GitLab
Choose GitLab when you want its integrated CI/CD and merge-request workflow, with review apps and the controls available in your chosen offering and tier.
GOLF Resources / Compare
Golf vs GitLab
GitLab combines repository collaboration, CI/CD and deployment tooling across hosted and self-managed offerings. Golf focuses its current preview on exact-source checks, optional proposals and protected previews across two deployment tracks.
Reviewed October 14, 2026 · editions and plans matter01 / WHERE EACH FITS
Start with your requirements.
Golf self-hosted
Evaluate Golf self-hosted when Forgejo, a Go/React control plane and individually configured execution services fit your infrastructure. Golf’s GitLab workflow support is a tested subset; it does not replace every GitLab coordinator or pipeline feature.
Golf on Cloudflare
Evaluate Golf on Cloudflare to build the source-to-preview loop with Artifacts, D1, Workflows, Containers and protected Worker apps. You trade GitLab’s broader integrated surface for Golf’s current Cloudflare-native architecture and narrower approved profiles.
02 / CAPABILITIES AND OWNERSHIP
Compare the deployment you will run.
The Golf columns describe the developer preview. Cloudflare manages the provider services; the operator still manages Golf policy, account access, resources and recovery.
| Compare | GitLab | Golf self-hosted | Golf on Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting | GitLab.com SaaS, Self-Managed and single-tenant Dedicated offerings.GitLab documentation ↗ | Your Docker or Kubernetes infrastructure. Forgejo, Golf Go/React and PostgreSQL. | Operator-hosted in a Cloudflare account. Workers, Artifacts Git, D1 and Durable Objects; no Forgejo origin. |
| Git and collaboration | Git repositories, issues and merge requests; advanced approval/protection controls vary by tier.GitLab documentation ↗ | Supported Forgejo APIs, shared source/issues/PR interface and current repository permissions. | Native source, issues, PRs and reviews. Current merge requires the same repository and an ancestor base. |
| Storage and registries | Git repositories, package/container registries and CI job artifacts.GitLab documentation ↗ | Forgejo owns Git; separate PostgreSQL databases hold Golf/forge state. Execution uses configured private object storage. | Artifacts owns Git, D1 holds domain state, R2 retains private outputs and the managed registry holds images. |
| CI and runners | GitLab CI/CD with GitLab Runner and multiple executor choices.GitLab documentation ↗ | Configured Docker workers and tested Actions/GitLab profiles. Full workflow compatibility is incomplete. | Queues and Workflows coordinate approved Containers. Exact-source checks have hosted proof; arbitrary pipelines are unsupported. |
| AI and agents | Duo code-review/agent tools; supported self-hosted AI models depend on license, add-on and configuration.GitLab documentation ↗ | Optional configured agent accounts and scoped tasks. Each harness needs its own setup and testing. | Optional Clef metadata advice and tested proposals through Workers AI/AI Gateway. Demo proposals edit one approved file. |
| Previews and delivery | Review apps provide branch/MR environments; pipelines deploy to configured infrastructure.GitLab documentation ↗ | Available provider/profile integrations. The Helm core does not install the entire execution or delivery stack. | Protected expiring R2/static and Workers for Platforms app previews. General production promotion/rollback is incomplete. |
| Operations | Hosted offerings reduce platform administration; Self-Managed and your runners need lifecycle management.GitLab documentation ↗ | You own images, credentials, storage, networking, upgrades and recovery. One-node core Kubernetes proof passed. | Cloudflare manages provider services. You still own account policy, grants, images, resource lifecycle, costs and recovery. |
| Fit and current limits | A choice for integrated GitLab CI/CD. Check tier, offering and runner requirements.GitLab documentation ↗ | Evaluate an owned developer workflow. Full recovery, production HA and retained migration fidelity remain open. | Evaluate the native Cloudflare workflow. Enrolled private access; no self-service SaaS signup. Analytics/Cron gaps remain. |
See Golf’s current evidence, Kubernetes installation and Cloudflare service inventory. Full workflow parity, protected merge, production delivery and coordinated recovery remain open. Vectorize search is in development.
03 / EVALUATION
Check these before a migration.
- Exercise includes, child pipelines, service containers, artifacts, variables and triggers from your actual CI source.
- Compare GitLab review apps with the exact static or approved Worker-module preview you need in Golf.
- Check merge approvals and protection against Golf’s current same-repository ancestor-merge limits.
- Plan identity, metadata, LFS, registry and recovery validation independently of a successful Git clone.
Try Golf with a disposable repository.
Explore the browser simulations or run an owned installation. Keep your existing platform until the required data and workflow checks pass.