# Best Version Control Hosting Software - Page 3 *By [Adam Crivello](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/adam-crivello)* Version control hosting solutions are products that host multiple code repositories in the cloud and integrate with, and often provide, online tools that enhance the use of version control systems. Version control hosting solutions allow developers who collaborate on source code to manage a master repository in which they can commit their code changes and pull down new code to their local computers. Version control hosting solutions provide businesses with an access control list where they can choose which developers have access to the repository. Version control hosting solutions allow developers to set up a master repository that is hosted online and helps developers avoid confusion by considering it the source of truth for when they integrate their code. Version control hosting solutions integrate with at least one version control system, but often integrate with multiple. To qualify as a version control hosting solution, a product must: - Integrate with at least one version control system - Provide an online location where developers can commit their code and pull down new changes from other developers - Allow multiple repositories to exist simultaneously - Provide an access control list allowing developers to access specific code repositories - Provide a way to browse the source code and its changes ## Category Overview **Total Products under this Category:** 32 ## Trust & Credibility Stats **Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:** - 30 Analysts and Data Experts - 5,700+ Authentic Reviews - 32+ Products - Unbiased Rankings G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category. ## Best Version Control Hosting Software At A Glance - **Leader:** [GitHub](https://www.g2.com/products/github/reviews) - **Highest Performer:** [Backlog](https://www.g2.com/products/backlog/reviews) - **Easiest to Use:** [GitHub](https://www.g2.com/products/github/reviews) - **Top Trending:** [GitHub](https://www.g2.com/products/github/reviews) - **Best Free Software:** [GitHub](https://www.g2.com/products/github/reviews) --- **Sponsored** ### JFrog JFrog Ltd. (Nasdaq: FROG), the creators of the unified DevOps, DevSecOps, DevGovOps and MLOps platform, is on a mission to create a world of software delivered without friction from development to production. Driven by a “Liquid Software” vision, the JFrog Platform is a software supply chain system of record that is designed to power organizations as they build, manage, and distribute secure software with speed and scale. Holistic security features help identify, protect, and remediate against threats and vulnerabilities. The universal, hybrid, multi-cloud JFrog Platform is available as both SaaS services across major cloud service providers and self-hosted. Millions of users and approximately 6,600 organizations worldwide, including a majority of the Fortune 100, depend on JFrog solutions to securely embrace digital transformation in the AI era. Learn more at www.jfrog.com or follow us on X @JFrog. [Visit company website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=ppc&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=658&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_id%5D=658&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bplacement_reason%5D=page_category&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=658&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=143017&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=658&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Fversion-control-hosting%3Fpage%3D3&secure%5Btoken%5D=e675642d93c2539b8ccc09911797e9d1b67ba6a039733b848fdbaaba0c2de88d&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fjfrog.com%2Fartifactory%2F%3Futm_source%3Dg2%26utm_medium%3Dcpc_social%26utm_campaign%3Dbrand_awareness_banner_ad%26utm_content%3Du-bin&secure%5Burl_type%5D=custom_url) --- ## Parent Category [Source Code Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/source-code-management) ## Related Categories - [Continuous Integration Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/continuous-integration) - [Continuous Delivery Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/continuous-delivery-tools) - [Peer Code Review Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/peer-code-review) --- ## Buyer Guide ### What You Should Know About Version Control Hosting Software ### What is Version Control Hosting Software? Version control hosting software hosts multiple code repositories in the cloud, allowing developers to seamlessly collaborate on source code. This also helps them manage a master repository so they can easily merge code changes and continuously update code versions to local computers. Version control hosting solutions are crucial for software development collaboration—they host tools and systems that enable developers to simultaneously make code changes without causing major problems to a project. This parallel development is accomplished via branching. Branching is the process of duplicating source code and making changes or additions to an isolated section of copy, which is then re-merged with the original source code to update the master repository upon completion. With version control hosting software, multiple developers can work on modifications along multiple branches before merging each branch to the master repository. Version control hosting software gives businesses an access control list. This allows companies to manage the source code and branch permissions for every developer. For example, a company might want to make all their branches visible to the entire team, but only grant editing permissions to relevant parties. This setup allows teams to remain on the same page by viewing each other’s projects without accidentally making unwanted changes to different projects. Developers can avoid confusion by referring to the cloud-hosted master repository, which serves as the absolute source to determine the true current state of many projects. Once changes are