GitLab

GitLab is a complete AI-powered DevSecOps platform used by global engineering teams to ship faster with fewer tools. Startups get everything from source control and CI/CD to security scanning, automation, and deployments in one place, eliminating tool sprawl and accelerating developer productivity. Through the GitLab for Startups program, eligible teams can unlock free GitLab Ultimate for 20 seats, plus discounted pricing as they scale. What You Get For Seed-Stage Startups (Pre-Seed → Seed, ≤ $5M External Funding) Free GitLab Ultimate for 1 year (up to 20 seats) SaaS or self-managed Year 2: 50% discount on any tier (up to 20 seats) For Early-Stage Startups (Series A → B, ≤ $20M External Funding) Year 1: 50% discount on any tier (up to 20 seats) Year 2: 25% discount on any tier Support not included, but GitLab is built to be beginner-friendly. Who’s Eligible To qualify for GitLab for Startups: Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, or Series B Up to $20M in external funding New GitLab customers only Up to 20 employees/seats for the program Must provide verification via Crunchbase, PitchBook, YC page, or accelerator docs Usage analytics must be enabled for self-hosted installs Why it matters for startups GitLab replaces 10+ DevOps tools with one unified platform. Startups save time, reduce engineering overhead, and gain enterprise-grade security with zero configuration. Perfect for teams that want to: Build + deploy faster Consolidate CI/CD + code + security Use AI-assisted development Automate pipelines from day one Ship enterprise-ready features without managing a toolchain Use Cases / Best For SaaS startups building cloud-native apps Teams adopting CI/CD or GitOps AI + ML model deployment pipelines Security-first dev workflows (SAST, SCA, IaC scanning) Early engineering teams scaling beyond GitHub + manual CI Distributed teams that need unified dev infrastructure XRaise Pro Tip Use GitLab’s AI-powered features (Code Suggestions, Issue Summaries, Merge Request guidance) to speed up development sprints. Even with no DevOps engineer, GitLab CI/CD templates help you deploy production-ready pipelines in minutes. FAQs Can self-funded startups apply? Yes, as long as funding is under the $5M (Seed) or $20M (Series A/B) cap. What happens after year one? You transition into discounted pricing (50% or 25% depending on tier). Is support included? No, but the platform is designed for easy self-service. Can we add more than 20 seats? Yes, but additional seats follow standard GitLab pricing.