GitLab (Archived) vs GitHub
GitLab (Archived) is an MCP server published by modelcontextprotocol. Marketplaces we read that list it: 1 (Docker MCP Catalog). GitHub is an MCP server published by github. Marketplaces we read that list it: 2 (Official MCP Registry, Docker MCP Catalog). As of our marketplace pass on 2026-10-13. This pair was picked by a reader, not by our comparison rule, so search engines are asked not to index the page.
Where each is published
| Marketplace |   GitLab (Archived) |  GitHub |
|---|---|---|
| Docker MCP Catalog | Listed Version: sha256:a1b8571a210a Forks (GitHub): 11 780 Pulls (Docker Hub): 81 183 Stars (Docker Hub): 25 Stars (GitHub): 91 180 Not marked · First seen |
Listed Version: sha256:ffced0d76e77 Forks (GitHub): 5 134 Stars (GitHub): 33 552 Not marked · First seen |
| Official MCP Registry | Not listed | Listed Version: 2.0.2 Forks (GitHub): 5 134 Stars (GitHub): 33 552 Not marked · First seen |
Each figure is the marketplace's own and is never added up across marketplaces. A marketplace that publishes no figure shows none: no number is not zero.
The facts side by side
| Fact | GitLab (Archived) | GitHub |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces that list it (differs) | 1 (worse) | 2 (better) |
| Stars (GitHub) (differs) | 91 180 (better) | 33 552 (worse) |
| Pulls (Docker Hub) (differs) | 81 183 | No figure on Docker Hub |
| Forks (GitHub) (differs) | 11 780 (better) | 5 134 (worse) |
| Last release | Not published | Not published |
| Where it runs (differs) | On your machine (mcp/gitlab) | Remote server or your machine |
| Transport (differs) | stdio | Streamable HTTP, stdio |
| Tools it declares (differs) | 9 | 40 |
| Environment variables it asks for (differs) | 2, secrets among them: 1 | 1, secrets among them: 1 |
| Licence (differs) | NOASSERTION | MIT |
| Repository (differs) | github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers | github.com/github/github-mcp-server |
| Changes in the last 7 days | 0 | 0 |
| First seen | 2026-10-11 | 2026-10-11 |
| Endpoint at the last check (differs) | no remote endpoint we check | not checked yet |
Lines where the two differ have a tinted background and bold values. Where the data itself says which value is better (more marketplaces, a larger figure of the same marketplace, a fresher release, a verified mark on a marketplace that lists both), the better one is also marked green with ▲ and the worse one red with ▼. Where it runs, the transport, the tools, the settings, hooks, the bundle's parts, the licence and the week's changes are marked only as different: more or fewer is not better in itself.
What each says it does
GitLab (Archived)
MCP Server for the GitLab API, enabling project management, file operations, and more.
GitHub
Connect AI assistants to GitHub - manage repos, issues, PRs, and workflows through natural language.
How to run each
GitLab (Archived) As a local MCP server: Docker image
claude mcp add --env "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=<YOUR_GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN>" --transport stdio gitlab -- docker run -i --rm -e GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN mcp/gitlabRequires: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN (secret)
GitHub As a remote MCP server
claude mcp add --transport http github-mcp-server https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/ --header "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_TOKEN>"Requires: Authorization header
Commands built only from what the marketplaces declare; the full set for every client is on each card.
Tools each declares
Only GitLab (Archived) declares
create_issuecreate_merge_request
Only GitHub declares
add_comment_to_pending_reviewadd_issue_commentassign_copilot_to_issuecreate_pull_requestdelete_fileget_commitget_labelget_latest_releaseget_meget_release_by_tagget_tagget_team_members
Show the remaining 21
get_teamsissue_readissue_writelist_brancheslist_commitslist_issue_typeslist_issueslist_pull_requestslist_releaseslist_tagsmerge_pull_requestpull_request_readpull_request_review_writerequest_copilot_reviewsearch_codesearch_issuessearch_pull_requestssearch_userssub_issue_writeupdate_pull_requestupdate_pull_request_branch
Both declare
create_branchcreate_or_update_filecreate_repositoryfork_repositoryget_file_contentspush_filessearch_repositories
Tool names as each marketplace publishes them. More tools is not better in itself: compare what each needs for the job.
Settings each asks for
Only GitLab (Archived) asks for
GITLAB_API_URLGITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN (secret)
Only GitHub asks for
GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN (secret)
Settings as each marketplace publishes them. Asking for fewer is not better in itself.
What it can do: GitLab (Archived) · What it can do: GitHub · Compare two other plugins
Data comes from the Docker MCP Catalog (desktop.docker.com/mcp/catalog) and Docker Hub. Data comes from the Official MCP Registry (registry.modelcontextprotocol.io), CC0 1.0. Figures come from our own regular passes over the marketplaces, last read on . We publish no contact details for plugin publishers.