---
title: "GitHub"
description: "GitHub hosts Git repositories with tools for code collaboration. Learn about pull requests, GitHub Actions and how GitHub differs from Git itself."
url: "https://nodea.io/en/glossary/github"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-07-13"
---

# GitHub

> GitHub is a web platform that hosts Git repositories and adds a layer of team collaboration on top: code review, issue tracking, pull requests and deployment automation.

**GitHub** is a web platform that hosts [repositories](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/repository) of the [Git](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/git) version control system and the world's largest service for collaborating on code. On top of the version control engine itself, it adds a suite of tools that make teamwork easier: reviewing changes, discussions, issue tracking, and automation of build and deployment processes.

## What GitHub is about

Code lives in repositories, which can be public (visible to everyone, the backbone of open source) or private. Around those repositories, GitHub provides a set of features:

- **Pull requests** — change proposals put through code review before merging;
- **Issues** — a system for reporting bugs, tasks and ideas, complete with labels and milestones;
- **GitHub Actions** — built-in [CI/CD](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/ci-cd) automation that runs tests and deployments after each push;
- **Access management** — controlling who can reach which repositories within organisations and teams.

It is important not to confuse GitHub with Git: Git is a version control program that runs locally, while GitHub is a service that stores repositories in the cloud and layers social and management features on top of them.

## Practical application

GitHub is home to millions of projects — from open-source libraries and commercial code to documentation and static sites published via GitHub Pages. Teams use it to run the entire development cycle: planning tasks, reviewing code, and running automated tests and deployments triggered by repository changes.

For many companies, a public repository on GitHub is also part of their image — it showcases code quality, project activity and openness to collaboration. The platform often serves as the starting point for [GitOps](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/gitops) workflows, in which the state of infrastructure is declared in a repository and every approved change automatically propagates to the target environment.

### Is GitHub free?

GitHub offers a free plan that includes unlimited public and private repositories plus core collaboration features. Paid plans add advanced security, higher automation minute limits, and tooling for organisations and enterprises.

### What is a pull request on GitHub?

A pull request is a proposal to merge changes from one branch into another. It lets a team review the code, add comments and run automated tests before the changes reach the main branch. It is the standard code review mechanism in modern projects.

## Related

- [Git](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/git)
- [Repository](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/repository)
- [Version control](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/version-control)
- [CI/CD](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/ci-cd)
- [GitOps](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/gitops)

---

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