dollar renewal quote. After that, here's what to expect for each type of renewal:

  1. Gold renewals. No further action is necessary after your renewal is fully processed. Your account will automatically renew.
  2. Ultimate renewals. You'll need to upload your renwal license once it is issued.

Please let us know if you have any questions about the renewal process via opensource@gitlab.com.

Additional information
  1. All public projects on GitLab.com automatically receive Gold functionality at the project level. Apply to this program if you need Gold functionality at the group level or if your open source project will need the additional CI minutes that come with this program.
  2. Free GitLab Ultimate and Gold accounts do not include support. However, you can purchase support for 95% off, at $4.95 per user per month.
  3. The number of seats is the number of different users that will use this license during the next year.
  4. Your program membership needs to be renewed annually. If you do not renew, your account will be downgraded.

If you have any additional questions regarding this program, feel free to reach us at opensource@gitlab.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Do I have to apply for every OSS project separately?

    The subscription is going to be for a group, so only one application will be enough. Apply with your most representative project.

  2. Can I use this license for my non-open source projects as well?

    No. The GitLab license can be used only for the open source projects it was approved for.

  3. Is GitLab available in my country?

    GitLab is available to people all over the world in many languages. However, since we are a U.S.-based company, we do not offer our services in U.S. embargoed countries.

  4. Why can't I submit my form?

    If you live in Ukraine, you'll need to verify that you do not live in the Crimean Penninsula, since Crimea is on the U.S. embargo list. If you list your country as "Ukraine" our form won't automatically let you submit. If you do not live in Crimea, please fill out the application form and add your full address in the "billing address" section. Provide your city in the city drop down, and choose a different country (not Ukraine) in the country drop-down. You should now be able to submit the form.

  1. How do I create a qualifying group or project on GitLab?
    1. Sign up for a Free account (can be hosted or self-hosted), or enroll in a free trial for our top tiers
    2. Create your group and set its visibility to Public. If you're using a self-hosted instance, make sure it is publicly accessible
    3. Add OSI-approved license information to at least one of the projects in your group's LICENSE files
  2. Who gets counted in the subscription?

    Please see our licensing and subscription FAQ for the detailed explanation.

  3. Why can't I see an application form on this page?

    Some web browsers and privacy extensions block the application form because they identify it as a pop-up. Please disable the pop-up blocker on this page, refresh the page, and check again.

  4. What are the benefits for projects hosted on GitLab.com?

    While all public projects hosted on GitLab.com already have access to Gold features at the project level, this does not include group-level features.

    The GitLab for Open Source license provides the additional ability to use Gold group-level features (e.g. Epics, Roadmap). It also allows projects to have 50,000 CI minutes per month for free.

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