head to head · open source
Reflex vs GitLab
Reflex has 28,891 GitHub stars, 1,778 forks, 346 open issues and last shipped yesterday. GitLab has 24,544 stars, 5,983 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Reflex leads on adoption by 18% (28,891 vs 24,544 stars). Reflex is written in Python under Apache-2.0; GitLab is written in Ruby under a custom or non-standard licence. Reflex has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, GitLab 24%. Reflex was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Reflex | GitLab | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 25K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | Ruby |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 6.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Reflex if
- You weight community size — 29K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick GitLab if
- You want the GitLab feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Ruby
- You evaluated both and GitLab fits your workflow better
About Reflex
Reflex is an open source Apache 2.0 Python library for building full stack web apps and internal tools entirely in Python, aimed at Python developers who want a browser based frontend without learning JavaScript.
read the full Reflex overview →
About GitLab
GitLab is an open core DevSecOps platform that gives teams Git repository hosting, merge request code review, CI/CD pipelines, issue tracking, and wikis in one self hostable application, aimed at organizations that want to run their development lifecycle on infrastructure they control.
read the full GitLab overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Reflex or GitLab more popular?
Reflex has 28,891 GitHub stars and GitLab has 24,544. Reflex has the larger community by that measure.
Are Reflex and GitLab free?
Both are open source. Reflex is licensed under Apache-2.0, and GitLab has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Reflex and GitLab?
Reflex is written in Python and GitLab in Ruby. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Reflex or GitLab?
Choose Reflex if you want the larger community (28,891 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose GitLab if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.