made to a branch, that branch can merge with the master repository to reflect those changes. Version control hosting software saves version history, meaning the master repository can be reverted to previous versions if any code changes need to be reversed. Key Benefits of Version Control Hosting Software - Allow developers to seamlessly collaborate on projects - Create an organized environment for developers to differentiate between projects - Increase efficiency of a company - Enable a transparent view of all the projects in-progress at an organization ### Why Use Version Control Hosting Software? Version control hosting software handles the essential version control systems that protect developers from making irreversible errors and promote ideal collaboration. There are a handful of reasons to use version control hosting software, may are essentials for the modern developer. **Parallel development —** Software development teams rely on version control hosting software to simultaneously change and manage cloud-hosted code repositories. Without version control hosting software, teams would have an extremely difficult time managing code conflicts. There would be many more conflicts due to a lack of visibility, including the inability to stay on the same page. **Preserving good code —** Both solo developers and teams benefit from the ability to work on code changes without running the risk of breaking a functioning build. Because developers can make changes to duplicate versions of the master repository, the master repository itself is preserved until changes are finalized. This functionality is akin to an author creating a duplicate document to make edits on—if things go wrong and important work is overwritten, the original copy is unaffected. **Maintaining version history —** Version control hosting software maintains a history of each version of the master repository. Each time a branch is merged with the master repository, the previous version is maintained in case developers need to revert to prior builds. This protects teams from making irreversible mistakes in the form of bad code or merge conflicts. ### Who Uses Version Control Hosting Software? Version control hosting software presents clear benefits for development teams of all sizes thanks to the collaborative functionality achieved through its use. However, even solo developers find themselves relying on software to host version control systems and make development more foolproof. **Software development teams —** Software development teams use version control hosting software to organize collaboration and allow parallel development via branching. With version control hosting software, team members can work on separate tasks simultaneously while keeping the master repository intact. **Solo developers —** The benefits of version control hosting software extend beyond team collaboration. Solo developers rely on version control hosting to safely make changes to their projects without breaking their builds. If a branch merge ruins their project, solo developers can easily revert to a prior version to preserve their overall progress. ### Version Control Hosting Software Features **Version control system integration —** Version control hosting software must integrate with at least one version control system to function, but some can integrate with multiple systems to accommodate different types of projects. **Multiple repository hosting —** Version control hosting software allows development teams to host multiple repositories that help facilitate multiple projects. Some version control hosting software even offers unlimited repositories. **Hosting flexibility —** Some version control hosting software allows teams to host their repositories and branches anywhere. This could include cloud-based repositories as well as on-premises ones. This flexibility gives development teams more control over their projects. **Transparent changelists —** Because version control hosting software maintains comprehensive and detailed version history, users are able to see every change that occurs over the lifetime of their projects. Beyond the ability to roll back to functional versions if a build is flawed, version history logs often enable developers to see exactly what changes were made between versions, as well as the context for those changes. Access to the full context of each change to a repository gives development teams a better understanding of their progress and allows teams to stay on the same page. ### Software and Services Related to Version Control Hosting Software [**Version control systems**](https://www.g2.com/categories/version-control-systems) **—** Version control systems help track changes to software development projects, and allow team members to change and collaborate on the same files. This is accomplished using version history, branching, and managed repositories. Version control systems provide the meat of version control functionality hosted by version control hosting software. [**Version control clients**](https://www.g2.com/categories/version-control-clients) **—** Version control clients are software tools that developers use on their computers to interact with version control systems. Version control clients enhance the features of version control systems by keeping track of multiple projects, providing a graphical user interface (GUI) for easier control, and allowing development integration to move faster. These tools integrate with version control hosting software to provide a comprehensive version control framework. [**Static code analysis**](https://www.g2.com/categories/static-code-analysis) **—** Static code analysis is the analysis of computer software performed without actually executing the code. Static code analysis software scan all code in a project and seeks out vulnerabilities, validate code against industry best practices, and some software tools validate against company-specific project specifications. Static code analysis software coexists with version control frameworks to give developers a complete tool kit for transparent, flexible source code management.