Code Hosting

Source code hosting and version control platforms for managing repositories, conducting code reviews, and tracking issues. European code hosting providers store your proprietary source code and development workflows on EU infrastructure, protecting your intellectual property under European law.

What to Look For

Git repositories

Pull requests

Code review

Issue tracking

CI/CD integration

Wiki

GDPR Considerations

Source code repositories contain far more than just code. Commit histories include developer names and email addresses, issue trackers store bug reports that may reference customer data, pull request discussions contain team member identities and technical decisions, and repositories often include configuration files with credentials or customer-specific logic. Under GDPR, developer personal data in commit histories and the potential for customer data in issues and configs makes code hosting a data protection concern. Beyond personal data, source code is often the most valuable intellectual property in a software business. When hosted on US-based platforms, your proprietary code is subject to US jurisdiction. European code hosting providers store your repositories, issues, and development workflows entirely within the EU, protecting both the personal data of your development team and the sovereignty of your intellectual property.

How to Choose

With 2 European code hosting options available, choosing the right one depends on your priorities. Here's a quick guide:

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On a budget or just exploring

GitLab, Codeberg offer free tiers

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Need code transparency or self-hosting

GitLab, Codeberg are open source

Enterprise procurement requirements

GitLab holds ISO 27001

European Code Hosting Software

GitLab

Complete DevOps platform in a single application

Free

Utrecht

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GDPRISO 27001SOC 2DPA

Open Source

Codeberg

Non-profit community-driven code hosting from Germany

Compare Code Hosting Products

GitLab vs Codeberg

Code Hosting by Country

Code Hosting in Germany

🇩🇪 Browse code hosting hosted in Germany

Code Hosting in Netherlands

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Looking for US alternatives?

GitHub alternatives

European alternatives to GitHub

Code Hosting — Frequently Asked Questions

Is GitHub safe for hosting proprietary source code as an EU company?

GitHub is owned by Microsoft, a US company subject to the CLOUD Act. US authorities can legally compel Microsoft to provide access to data stored on GitHub's servers, including private repositories. While GitHub offers data residency options for some enterprise features, the core repository hosting infrastructure is US-based. For businesses with proprietary code that constitutes a competitive advantage or trade secrets, this jurisdictional exposure is a business risk beyond GDPR. European code hosting platforms store your repositories exclusively on EU infrastructure, providing both data protection and intellectual property sovereignty.

Do Git commit histories contain personal data under GDPR?

Yes. Every Git commit includes the author's name and email address, creating a permanent personal data record in the repository history. Over time, commit histories build a detailed profile of individual developer activity: when they work, what they work on, and how frequently they contribute. Issue trackers add further personal data through assignee names, reporter details, and comment threads. Under GDPR, this developer personal data requires proper processing grounds and the ability to handle data subject requests. European hosting platforms understand these requirements and offer tools for managing developer personal data in repositories.

Can European code hosting platforms handle large teams and enterprise workflows?

European code hosting platforms like Gitea, Codeberg, and self-hosted GitLab support the workflows that enterprise development teams need: branch protection rules, mandatory code reviews, role-based access controls, and integration with CI/CD pipelines. Self-hosted GitLab on EU infrastructure offers feature parity with GitLab.com while keeping all data within your own EU environment. For most development teams, the core features of pull requests, issue tracking, and code review are fully mature on European platforms. The primary difference is typically the breadth of third-party integrations and marketplace extensions.

See only GDPR-compliant Code Hosting